The 10 student-athletes with the highest NIL valuations
Shedeur Sanders and Arch Manning are among the highest-paid student-athletes thanks to NIL deals. See who else made the top 10.
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- Since 2021, student-athletes have been able to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL).
- Top student-athletes have worked with brands like New Balance, Celsius, and Beats by Dre.
- According to On3, Deion Sanders' son Shedeur Sanders has an estimated NIL value of $6.2 million.
Redshirt freshman Arch Manning has started just two games as quarterback of the University of Texas Longhorns, yet the 19-year-old has one of the top five highest NIL valuations in the country.
Name, image, and likeness deals — or NIL deals for short — have become a billion-dollar industry since they were introduced to amateur sports in 2021, allowing student-athletes the opportunity to make significant amounts of money regardless of whether they have the option to turn pro.
Plus, in May, as part of a major antitrust settlement, the NCAA and its five power conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC) agreed that schools can directly pay their athletes for the first time in college athletics history.
Spencer Wadsworth, the senior vice president of global soccer at Wasserman, a global sports, music, and entertainment company, told Business Insider that NIL has helped take the pressure off some athletes to go pro prematurely.
"There are different pressures that each person goes through, and I think knowing that you can still earn some living — technically get paid for your sport — and continue your studies is extremely positive because everyone does have their own journey," he said.
Wadsworth added that NIL can teach athletes good habits when it comes to managing their money by giving them more support, rather than leaving them on their own as professionals.
And the amounts aren't insignificant: Even at the college level, some athletes are valued at millions of dollars.
NIL Valuations are calculated based on an athlete's performance, influence, exposure, and deal data, which are used to create a Roster Value and an NIL Value.
According to media and technology company On3, which uses an algorithm to track and update players' NIL Valuations weekly, most athletes' total NIL Valuations are based on their Roster Value, which is defined as "a calculation of an athlete's respective value to their team," similar to the salary professional athletes receive from their organizations.
Meanwhile, their NIL Value is related to how an athlete's performance, influence, and exposure lead to additional advertising and sponsorships.
Their Roster Value plus their NIL Value creates their total NIL Valuation.
While these student-athletes have built names for themselves through their talents, skills, and social media savvy, some top NIL earners might have had some extra help attracting deals thanks to their legacy-bearing last names.
With valuations starting at $2 million, here's a look at the top 10 student-athletes profiting the most from NIL. These figures were accurate as of October 28, 2024.
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Quarterback Dillon Gabriel transferred to the University of Oregon for his final year of NCAA eligibility after three seasons with the University of Central Florida and two seasons with Oklahoma University.
This season in Eugene, he's thrown for 2,371 yards and 18 touchdowns, with only five interceptions, bringing his career total passing yards to 17,236. He, along with top earner Jalen Milroe, is also a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, awarded to top a scholar athlete.
In August, Gabriel was announced as a member of Beats by Dre's second-ever "Beats Elite" class. Per sports marketing company Learfield, the class "is curated based on leadership, character, and the athletes' overall commitment to excellence in their craft." Members are also featured in campaigns wearing custom Beats products.
That month, he was also named as a member of Celsius' "Essential Six" roster, alongside fellow top NIL earners Jalen Milroe and Travis Hunter.
Celsius CMO Kyle Watson told Marketing Dive in a statement, "Each athlete serves as an inspiration and motivation to our consumers and their commitment to greatness truly embodies Celsius' Live Fit lifestyle."
Other deals in Gabriel's NIL portfolio include Uber, EA Sports, and The GLD Shop, among others.
On 3 reported that on October 22, his NIL Valuation increased from $1.6 million to $2 million, a few days after Oregon's 35-0 win over Purdue University. Though other student-athletes, including former top-10 earner Quinn Ewers, also have a valuation of $2 million, On3 lists Gabriel in the No. 10 spot.
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After spending three seasons with the University of North Carolina, Love, 23, transferred to the University of Arizona where he finished last season with an average of 18 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.
He was named a First, Second, and Third Team All-American, Pac-12 Player of the Year, and was a semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy.
Love's NIL portfolio includes major brands like Skims, Ritz Crackers, and Keurig, as well as the Arizona Assist Club, a merchandise and fan-experience platform that describes itself as "the only player-endorsed fan community for Arizona Men's Basketball." His Instagram also showcases a partnership with Armani Beauty.
The Wildcats' season begins on November 4 against Canisius University.
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The Miami Hurricanes are 8-0 under the leadership of fifth-year quarterback Cam Ward, 22.
Ward previously spent two seasons at the University of the Incarnate Word and two seasons at Washington State before transferring to the University of Miami.
So far this season, he's thrown for 2,746 yards and 24 touchdowns (the second-most of an NCAA Division I quarterback this season) and rushed for 186 yards and an additional three touchdowns.
One of his most recent NIL deals has come from Adidas. The brand announced the partnership on X (formerly known as Twitter) on October 23 with a video of Ward and the caption, "WHY NOT YOU," adding "Welcome to the /// fam, QB1."
"Cam Ward, in his fifth and final college football season, is a favorite to win the coveted Heisman trophy and is one of the top draft prospects halfway through the season — it's not hard to see why when he's throwing up the numbers he is," Adidas said.
Ward said, "It's an honor to partner with a brand that sees that drive and supports me as I help build the legacy Adidas football is creating."
Other deals in his portfolio include Bose, C4 Energy, EA Sports, and NIL collective Canes Connection.
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The 2023 Heisman candidate finished last season with 2,834 passing yards for 23 touchdowns and 468 rushing yards for 12 touchdowns to lead the Crimson Tide to a 12-1 record.
This season, he's thrown for more than 1,900 yards and 13 touchdowns in addition to 830 rushing yards for 12 touchdowns. However, Milroe, 21, has struggled with interceptions, as he already has tied last season's stat with six.
