Star El Paso football player navigates NIL, shifting college sports landscape

Star quarterback Jake Fette, a senior at Del Valle High School in El Paso, is a top-five player at his position in the nation. After committing to play at Arizona State University a year ago, Fette is among the highest-profile athletes from the borderland to navigate the new collegiate sports environment where the best players get paid top dollar -- a major shift from a handful of years ago, when compensating athletes could land a school in deep trouble. El Paso Matters editor and reporter Pablo Villa talks through his coverage of Fette's recruitment journey, and the shift that other top El Paso high school athletes are having to navigate compared with past generations of El Paso athletes. You can read Pablo's coverage at