'27 TN S/LB Omarii Sanders (Vanderbilt commit)

You know more than me, would be kind of nice to have a slobber knocker that can run at saftey.
I can't get watching him go 1v1 at Under Armour combine in Nashville last year out my head. He looked like a lost puppy and got toasted. He improved ball skills this year and became FRA most dynamic receiver, but I question how sustainable it is for him to just backpedal 10 yards back and then break on the ball to make a play every snap. His best traits are his length, athleticism, and tackling potential which makes more sense at linebacker imo
 
I can't get watching him go 1v1 at Under Armour combine in Nashville last year out my head. He looked like a lost puppy and got toasted. He improved ball skills this year and became FRA most dynamic receiver, but I question how sustainable it is for him to just backpedal 10 yards back and then break on the ball to make a play every snap. His best traits are his length, athleticism, and tackling potential which makes more sense at linebacker imo
Thank you
 
By far. It's the largest in the SEC by far. That university seems to own half of the land in Nashville.
Who knows how accurate but most everything I'm seeing has Vandy 3rd in the SEC behind the Texas schools. Texas quadruples vandy 🤯

 
Who knows how accurate but most everything I'm seeing has Vandy 3rd in the SEC behind the Texas schools. Texas quadruples vandy 🤯

Crap. I keep forgetting they’re in the SEC now.
 
How does a school’s endowment go towards $NIL for athletes?
Grok sez:

A school's **endowment** is a pool of invested donations (from alumni, philanthropists, etc.) that generates income to support the institution's operations, scholarships, facilities, faculty, and more. The bulk of endowment funds are typically restricted by donor intent—often earmarked for academics, research, or specific non-athletic purposes—making direct use for athlete compensation rare or restricted.

**NIL** (Name, Image, and Likeness) refers to college athletes' ability to earn money from their personal brand through endorsements, sponsorships, appearances, social media promotions, and similar deals. This became possible starting in 2021 due to NCAA policy changes and state laws.

In practice, a school's **endowment does not directly fund NIL payments** for athletes in the standard way. Here's how it typically works (and doesn't work):

- **NIL payments come primarily from third-party sources**, not the university itself (to avoid violating NCAA pay-for-play rules historically, though rules evolved post-2025 *House v. NCAA* settlement).
- The main vehicle for school-related athlete compensation has been **NIL collectives**—independent organizations (often 501(c)(3) nonprofits or similar) formed by boosters, alumni, and donors tied to a specific school/program.
- These collectives **pool donations** from wealthy supporters and businesses, then distribute funds to athletes in exchange for NIL activities (e.g., appearances, ads, autographs).
- Donors give to collectives rather than directly to the school's endowment or athletic department for tax benefits or flexibility—endowment gifts are often permanent and restricted, while collective donations target athlete pay more directly.

Schools' endowments (or athletic-specific endowments/scholarship funds) support athletics indirectly by funding:
- Coaches' salaries
- Facilities
- Operating budgets
- Scholarships/tuition aid

This can free up other athletic department revenue (e.g., ticket sales, media rights) for potential uses, but endowments rarely pay NIL directly.

Some analysis suggests schools could theoretically use endowment income to offset athletic costs, indirectly supporting revenue sharing or athlete payments—but this isn't standard NIL funding and depends on donor restrictions and rules.

As of 2026 (post-*House v. NCAA* settlement, approved 2025):
- Many Division I schools can now **directly share revenue** with athletes (up to caps like ~$20–22 million per school annually for 2025–26), separate from NIL. This is "institutional" pay, often from athletic department sources (media deals, tickets, etc.), not endowments.
- Third-party NIL (via collectives or brands) continues, with more reporting/enforcement.
- Collectives remain key for supplemental or targeted pay, especially if revenue sharing faces Title IX limits (e.g., collectives can favor football/basketball more flexibly).

In short: **Endowments rarely go directly toward NIL**. Athlete NIL money flows mostly through external collectives funded by targeted booster donations, brand deals, or personal ventures—not the school's core endowment principal or income. Direct school payments (revenue sharing) draw from athletic revenues, not endowments. This separation helps maintain compliance and donor intent.
 
