West Virginia QB #5 Turns Down $4.5M NIL Deal from Pitt—Chooses Loyalty Over Payday
In a stunning twist that’s reverberating through the world of college football, West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback #5, Jaxon Reid, has reportedly turned down a massive $4.5 million Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal from bitter rival Pitt. The deal was rumored to be structured around Reid stepping in as the successor to outgoing Panthers QB Eli Holstein, with national brand endorsements and local marketing partnerships sweetening the pot. But despite the allure of a higher payday and Power Five glamour, Reid made a decision that is increasingly rare in today’s college football landscape: he stayed.
Reid, who secured a $2.1 million NIL package back in December through West Virginia-based deals ranging from regional banking campaigns to a signature line of outdoor apparel, announced his decision in a heartfelt video posted to social media. Against a backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains, the junior quarterback looked directly into the camera and said, “This is my home. This is who believed in me when I was a two-star kid from Beckley. No amount of money is worth walking away from that.”
The response has been electric. Mountaineer fans, already enamored with Reid after a breakout 2024 season where he threw for 3,875 yards and 32 touchdowns while rushing for another 600 yards, have rallied behind their QB with the hashtag #LoyaltyOverMillions trending across social platforms. Even national analysts have taken notice, with ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit calling it “one of the most grounded and self-aware decisions I’ve seen in the NIL era.”
Sources close to the Pitt program confirm that the deal was frontloaded and aggressive. Reid would have been guaranteed a luxury apartment in downtown Pittsburgh, year-round media access, and a multi-year contract with a national auto brand. But in the end, Reid’s ties to Morgantown—and to his late father, a lifelong Mountaineers fan who passed away just days before Reid signed his letter of intent—proved stronger.
“He’s not just playing for himself,” said WVU head coach Neal Brown. “He’s playing for a state, for a legacy, and for every kid who’s ever been told they’re not good enough.”
College football has become a marketplace in recent years, with top athletes transferring for better NIL deals almost as quickly as they emerge. Reid’s decision bucks that trend—and may spark something bigger. Already, several prominent players across the Big 12 and ACC have posted cryptic messages alluding to “loyalty” and “legacy” in the wake of Reid’s announcement.
Only time will tell how this bold move will affect his career trajectory. But one thing is certain: Jaxon Reid is not just West Virginia’s quarterback. He’s become its symbol. A lightning rod for those who still believe college football can be more than just business.
And with the Backyard Brawl against Pitt looming this September, don’t be surprised if Reid uses every bit of that $4.5 million rejection as fuel.
