Take this however you like.  Ohio State friend of mine had his "agency" business purchased by a major California agency a few years ago.  During his time with the agency he met a lot of agents because the agents would constantly call him to see if he could secure them access to events in the markets he had contacts in.  He made a ton of relationships.  

He just said this to me on the phone "This is all so crazy.  Jacquez Carter is leaving because his agent found him a deal.  He probably isn't getting paid much at all at Ohio State but he's gotta be around guys who are getting paid and they all get jealous.   The agent is out there shopping for deals.  The agent found out what schools really wanted a player before he committed somewhere else, and they're just bringing deals to the players and their families telling them 'you need to get paid while you can get paid...who knows if the system is going to change or if you'll ever have a chance to get paid again!  This might be your ONE CHANCE!  Can you take that risk?" 

Most of these players haven't played meaningful snaps, and most of them aren't making much money.  They are seeing their opportunity slip away.  And someone has a bag of money.  Whether it's as little as $50,000 to some of these people it's a ton of money.

But the real problem?  The AGENT.  The agent is on top of them all year.  The agent is treating these kids who are getting paid like gold, and those kids are telling their buddies the agent will take care of the them.  If the kid is making nothing and the agent gets them $50,000, that's something.  So the agent is the one motivating all of these kids to take money now because that's the only way the agent is being paid.

The entire thing is the agent.  It's disgusting.