The recruit: Isaiah Manning says social media was a factor he considered when he picked TCU
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North Texas athletes, NIL and social media
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat have become ways to communicate and have quickly translated into high school sports as local athletes go through their recruitment.
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There’s so much that goes into the recruiting process for athletes that fand may underestimate how stressful it can all be.
Distance from home, academics and fit on the court or field are all factors that weigh heavy on the mind of college-bound 18-year-olds.
Choosing a college is one of the biggest decisions of their lives. While there are some blue-chip prospect who will make the NFL or NBA regardless of which college they pick, the overwhelming majority’s pro prospects will be determined by which choice they make.
Stressful right?
Add in the potential to secure lucrative name, image and likeness (also known as NIL) deals and that’s just one more major consideration to ponder. That’s how social media has become s businesses.
So just how much does a school’s fanbase footprint on social media matter to a potential recruit? For Mansfield Legacy forward and 2023 TCU commit Isaiah Manning it was something he considered.
“It was a little bit of a factor. I tried to prioritize fit with the school, but Kansas State, they were one of my top schools, too. They had a big social media presence and things they kind of promoted like activity with the fans. Mainly I think it’s an added bonus,” Manning said. “You find a school you like and engage and build with the fans once you’re there.”
Manning, ranked the No. 189 prospect by the 247Sports composite rankings, has over a 1,000 followers on Twitter (@thezay2k) and more than 7,500 on TikTok. His TikTok page (@thezay2k) has more than 1 million likes.
Because of NIL, an athlete’s social media interaction is developing into a big factor in college athletics.
“It helps us put out our personalities to the media and to make money through that. Being able to express ourselves publicly and getting way more views and monetize it. It’s allowed people to turn their personality into money,” Manning said.
Manning said the biggest factors were TCU’s proximity to home and the system TCU basketball coach Jamie Dixon would use that allows him to play on the wing. The interaction with TCU fans on social media was also a positive for him.
“They’re pretty active, a lot of the students have less public accounts but they went to my account and congratulated me and told me how excited they were for me to be there,” Manning said. “It felt nice to have them involved before I even get up there.”
Manning said there are differences between Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Instagram features more fan pages, profiles dedicated to TCU or TCU recruiting. Interactions are more personal on Twitter.
“There’s a generational thing. People that have already graduated that are still TCU fans are able to be on Twitter and get active in that space,” Manning said.
TikTok might be the most popular social media for Generation Z and even those interactions are different than Twitter or Instagram.
“It’s a little bit more advanced than the other apps. It’s more expansive. It’s a good way to get new people to follow you and like your content and then you can kind of rope them into your other social medias through there,” Manning said.
On the opposite spectrum there’s TCU freshman wide Jordan Hudson. Hudson was rated as a five-star by the recruiting service On3. His decision to come to TCU was almost based solely off his relationship with head football coach Sonny Dykes.
“When Dykes told me he was going to the Big 12 and he made the decision, I was all in, I was ready,” Hudson said. The talented receiver, who was previously committed to SMU, said he was going to follow Dykes wherever he went.
He has more than 4,000 Twitter followers. If you wish to follow him @d1Jordan3’s, you must request his permission through the Twitter app.
As athletes become more savvy with how they navigate the NIL landscape, the social media interactions they have with fans could become a growing factor.
Texas running back Bijan Robinson has signed some of the most high-profile NIL deals. Raising Cane’s, Lamborghini are some of the major brands that Robinson has a deal with. Robinson has more than 28,000 followers on Twitter and more than 133,000 on Instagram.
Then there’s Nebraska wide receiver DeColdest Crawford, who was featured in a commercial for a looking heating and cooling company in Nebraska. Thanks to his nearly 20,000 followers on Twitter and more than 50,000 on Instagram, the bit went viral on social media with more than 6 million views.
The company SOS Heating & Cooling, only has 119 followers on Twitter. Thanks to Crawford’s platform the company gained exposure to thousands of potential new customers. These are just a few examples of how athletes can attract businesses and deals off the strength of their social media followings.
This story was originally published September 1, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
