Top five On3 NIL Valuations in Florida State-LSU showdown
For the second consecutive year, Florida State–LSU is the most anticipated game in Week 1 of the college football season.
After the Seminoles ruined Brian Kelly’s debut in New Orleans last season, the matchup is traveling to Orlando and Camping World Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday night on ABC.
There are plenty of storylines. LSU will be without defensive lineman Maason Smith, who is serving his one-game suspension for signing a few autographs for cash with former LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte. Turns out they participated in the activity roughly one month before the interim NIL policy went into effect in July 2021.
For Mike Norvell and Co., Sunday could be a coming-out party for Florida State’s College Football Playoff hopes. The Seminoles enter the game ranked No. 8 in the preseason AP poll.
Before Florida State-LSU kicks off, we’re diving into the top five On3 NIL Valuations of the top 10 showdown:
1. Jordan Travis — Florida State
On3 NIL Valuation: $1.2 million
Social media followers: 124K
Position: Quarterback
Florida State is in position for a historic season. With quarterback Jordan Travis back in the mix, the Seminoles won’t need to identify an offensive leader. He could have left for the NFL draft, instead, he will lead a team ranked No. 8 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. His decision to return has resulted in some major NIL paydays. The quarterback has agreed to endorsement deals with Leaf Trading Cards, Hotel Indigo, NextGen Camps and Tallahassee Ford. He’s also inked an agreement with The Battle’s End, a Florida State-focused NIL collective that launched in early December. Travis threw for 2,769 yards and 22 touchdowns while rushing for 367 yards and another seven scores last year. The Seminoles finished 10-3 for the first time since 2016.
2. Jared Verse — Florida State
On3 NIL Valuation: $932K
Social media followers: 67K
Position: EDGE
A former Albany transfer, Jared Verse is entering his second season with the Seminoles and was a highly touted portal target this past offseason. He picked Florida State over other major programs, receiving offers from Auburn, Miami, Tennessee and USC. In Year 1 in Tallahassee, the 6-foot-4, 247-pound lineman played in 12 games while racking up 48 total tackles with 17 tackles for loss including nine sacks. Earning first-team All-ACC honors, Verse has become a top 2024 NFL Draft prospect. His social media following has taken off, adding roughly 31,000 followers since last November. The success has come with NIL activity. He’s signed an agreement Tallahassee’s Kraft Nissan. Verse is starring in a national campaign for Powerade, too. He was also one of three Florida State players who attended the John R. Lewis Legacy Gala in Atlanta, sponsored by The Battle’s End collective.
3. Johnny Wilson — Florida State
On3 NIL Valuation: $803K
Social media followers: 44K
Position: Wide Receiver
Florida State might have a loaded expansive receiver room this year thanks to Keon Coleman transferring in but Johnny Wilson is still Jordan Travis’ top target. A second-team All-ACC receiver last year, Wilson finished with 43 receptions for 897 yards and five touchdowns in his first season in Tallahassee. The former Arizona State transfer ranked second in ACC and fifth nationally averaging 20.86 yards per catch. The on-field success has helped him in NIL. The former four-star recruit has entered agreements with both Florida State NIL collectives. He is also working with Vayner Sports on marketing deal, signing a partnership with the prebiotic soda Poppi.
4. Malik Nabers — LSU
On3 NIL Valuation: $718K
Social media followers: 27K
Position: Wide Receiver
LSU receiver Malik Nabers finished his sophomore season with 72 catches for 1,017 yards and three touchdowns. He looked even better to close out the season, recording 14 catches for 291 yards and a pair of TDs in the Tigers’ final two games against Georgia and Purdue. He’ll hope to carry over that momentum into 2023 and leave his mark as one of the SEC’s top playmakers. Nabers is also expected to leave a bigger mark through NIL after his breakout season, with more and more brands starting to work with him. He has a longterm deal with Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys, one of the biggest NIL spenders in the LSU market. McKernan told On3 in January that he spent well into the seven figures in endorsement deals in the 2022 calendar year. McKernan previously told Sports Illustrated the price tag for elite players is often at least $100,000. Nabers has recently partnered with Raising Cane’s, too.
5. Will Campbell — LSU
On3 NIL Valuation: $596K
Social media followers: 30K
Position: Left Tackle
Will Campbell will be protecting Jayden Daniels for the second consecutive year. A Freshman All-American and All-SEC winner, he played nearly 900 snaps and missed just one game. The LSU rushing attack finished No. 41 in the nation last year, producing 2,574 yards and averaging 4.98 yards per carry. The Tigers allowed 45 sacks, however, which finished No. 116 in the country. Campbell’s best friend, quarterback Walker Howard, transferred to Ole Miss in January. The left tackle opted to stay in Baton Rouge, and he will enter the fall with a full year of experience inside the LSU program. He’s excelled in the NIL space recently, too, signing with the Sunshine Quality Solutions. The John Deere dealer found Campbell, who grew up on a farm in Monroe, Louisiana. He entered into partnership with the LSU-driven collective Bayou Traditions in March. He is repped by the Ballengee Group.
About the On3 NIL Valuation
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 accounts for an athlete’s roster value and brand value. Roster value is the value an athlete has by being a member of his or her team at his or her school, which factors into the role of NIL collectives. Brand value factors in an athlete’s personal brand and the value it could bring to regional and national brands outside of the scope of NIL collectives.