West Virginia Football Player Asks For New Car Through NIL, Gets NIL Deal, Transfers A Month Later

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  • West Virginia linebacker Josh Chandler-Semedo recently entered the transfer portal.
  • His decision comes not long after announcing that he was returning and signing a new deal for NIL.
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The current era of collegiate athletics has turned the entire system on its head. Between the transfer portal and Name, Image and Likeness, the athletes have more power than ever and Josh Chandler-Semedo is the perfect example.

He is doing what he wants and is not being penalized for his decisions, even if they don’t make sense to others.

Chandler-Semedo, a former three-star recruit, stands 6-foot-1, 215 pounds. He signed with West Virginia in the class of 2018 and has been a three-year starter at linebacker for the Mountaineers.

As a sophomore, Chandler-Semedo finished second on the team in tackles with 72. As a junior, he finished third on the team after missing one game due to a knee injury.

Prior to his senior season, Chandler-Semedo moved over from will to mike linebacker and went on to lead the team in tackles. His 110 total tackles was third-most in the Big 12 Conference.

In December, he announced that he was returning to Morgantown for his final year of eligibility. His decision to stay at West Virginia was huge for the Mountaineers’ defense in 2022.

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Not long thereafter, the team’s leading tackler from last season posted on Twitter. Chandler-Semedo let his 3,131 followers know that he was looking for a new whip.

Part of Chandler-Semedo’s tweet might have been a ploy to get a deal for his Name, Image and Likeness.

Whether it was or was not intentional, that’s exactly what played out.

In response to the tweet, someone asked how there was not already a deal in place for Chandler-Semedo with an automobile dealership.

Chandler-Semedo agreed.

Less than a week later, it was announced that Chandler-Semedo had partnered with Toothman Ford. Toothman Ford is a local Automotive Dealership based out of Grafton, West Virginia.

Note that in the announcement, Toothman Ford said that Chandler-Semedo was “running it back in 2022.” That is no longer the case.

Chandler-Semedo announced over the weekend that he has entered the transfer portal.

After making his decision, he is now the top player in the transfer portal.

However, now that Chandler-Semedo is leaving Morgantown, what happens to his deal with Toothman? More than likely, it is void. The details of the agreement are not public, but most deals are contingent on the athlete staying at the school.

It is also important to note that Chandler-Semedo may not have received a car. The presumption is that he did receive a new vehicle as part of his NIL deal, but it is not confirmed.

Either way, Chandler-Semedo’s timeline from the end of the regular season until he entered the transfer portal is unique. It is a great example of what today’s recruiting and roster management landscape looks like, and it is his decision.

College athletes having power to do what they want and hold power is a good thing that was lacking for a very, very long time. Chandler-Semedo’s journey is just another example of today’s crazy world of college football.