Story by
Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
How Gophers football stars are spending their NIL money
- Story byPioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
- How Gophers football stars are spending their NIL money
(John Autey/Pioneer Press/TNS)
A kid from the Motor City bought a sports car. A Pennsylvania product financed a boat for outings on Lake Minnetonka. A Florida man says he isn't "super flashy" but will now spring for an appetizer when dining out. And the quarterback from Arkansas has donated to a nonprofit back home.
Darius Taylor , Anthony Smith , Maverick Baranowski and Drake Lindsey started their college football careers after the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) era began in 2021 and before direct revenue-sharing payments from universities to players ballooned the amounts of compensation exchanged in 2025.
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These four stars have first-hand accounts of how the influx of big bucks has changed the sport. They are now among the highest-compensated players on the U roster and will collectively make millions during the 2026 season.
At Big Ten Media Days, the foursome spoke candidly to the Pioneer Press about where they are putting their money.
Christmas and a car
Taylor, a senior running back from Detroit, said in July he was in the process of buying his grandmother, Carletta Taylor's residence in Michigan .
"That's been really cool to be able to buy my childhood home," he said.
Taylor is "most happy" when he is helping to support his family, including his six sisters around Christmas. "That's really important to me: Family is my number one thing," he said.
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Taylor is working on "building his net worth," but he also spends on clothes and shoes. His biggest splurge was on a Corvette Z06. (The 2027 model's starting price is $121,500.)
"It's the white one you see ripping around campus — not fast, but loud," he said with a laugh.
Not rowing this boat
Smith, a fifth-year defensive end from Shippensburg, Pa., has acclimated to life in Minnesota in a quintessential way: He bought a speed boat.
"Well, I'm financing it. I didn't buy it the whole way," the preseason Big Ten defensive player of the year said. "We go out on Lake Minnetonka after practice. Get recovery in and then it's, 'Hey guys, who wants to get on the boat?' We swim, go get food at (Lord) Fletcher's, maybe do a little (wake) surfing."
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Smith has also helped out his mother, Heather Sharar, with a new roof on her home and a Cadillac Escalade.
"It's nicer than my truck," Smith said of the SUV. "(It's) got massaging seats, surround(-sound) system, TVs in the back. She travels so much for my little brother ( Sean Smith ), and she's got a dog-walking business."
Hors d'oeuvres please
Baranowski moved from Ponce Inlet, Fla., to Minnesota in 2022 when NIL was brand new, and the linebacker was just grateful for a chance to play in the Big Ten. He was on his way to Air Force until the U offered him a scholarship.
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"It's obviously a blessing to get paid and have money," said Baranowski, who led the U with 103 tackles last season. "We work really hard, and we put a lot of hours into it."
Baranowski is an old-school, thick-necked linebacker who puts an emphasis on saving money. "I'm not super flashy," he said.
"The biggest thing in my life is I can go to a restaurant and get an appetizer now," he said. "'I'm getting an appetizer if I want an appetizer. I don't have to think twice about the appetizer.
"I'm not into the cars, the jewelry, stuff like that. I mean, I love going out to eat with the guys, going to cool restaurants, stuff like that. Traveling a little bit, going to some concerts, just fun stuff."
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Giving back
Lindsey, the third-year quarterback from Fayetteville, Ark., has emphasized giving back to his hometown. One benefactor is the Children's Safety Center of Washington County, a nonprofit organization that focuses on the investigation, detection, treatment and prevention of child abuse.
"I've been able to help out," said Lindsey, who turned 21 this month. "It's obviously important. It's always bigger than you, and I think you kind of learn that as you get older. It's not always about yourself."
Other than that philanthropic outlet, Lindsey said he has been pretty conservative with his cash, with a focus on saving and investing it.
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"My financial advisor kind of handles it all," Lindsey said. "I get a certain amount of money to use a month, and I just go from there."
Different zip codes
Gophers coach P.J. Fleck pointed out how payments to players have led to them living in new abodes. They used to all live in the apartment buildings across the street from the U's Larson Football Performance Center.
"Now they're all over the place," Fleck said. "Some are downtown. Some are in the suburbs. Believe it or not, some are right on campus."
Baranowski is in the group that lives next door.
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"I'm as close as you can be to the facility, ground level," he said. "I walk over every morning. I'm into that. I don't want to drive. I want to walk across the street."
His roommates are linebacker Joey Gerlach, kicker Brady Denaburg and former kicker Sam Henson .
"We got a 100-inch projector screen on the wall and are watching war movies," Baranowski said. "Our neighbors probably hate us."
