Florida linebacker Shemar James signs with The Network Advisory for NIL representation

Shemar James made a name for himself as a freshman.

The Florida linebacker earned Freshman All-SEC honors last season. A former four-star recruit, he racked up up 47 total tackles with two sacks and a fumble recovery in 13 games for the Gators.

Now he is making sure he is successful locating NIL opportunities this fall. James has signed with with The Network Advisory (TNA) for NIL representation. A full-service sports marketing, branding and public relations firm based out of Los Angeles, the sophomore will be working hand-in-hand with Justin Giangrande and Brian Sher.

“I am excited to be apart of the Network Advisory team,” James told On3 in a statement. “I am surrounded by amazing people who want to see me win on and off the field. The Network Advisory team will help me to continue building my brand off the field. With Justin being a Gator, it made my decision so much easier. I look forward to exploring all the new marketing and business opportunities that lie ahead.”

Giangrande was formerly a vice president at Vayner Sports before forming Levels Sports at the start of the NIL Era. TNA was started before Levels folded and includes a talent roster featuring fashion influencer India Love, actor Peyton Meyer and musical artist KOH. Sher owns Hollywood entertainment company, Crossover Entertainment, and has a track record of working with high-profile musical talent, as well.

TNA has started to build out an NIL portfolio, signing USC wide receiver commit Ryan Pellum and UCLA wideout Grant Gray

“As a former Gator who lived through the glory days of Florida’s Tim Tebow era, getting to partner with another Gator superstar like Shemar is personally special for me,” Giangrande said. “On and off the field, Shemar showcases the intelligence and advanced business mindset that makes our team excited about building his personal brand. We look forward to a long term working with Shemar and his family.”

Shemar James’ On3 NIL Valuation

According to Pro Football Focus, James graded out as the best tackler (76.9) among Florida’s linebackers. He made out his collegiate debut and first career start in the season opener vs. Utah. This spring, he was described by teammates as a growing vocal leader.

The linebacker has publicly signed two NIL deals. He worked with the Gator Collective in January. And before the second annual INFLCR NIL Summit, which James attended, he was one of nine Gators to sign an NIL agreement with OpenLocker.

Shemar James currently holds a $91,000 On3 NIL Valuation, which ranks No. 775 college football NIL rankings. He has more than 16,600 social media followers, with more than 10,000 coming from his Instagram.

The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. A proprietary algorithm, the On3 NIL Valuation calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories: performance, influence and exposure.

About On3 NIL Valuation, Brand Value, Roster Value

While the algorithm includes deal data, it does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals athletes have completed to date, nor does it set an athlete’s NIL valuation for their entire career. The On3 NIL Valuation calculates the optimized NIL opportunity for athletes relative to the overall NIL market and projects out to as long as 12 months into the future.