Max Duggan's On3 NIL Valuation spikes following Fiesta Bowl win

Max Duggan was not the preseason Heisman Trophy favorite. He was not even TCU‘s starting quarterback entering the year.

A lot can change in a season.

He went in for an injured Chandler Morris in the fourth quarter of the season opener against Colorado, which ultimately allowed him to secure the starting job. The Horned Frogs finished the regular season with a perfect 12-0 record, led by Duggan’s late-game heroics. He earned a trip to the Heisman Trophy ceremony in Manhattan.

All of it was unexpected, especially for a TCU coaching staff who didn’t initially start Duggan. And despite a loss in the Big 12 Championship Game, TCU earned the No. 3 seed in the College Football Playoff.

Through it all, Duggan’s national profile has been on the rise.

The TCU quarterback was not perfect in the Fiesta Bowl against Michigan, as he threw two interceptions. TCU nearly blew its 21-6 halftime lead, too. But the Horned Frogs held on in a 51-45 thriller, punching their ticket to the national title game in Los Angeles.

Duggan finished with four total touchdowns, throwing for 225 yards and rushing for another 57 yards. His performance in the College Football Playoff semifinals resulted in an increase in his On3 NIL Valuation as it increased $27,000 to $667,000.

His social media following has seen significant growth this season. But Saturday resulted in a roughly 13,000-follower jump across his Instagram, Twitter and TikTok accounts. Max Duggan’s On3 NIL Valuation ranks No. 55 in the On3 NIL 100, which is the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation.

His valuation also ranks No. 33 in college football.

TCU quarterback’s growing brand

While Max Duggan has announced he will be leaving for the NFL draft following this College Football Playoff run, he still has NIL value until he officially leaves school.

From an NIL perspective, he has not actively promoted deals on social media. He has openly discussed his focus is on football and development, not NIL deals.

But he has real value to brands, touting a social media following that only continues to grow. Another jaw-dropping performance on Monday night in L.A. could provide another list of opportunities for Duggan.

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.