Nyckoles Harbor's On3 NIL Valuation rises following South Carolina commitment

Nyckoles Harbor was the top uncommitted recruit entering last week’s National Signing Day.

He used that to his advantage.

The five-star prospect announced an NIL deal with Champs Sports the day before, marking one of the first examples of a recruit using their commitment as a monetization opportunity. The sportswear company would be following him around for his big day, posting multiple updates on its Instagram account.

Harbor also dished out some gift cards, as part of the agreement. The move to use his publicity rights ahead of announcing his decision drew plenty of social media attention.

And then on National Signing Day, with the Archbishop Carroll student body gathered in the gymnasium, he made his commitment on ESPN. Harbor signed with South Carolina, turning down offers from Michigan, Oregon and Maryland.

The endorsement deal and commitment made a significant impact on his On3 NIL Valuation, too. Harbor saw his valuation jump more than $63,000 to $356,000. His evaluation sits at No. 94 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. The valuation also ranks No. 5 in high school football.

Harbor’s social media accounts saw serious growth in the last week, too. He has added 6,000 followers on Instagram and another 2,000 on Twitter. He now has 68,000 total followers.

Nyckoles Harbor’s growing brand

The No. 21 overall prospect in the 2023 class is the highest-ranked prospect in the Gamecocks’ 2023 recruiting class. While he was viewed as an athlete throughout his recruitment, he’s expected to be used as a tight end and receiver.

Harbor will also run track at South Carolina with a goal of making the U.S. national team for the Summer Games in Paris 2024. As a sophomore, he ran a 10.38-second 100-meter time and a 21.36-second 200-meter time.

He’ll be a force on the football field and in track during his time at South Carolina. As just the second On3 Consensus non-in-state five-star in program history, fans are going to recognize Nyckoles Harbor once he lands on campus. And coming with the five-star moniker will only make him more marketable.

South Carolina will continue to use the commitment on the recruiting trail, too.

“It’s extremely impactful,” South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer said after the commitment. “Particularly when it’s a national guy that announces on national television today like (Nyckoles) did. It resonates not just here in South Carolina but across the country — people are talking about this.”

A strong social media following that will only continue to grow is a plus. Landing his first NIL deal with Champs Sports also sets the tone for what could be ahead.

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.

The On3 NIL Valuation is publicly available. Performance, Influence, and Exposure ratings along with the athlete’s personal Brand Value Index and Roster Value Index are available only to the athlete in the “Athlete Verified” private dashboard on the On3 Athlete Network.