Throughout his college career, Milroe has signed deals with Beats by Dre and Celsius (he, too, is a member of this year's "Beats Elite" class and Celsius' "Essential Six" roster), EA Sports, and Six Star Pro Nutrition.
On3 reported that his valuation took a small hit between October 21 and October 22, shortly after Alabama's 17-24 loss to the University of Tennessee on October 19.
Milroe most recently signed with trading-card company Panini America, and he also highlights a number of other brand collaborations and partnerships on Instagram, including with Raising Cane's, Rhoback, and Evamor Water.
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Davis, 23, is returning to UNC for his fifth and final year with an impressive résumé.
He is a back-to-back UNC MVP award winner and last season, he became the fifth all-time leading scorer in UNC men's basketball history with 2,088 points — he'll need 784 more this season to tie Tyler Hansbrough's record of 2,872 points.
Davis is also the only UNC player "with 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 250 three-points, and 100 steals," according to the team's website, among many other accolades.
Throughout his college career, he's signed NIL deals with Skims, Reebok, Intuit TurboTax, JBL Audio, Athletic Brewing Company, CVS Pharmacy, Crocs, Hanes, and more.
Davis and the Tar Heels will tip off their season on November 4 against Elon University, beginning their quest for UNC's first national championship title since 2017.
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The 6-foot-9 freshman from Newport, Maine, is starting his college basketball career strong. The 17-year-old has already signed with CAA for NIL representation and inked his first major deal with New Balance.
The brand announced its partnership with Flagg on August 26, highlighting his status as a five-star prospect who was the only teenager selected to train with the USA Basketball Men's National Team before their gold-medal-winning run in Paris.
"I grew up wearing New Balance, and I appreciate their authentic connection to my community," Flagg said in the release. "The focus and growth of the brand in basketball and our shared values and history drew me in. From day one, it was clear that this would be a family-like partnership. I'm so excited to join this family and help them grow the category with young athletes."
And if that still doesn't explain his worth, multiple outlets have already named him the projected No. 1 pick for the 2025 NBA Draft.
Duke's first game of the season is against the University of Maine on November 4.
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The second-year backup quarterback comes from a long line of football royalty. His uncles, Peyton and Eli Manning, were Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks in the NFL, and his grandfather, Archie Manning, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989.
This season, Manning has started two games for the Longhorns, defeating the University of Louisiana Monroe 51-3 and Mississippi State 35-13 while Quinn Ewers was out with an oblique injury. Manning's most recent appearance came during the University of Texas' loss to the University of Georgia, where he completed three passes for 19 yards.
As On3 only lists Panini America and EA Sports in Manning's NIL Deal Tracker, his total valuation could take his Roster Value — perhaps affected by his football pedigree — into consideration.
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Hunter, 21, started the 2024-2025 season strong, putting up an all-around impressive performance against South Dakota State in Colorado's season opener. He finished the game with more than 100 yards and three touchdowns on offense, in addition to playing more than 40 snaps on defense.
Since then, he's scored five more touchdowns and caught for an additional 625 yards in the last seven games.
This year alone, he's signed deals with brands like NerdWallet, United Airlines, Leaf Trading Cards, EA Sports, Rock 'Em Socks, and Celsius. This furthers his partnership portfolio which has also included American Eagle Outfitters, Cheez-It, 7-Eleven, NXTRND, and more.
Although On3 no longer provides specific breakdowns for players' NIL Values and Roster Values, it's likely that both have increased, bringing his total NIL Valuation from $2.7 million in August to $3.4 million in late October.
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With a combined social-media following of 13.6 million people, Dunne, 22, is one of the most-followed student-athletes ever, which likely helps brands gravitate toward her.
On3 reported that her portfolio of deals includes American Eagle Outfitters, Too Faced Cosmetics, Leaf Trading Cards, GrubHub, and Nautica.
Her most recent deal came earlier in October when she signed with Jake Paul's personal care brand, W.
Dunne told WWD in October that she met Paul at Michael Rubin's white party.
"Seeing how passionate he was in person really made me want to work with him. I know he grew up as an influencer and has always been in the spotlight, but he's truly proven himself in other areas and shown that you can be successful beyond just being an influencer," she said.
On October 28, Dunne was ranked #31 on Forbes' Top Creators list of 2024, finishing above other popular creators like Addison Rae, Nara Smith, and Monet McMichael.
Dunne is competing with LSU for her final year of NCAA eligibility. The season kicks off in early 2025, and LSU will be striving for back-to-back national championship titles.
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University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, 22, made waves in college football last season alongside his dad, Hall of Famer "Coach Prime" Deion Sanders, after transferring from HBCU Jackson State University to the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Despite finishing his junior year season 4-8 overall, Sanders threw for more than 3,000 yards with a passing completion percentage of 69.3% and a passer rating of 151.7.
This season, Colorado is off to a 6-2 start — officially clinching a bowl game appearance — and Sanders is on pace to outdo last season's performance. He's already thrown for 2,591 yards with a completion percentage of 73.3% and a passer rating of 165.0; his 21 passing touchdowns are the third-most of any DI quarterback this season.
In August, Sanders became the first college football player to sign an NIL deal with Nike. The brand posted an image of Sanders on Instagram with the line, "You know what Time it is" — a possible nod to Deion Sanders' other nickname, "Prime Time," or Shedeur Sanders' song "Perfect Timing" — and the caption, "Now it's a family business."
Shedeur Sanders is also a member of this year's "Beats Elite" class and has previously signed deals with brands like JD Sports, Google, Topps, Urban Outfitters, Oikos, Mercedes-Benz, Actively Black, and Gatorade.
