Prior to developing into a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Braden Fiske was one of the most coveted defensive linemen to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal ahead of his final season at the college level. Some of the top programs in the country joined his transfer recruitment but he ultimately chose to pledge to the Seminoles over a top-3 that included USC and Notre Dame.
It was a battle to the end as the Trojans and Fighting Irish each hosted Fiske for official visits leading up to his decision. In fact, his trip to Los Angeles came on the heels of his visit to Florida State. The weather and budding program under Lincoln Riley weren't the only factors when weighing the possibility of transferring to USC. There was also a sizable NIL offer on the table.
READ MORE: ESPN Lists FSU Football Opponent As No. 1 G5 Team That Could Make College Football Playoff
During an appearance on 'Bussin' With The Boys' hosted by Will Compton and Taylor Lewan, Fiske noted that USC made him the largest monetary offer he received as a graduate transfer. The total ended up being in the range of $400K.
"Yeah, there was a little money on the table," Fiske said on the show. "I probably could've made more going to USC but it just kind of varies. But it's f–king sketchy. Bruh, it's the wild west."
"It was upwards of like $400K, it was in that range, like, you know, between two and four," Fiske continued.
The visit to USC was extravagant and the money on the table was hard to pass up. In the end, Fiske decided to bet on himself and it clearly paid off in the end.
"No, That was more like when I was on campus and like they do it crazy out there. They tried to put you up in the high-rise apartment like 36th floor. All that sounds nice but I'm thinking of my last year of college ball, I'm like 'I need to lock the f–k in.' I've been here for six years, I got to get up out of here, try to make something happen. All that sounded cool, I'm looking out seeing LA but real deep down I'm like 'this just ain't for me.' I need this townhome over here on Hayden Road. I need to make it happen. A little more gritty, I'm the big blue-collar guy, right? That's my label."
Fiske recorded 43 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and six sacks while helping Florida State to its first ACC Championship since 2014. He was named Second-Team All-ACC before dominating the pre-draft process and climbing up boards to hear his named called by the Los Angeles Rams.
Paired up with FSU teammate Jared Verse and a 4-year/$9.4M contract, Fiske sleeps just fine at night over the couple of dollars he gave up in college.
READ MORE: ESPN's FPI Gives FSU Football Best Chance To Make College Football Playoff Out Of ACC
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DUSTIN LEWIS
Lewis joined NoleGameday in 2016 and is currently in the role of Editor-In-Chief. A graduate of Florida State, Lewis contributes to football, recruiting, and basketball coverage. Connect with Dustin on Twitter at @DustinLewisNG.
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