Miami football commit silences NIL rumors with passionate message about the Canes

Ezekiel "ETA" Ayangbile, a four-star defensive lineman committed to Miami, pushed back on NIL accusations around the Hurricanes with a direct message about why he and other Miami commits picked the program.

Ezekiel Ayangbile pushes back on NIL talk around Miami's 2027 class

"The bag isn't why we're here. We want to play ball. For a lot of us, me included, other programs were offering the same or more and we chose to come here. Not to get paid but to be great, the money will follow."

Ezekiel Ayangbile

Ayangbile committed to Miami on May 8 after choosing the Hurricanes from a final group that included LSU and Virginia Tech. The Rivals Industry Ranking has him as the No. 181 overall player, No. 21 defensive lineman and No. 26 player in Texas in the 2027 class.

Miami's 2027 class has become one of the biggest stories in national recruiting. The Hurricanes have one of the top classes in the Rivals Industry team rankings after flipping five-star edge rusher Jaiden Bryant from LSU. Bryant joined a group that already included five-star cornerback Donte Wright and five-star wide receiver Nick Lennear. Miami also flipped Ai'King Hall from Oregon earlier in the cycle.

The recruiting success doesn't just stem from NIL. A big part of it has been the success on the field for Miami over the last few seasons.

Ayangbile's response does not mean NIL is irrelevant, and nobody who pays attention to modern college football should pretend that it is. NIL is part of roster building now, and every serious program has to operate in that space. Miami is no different.

But in a recruiting world where every blue-chip commitment seems to come with instant speculation about money, Ayangbile's answer was the kind of statement that will stick with fans for a long time.

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