It doesn’t. At least not without a McDonald’s bag and some fancy accounting.
When my granddaughter went to Vanderbilt orientation, the students were told NOT to take out any student loans. Get all the scholarships they can muster.
Then:
1) if admitted to Vandy,
2) if they graduate,
the endowment will pay the remainder of any fees that they owe. That includes ALL students. So do not let the cost of attending Vandy be a deterrent if a kid is inclined to go there.
 
When my granddaughter went to Vanderbilt orientation, the students were told NOT to take out any student loans. Get all the scholarships they can muster.
Then:
1) if admitted to Vandy,
2) if they graduate,
the endowment will pay the remainder of any fees that they owe. That includes ALL students. So do not let the cost of attending Vandy be a deterrent if a kid is inclined to go there.
Don’t see how that applies here, but that is a really cool story.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 67Vol
When my granddaughter went to Vanderbilt orientation, the students were told NOT to take out any student loans. Get all the scholarships they can muster.
Then:
1) if admitted to Vandy,
2) if they graduate,
the endowment will pay the remainder of any fees that they owe. That includes ALL students. So do not let the cost of attending Vandy be a deterrent if a kid is inclined to go there.
How does that work, though? The only way to defer payment thru graduation is with loans. Surely, Vandy isn't letting kids go to school for free (minus scholarships) for 4 years in hopes they graduate, in which case the endowment covers he bill.
 
Vanderbilt commitment Omarii Sanders returned to Tennessee on Tuesday as he continues to take a deeper look at the Vols new defensive coaching staff. Following the stop, he broke down the visit with Volquest.
“It was really good just being able to meet the new coaching staff,” Sanders told Volquest. “That was really the main point of the day. Just being able to see how they coach and getting a feel for who they are. Just seeing how they are and comparing them to see how they are.”
Sanders said he spent the most time today with Jim Knowles and Anthony Poindexter, as he continued to learn more about his potential fit into the Tennessee defense.
“They are both very smart guys,” Sanders said of his takeaway of the duo. “Coach Poindexter is a great guy, and you can tell he really likes his players and cares for what he is doing. Coach Knowles is definitely a smart guy. Just being able to see what he does is a great thing.”
Sanders is a versatile defender with an impressive frame, so he could play multiple positions at the next level. He was able to get more questions answered about his fit today.
“Coach Knowles said I could start out as a safety and see where it goes from there,” Sanders said. “Really just seeing that there is a fit for me at that position and just seeing how smart and physical all of their players are. You can tell they have a good coaching staff.”
The message from the Tennessee coaching staff was simple.
“Basically, just what you said, that I am a priority and in-state guy, and they want me down here, and they want me to keep visiting as much as I can,” Sanders said.
Sanders has set an official visit with the Vols for the weekend of June 5th. He will officially visit Vanderbilt the week prior to the Tennessee official, and he will visit Texas A&M the weekend after.
So what does a school like Tennessee or Texas A&M have to do to flip Sanders away from the Commodores?
“The main thing is just continuing to build a relationship. I have a very strong relationship with Vanderbilt. By then, it is just a feeling and having multiple talks with my family.
Did this visit help the Vols chances with Sanders?
“I would definitely say it was a great experience getting to meet the new coaching staff,” Sanders said. “Just getting to meet them for the first time. It definitely was a good time meeting them.”
-VQ
 
Don’t see how that applies here, but that is a really cool story.
It applies in that football, baseball, lacrosse, golf... all get 100% fees paid if they graduate. No NIL needed except as profit (as all NIL is). But it's a boon to golf, track, lacrosse, swimming....
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandman Vol
How does that work, though? The only way to defer payment thru graduation is with loans. Surely, Vandy isn't letting kids go to school for free (minus scholarships) for 4 years in hopes they graduate, in which case the endowment covers he bill.
Dunno. That was a slide on their presentation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cncchris33

Advertisement



Back
Top