‘We’ve written (contract) language that protects us’: The NIL side of Chris Marshall’s Ole Miss dismissal

Chris Marshall was a headline-grabbing portal addition for Ole Miss football over the winter.

His Rebel career didn’t even last four months.

Marshall earlier this month was dismissed from the team for what was officially labeled a violation of team rules. Rumors abound the actual reason was a high-speed chase Marshall allegedly took the police on — in a car he purchased with some of his NIL (name, image and likeness) money.

It was the final straw in what sources indicate had been an ongoing pattern of troubling off-field behavior for Marshall. In short, the dismissal wasn’t all that surprising.

But in the age of NIL and the unprecedented resources (read: $$$) being allocated for talent procurement, the limited leash for Marshall was/is still noteworthy.

Now-former Ole Miss wide receiver Chris Marshall

See, Marshall had agreed to terms on a fairly lucrative NIL contract with the Grove Collective.

The Grove Collective is the school’s leading NIL avenue. Marshall, meanwhile, is a former five-star prospect. He was ranked as the No. 3 overall wide receiver in the 2020 recruiting class. Marshall had 11 receptions for 108 yards in six games as a Texas A&M freshman in 2022.

However, he had his issues in College Station, too. Marshall was one of four freshmen suspended for a game for a violation of team rules.

“Chris Marshall has been dismissed from the Ole Miss football program for violation of team rules,” now-fourth-year head coach Lane Kiffin said in a statement at the time.

“We wish him good luck in his future plans.”

Ole Miss nearly had a replacement for Marshall in Michigan State transfer Keon Coleman.

Coleman, though, ultimately went with Florida State, despite near-identical NIL offers, meaning an unexpected need remains. Fortunately, the Rebels, and the Grove Collective under executive director Walker Jones, have proven time and again they have more than enough money and are willing to spend.

To a point.

First and foremost, Jones is charged with protecting the school’s interests, including in such adverse instances as Marshall’s.

“If we have to write the biggest check every time, No. 1, we’re being completely wasteful with the money. And No. 2, we’re short-changing our university,” Jones said.

Ole Miss’ Grove Collective is ahead of the game. But that doesn’t always mean the biggest check. by Talk of Champions

OK, but what about the guaranteed money?

Jones covered the topic (among many others) at length in the latest edition of Talk of Champions. He also detailed where the Rebels stand nationally in NIL fundraising, the collective’s eSports partnership with The Brandr Group/Hyperluxe and much, much more.

“That’s an example of why we pay over a 12-month period and don’t front-load these agreements,” Jones said. “There’s risk there, and I’m a big believer in the student-athlete earning their value over time. They have responsibilities throughout the year, and not just when they’re playing. Just as importantly when they’re not playing and they’re representing the Grove Collective or our university in the various functions we have.

“We’re very cautious about putting a bunch of money up front, and we’ve also gotten much more sophisticated in our contractual agreements where we’re protected. We’ve taken our lumps on a few instances where a student-athlete would contract with us and then a day or two later jump in the portal and use that as leverage to go find a better deal.

“We’ve written language in there that protects us from that.”

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