How a $5 million 'Wild West' NIL offer cost Texas an elite prospect they would've never lost under previous recruiting rules originally appeared on A to Z Sports.

The Texas Longhorns were always viewed as a heavy favorite to keep Mansfield, Texas, native and five-star offensive tackle prospect Felix Ojo in their class. Steve Sarkisian pitched an excellent situation to Ojo, including an NFL pipeline, a great NIL offer, and the ability to win.

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Instead, Ojo shocked the world when, hours before his decision came, a flurry of new crystal ball projections pointed to Texas Tech. Not long later, the Red Raiders were announced as Ojo's next stop. The next shocker was the staggering NIL offer agreed upon, which included $775,000 a year that could swell to $5.1 million.

Ojo's agent, Derrick Shelby, explained that the house settlement about revenue sharing is what caused the rise of the Red Raiders. He explained that offers changed after that pivotal moment, but Texas Tech stood firm.

“Through this process, some of his visits and offers were coming pre-House settlement. It was more of the wild, wild west,” Shelby said. “Once they signed off on the House settlement, a lot of the numbers changed. Now, they may not have as much to give. Tech’s number didn’t change.”

The loss was stunning for Texas in the moment, but the context makes it more understandable how Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns couldn't win. Ojo was prioritizing the bag throughout his recruitment, and it's why Ohio State hadn't expected to win the fight even before the house settlement.

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Financially, Texas and Ohio State have too many players to pay to compete with a lesser program that can be top-heavy with its spending. That's the cost that comes with being a deeper roster and hyper-competitive across numerous sports.

Ojo, a 6-foot-7, 285-pound standout, is ESPN’s No. 4 offensive tackle and the second-highest-ranked recruit from Texas in the 2026 class. After taking official visits to Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, and Texas this spring, Ojo committed to Texas Tech, marking the highest-rated recruit in the program’s history since ESPN started tracking high school prospects in 2006.

Ojo’s commitment comes with one of the most substantial fully guaranteed revenue-share agreements in college football, made possible by the recent federal settlement allowing direct athlete compensation.

ESPN indicated that Ojo’s deal is comparable to the multimillion-dollar contract signed by Jackson Cantwell, the No. 3 overall prospect in 2026, who secured over $2 million annually with incentives at Miami earlier this year.

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This move underscores Texas Tech’s aggressive investment in talent. According to ESPN’s Max Olson, the Red Raiders allocated over $10 million to acquire 17 players during the winter transfer portal window.

In total, Texas Tech added 21 transfers, assembling the nation’s second-ranked transfer class this offseason. Ojo’s signing is the latest in a series of bold financial commitments by the program, signaling its intent to compete at the highest level.

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This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.