Top five On3 NIL Valuations in Georgia, Ohio State showdown

Ohio State has heard about the Michigan loss for over a month. The Buckeyes were embarrassed in Columbus. The Wolverines even planted a flag at midfield.

All that pain can go away on Saturday night in the College Playoff Semifinals. Standing in the way, however, is Georgia. The defending national champions are the top-seed in the playoff. Plus, the Peach Bowl is in Atlanta.

Ohio State and Georgia have gone back-and-forth in recent years on the recruiting trail. There’s not a major talent gap. And the programs have thrived in the NIL Era, producing some of the biggest winners.

On3 is breaking down the top-five On3 NIL Valuations ahead of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

C.J. Stroud

On3 NIL Valuation: $2.4 million
Position: Quarterback
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 7

There’s been plenty of critics who have gone after the preseason Heisman favorite this season. The Ohio State quarterback fell short of avenging last year’s loss to Michigan and bringing the Buckeyes to the Big Ten title game. But C.J. Stroud does have them back to the College Football Playoff semifinals. He’s tied with the Caleb Williams for the most touchdown passes this season at 37. And he’s completed 66 percent of his passes. As Ryan Day has been saying the last few weeks, the Buckeyes have a second lease on life. And that means everything to Stroud. A win on Saturday night could erase any memories of the Michigan loss. For the on-field success, he’s thrived in NIL. He’s announced agreements with Designer Shoe Warehouse, Value City Furniture and Express. