5 Former Mississippi State Athletes Who Would Have Profited Greatly In The NIL Era
One of the hottest topics in the college football world is NIL and how much certain athletes are making at their schools.
Of course, there's been plenty of controversy surrounding just that and debate over just how much athletes who played college sports before the era began may have lost out on.
Here's a look into five former Mississippi State athletes who could have potentially hit it big if NIL had come to light at an earlier time:
Dak Prescott (2012-2015)
The easiest decision on this last was, in fact, Dak. Dak cemented himself as an MSU legend when he came off the bench in the Egg Bowl in 2013 to lead MSU to a 17-10 victory over Ole Miss. Then magic happened. Dak carried MSU to number one in 2014, and now Dak was a household name.
Dak decided to return for his senior year, and he would have had a massive payday if NIL had been available. Simply put, Dak is a living legend and perhaps the biggest star MSU has ever produced.
Darryl Wilson (1994-1996)
Wilson is the oldest player on this list, but it is well-deserved. The Kennedy, Alabama native led the Bulldogs in scoring every year he was on campus.
With all the hype for Richard Williams and his Bulldogs coming off the 1995 season, it would only make sense that the teams leading scorer would get paid big. Along with another MSU legend Eric Dampier, they led their team to the only Final Four in program history.
Victoria Vivians (2015-2018)
Vivian may be arguably the most dominant and popular athlete in MSU history. She won the Gilliom Trophy, the award given to the best women's basketball player in Mississippi, every year she was in Starkville.
Vivians was voted Homecoming Queen in 2017, which speaks to her popularity. She led MSU to back-to-back National Title games against South Carolina and Notre Dame. Others on this team would have made a lot of NIL cash as well, notably Morgan William and Teaira McCowan.
Jake Mangum (2016-2019)
Mangum or “The Mayor,” a nickname he earned in Starkville, wasted no time becoming a household name. During his freshman year at MSU, he led the SEC in batting average at .408 and was the leadoff hitter on an SEC championship team.
His legend did not stop there, as he continued to be one of the top hitters in the SEC for the following three years. Mangum pitched in his sophomore season as the Bulldogs were riddled with injuries on the mound.
In his last two years, he led the Bulldogs to Omaha and became the SEC hit King. Mangum was known for his intensity and outstanding leadership.
Jeffery Simmons (2016-2018)
Simmons had more hype coming out of high school than the other names listed. The Macon, MS product was a five-star recruit at Noxubee County high school.
He did not disappoint, as he was a two-time all-SEC first-teamer. Simmons was the best player and leader on the beat defense in Mississippi State history.
Simmons was the 19th pick in the NFL draft, along with other Bulldogs, Jonathan Abram and Montez Sweat. Simmons was active in the community and dominated on the field, so it's easy to assume he would have made a fair share of NIL.
