Trent Dilfer details how NIL resources dictate schemes available to coaches at Group of Five level

The majority of the conversations around NIL and the transfer portal revolve around roster management and how coaches are structuring their support staff and structuring them similar to NFL front offices.

One aspect that NIL in particular has been impacting that has not gotten nearly the amount of headlines it deserves is how it is impacting schemes, especially at the Group of Five level.

While on the Blazer Victory Podcast recently, UAB head coach Trent Dilfer highlighted just how NIL directly impacts the schemes they're able to run.

"There's Bill Clark's defense, which was awesome. 'Mint' defense. 2-gap. Punch and hold up. It's a great way to play defense. It's a problem to play against. I love that system. I hate playing against it."

"But they were recruiting a different...it's a different era now. Those guys are very expensive. To run that defense right now is probably about a $2 million and we have $1 million for the entire team."

"So I would challenge any Mint defensive coach, I would ask 'How are you going to pay for it? How are you going to find the 4i's? How are you going to find the Jack?"

"The Jack position alone is a $750,000 player, right now. In our conference, he's a 6'5+, 34-inch arms, 265-280 pounds, and can run, can cover, and can drop. Like he is a draftable player. That's a $750,000 player in our conference. He's $1.5 million in the Power Fours."

"So yeah, it's one thing as a fan to say 'Why aren't they playing Mint? Why are they a four-down team?' Well, we all love Mint. I'd love to play that defense. I can't afford that defense. What we can afford is a four-down structure of eight or nine twitchy, explosive get-off guys that can slice-and-dice, create havoc in the backfield, create negative plays. Are we going to hold up like a brick wall in the run game? No. We're not build to hold up like a brick wall in the run game, so you've got to stop the run in different ways."

"See where I'm going with the 'Moneyball' analogy? You've only got so much money, and you've got to make it go the furthers."

Dilfer, who UAB announced would return to lead the program for a third season back in December despite a 7-17 record since taking over following the late retirement of legendary Blazers coach Bill Clark just before the 2022 season (when Bryant Vincent was then tabbed to lead the program as interim head coach), now enters a critical fall where they open with two of three games at home. They'll have Alabama State (FCS) and Akron at home with a game in between those two at Annapolis to take on Navy. Week four they will hit the road for Knoxville to take on the Vols before starting conference play.