The Journal. – "Inside the Black Market for High School Football Players"

Date: January 16, 2026
Hosts: Ryan Knudsen & Jessica Mendoza
Featured Reporter: Harriet Ryan
Produced by: The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

Episode Overview

This episode investigates the emergence and impact of a black market for high school football players, a world where teenagers are recruited, paid, and transferred between schools for hefty sums typically reserved for college or pro athletes. Through the story of teenage football phenom Philip Bell III, the Wall Street Journal’s Harriet Ryan exposes how the newfound flow of money—once reserved for college athletes—is filtering down to high school, reshaping family dynamics, legal boundaries, and the lives of minors.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Arrival of Big Money in High School Football

• Expansion from College to High School:
  • The introduction of "Name, Image, and Likeness" (NIL) deals in college football created a new money stream for young athletes. This trend is now visible in high school football, particularly in hotbeds like Southern California.
  • Harriet Ryan: “At its most elite levels, there is a very ugly side to it that basically turns the best players into commodities that can just be sold around, like their assets.” (01:13)

2. How the Black Market Works

• Street Agents as Talent Brokers:

  • Street agents act as brokers, connecting talented players with boosters and wealthy parents willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars.
  • Deals can include cash, housing, jobs, or other perks for both players and their families.
  • Harriet Ryan: “They sort of prowl parts of California... looking for outsized talent that they can turn around and essentially sell to a booster at a school or a parent at a school.” (05:18)

• Illegality and Enforcement:

  • Paying high school athletes is against interscholastic sports rules in all states, but it's not a criminal offense.
  • Enforcement is lax due to limited investigative resources:
    • Harriet Ryan: "It's not the FBI. They don’t have hundreds of agents—they’re not gonna subpoena your bank records." (06:50)

3. The Philip Bell III Story: From Prodigy to Commodity

• Early Stardom and Recruitment:

  • Bell, from Sacramento, received his first Division 1 offer in 8th grade and was recruited heavily by high school and later college programs.
  • Street agents and boosters quickly became involved, offering inducements for his transfer.
  • His family, especially his mother, became central figures in negotiating these deals.

• Escalating Bids and Commodification:

  • Offers included “$20,000 and a lead on a job,” “$50,000 and a house,” sometimes structured for one season or for the remainder of high school (05:43).
  • Bell and his mother enjoyed a luxury lifestyle, living in a mansion formerly occupied by rapper Soulja Boy, with expectations of future wealth:
    • Ryan Knudsen: “Barnes started telling her friends, quote, my son is going to be a millionaire.” (07:39)

• New Avenues: Elite “7-on-7” Leagues:

  • Bell played for “Trillion Boys” in the OT7 League (backed by Bezos and private equity), where he allegedly received per-game payments despite rules prohibiting 'pay-for-play' (10:56).

4. Family Fallout and Personal Toll

• Academic and Emotional Decline:

  • Bell’s grades plummeted after moving for football, and he confided in relatives about wanting to come home but felt trapped by his mother's financial interests:
    • Harriet Ryan: “He desperately wanted to leave... he felt like he couldn’t leave because his mother had so much financially on the line.” (11:35)

• Custody Battles and Loss:

  • Bell’s father sued for custody, citing concerns about his son’s wellbeing and his ex-wife’s alleged drug use.
  • The court ruled Bell should return to Sacramento, but the order was not enforced. Bell chose to stay with his mother.

• Mother’s Death and Aftermath:

  • Days after unsuccessful plea attempts by family, Bell’s mother died of complications related to diabetes and cocaine (16:21).
  • Ryan Knudsen (quoting father): “My family has been torn apart by adults who should have protected us, and now I’m left trying to pick up the pieces.” (17:58)

5. The Endless Cycle and Wider Impact

• Bell’s Senior Year and College Decision:

  • After his mother’s death, he moved in with another family and played his senior year at Mission Viejo, committing to Ohio State.
  • Signing day was emotional, with Bell honoring his mother:
    • Philip Bell III: “I'm just continuing it on for her because she wanted me to keep going, so that's what I'm gonna keep doing.” (19:40)

• A Widespread Issue:

  • The case is not isolated. Harriet Ryan was told, “There’s thousands of Philip Bells.” The only reason this case is public is because of the tragic outcome. (19:48)

• Moral and Social Consequences:

  • The downward creep of money into youth sports puts minors and their families in complex, often perilous situations.
  • Ryan Knudsen: “The money is just kind of dripping down to lower and lower levels… at high school these are minors… they don’t really know how to navigate [it] themselves.” (20:08)
  • Harriet Ryan: “Anytime there's a lot of money, a lot of things can go wrong... a 14 year old, a 15 year old—I mean, they're not [adults].” (20:39)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “‘At its most elite levels, there is a very ugly side to it that basically turns the best players into commodities that can just be sold around, like they’re assets.’” – Harriet Ryan (01:13)

• “‘They sort of prowl parts of California... looking for outsized talent that they can turn around and essentially sell to a booster at a school or a parent at a school.’” – Harriet Ryan (05:18)

• "We're getting a deal down here. We're getting the equivalent of $15,000 a month and this is like a deal I can't resist." – Harriet Ryan (quoting Bell’s mother) (07:31)

• "Anytime there's a lot of money, a lot of things can go wrong." – Harriet Ryan (20:39)

• “‘If you don't love football, you're not going to be able to do this.’... but it was clear that it’s become about a lot more than just loving football.” – Harriet Ryan (21:11)

Important Timestamps

• [01:13] Money turns youth players into commodities.
• [05:18] Role of street agents and black market structure.
• [07:39] Mother seeking financial deals for Bell.
• [11:35] Academic decline and family intervention.
• [16:21] Bell’s mother’s death and resulting fallout.
• [19:40] Bell honors his mother upon committing to Ohio State.
• [20:08-21:11] Reflection on the system’s impact on young athletes.

Final Thoughts

This episode powerfully illustrates how monetary incentives in high school sports can have profound, sometimes tragic costs far beyond the field. The commodification of young athletes, combined with inadequate oversight and the involvement of families, boosters, and street agents, has created a world in which talent is auctioned, rules are skirted, and the personal toll can be devastating.

Young stars like Philip Bell III may be outliers in their talent, but their struggles—and the temptations and pressures placed on their families—are increasingly common as the flow of cash infiltrates adolescent sports.