Short version: In ESPN's survey of 1,000 college athletes, the median cut a high school "helper" took was about 20 percent. A certified NFL agent may take 3 percent of a playing contract. Nobody caps what a helper takes from a high school deal.
About 20 percent, for the people who help in high school. ESPN asked 1,000 college athletes about it this year. 18 percent said someone had helped them with deals while they were in high school.
About two in three of those agreed to give that person a share of what they earned. The median share was about 20 percent.
What the pros' agents may take
An NFL agent must be certified by the players' union. That means a degree or years of negotiating, an exam and a background check.
The union caps the agent's fee at 3 percent of a playing contract, and the default in its standard agreement is lower than that.
In the NBA, the standard agent contract sets the fee at 4 percent of pay above the league minimum, and 2 percent at the minimum. Endorsements are different in both leagues. Nothing caps them, and agents commonly take 10 to 20 percent.
A certified NFL agent may take 3 percent. The median high school helper took about 20.
What the high school numbers look like up close
ESPN's lead case was a Texas player who committed to a school on about $36,000 a year.
The man who had helped him since ninth grade then texted asking for 25 percent. A source at the school told ESPN he had not made the offer any better.
Coaches in an ESPN and Texas High School Coaches Association survey described other versions. Some people charge parents a fee up front. Some take a percentage of the deal or of the scholarship offer.
About a fourth of the coaches said their athletes had been approached, and 70 percent of those said the person did not act in the athlete's interest.
Forever, at 15 to 30 percent
The longest version is the lifetime marketing agreement: a percentage of your marketing income with no end date.
A sports marketing firm told ESPN it has seen people seek these at 15 to 30 percent. The Austin American-Statesman reported Texas families signing agreements that give someone a percentage "forever."
Who caps it
For high school and college deals, nobody yet. No national body registers the people who help, and the NCAA told ESPN it has "limited ability" to regulate agents.
A Senate bill from Maria Cantwell and Marsha Blackburn would require agents to register with a state, list them in a public registry, and cap their fee at 5 percent. It is in committee.
What Leave does with this
Upload the agreement and Leave reads the fee back in plain words: the percentage, what it is taken of, and how long it runs.
Leave takes 0 percent of anything you sign. If someone has told you what they would take, these are the numbers to set it beside. You decide what to sign.
Questions people ask
Is there a legal cap on what someone can take from a high school athlete's deals?
Not a national one. No national body registers people who help with high school or college deals, and no federal law caps their fee. A Senate bill would set a 5 percent cap for college athletes' agents. It is in committee.
What does an NFL agent take?
The NFL players' union caps an agent's fee at 3 percent of a playing contract, and the default in its standard agreement is lower. Endorsement fees are not capped and commonly run 10 to 20 percent.
What is a lifetime marketing agreement?
A contract that gives someone a percentage of your marketing income with no end date. ESPN reported people seeking these at 15 to 30 percent.
Be your own agent. Leave.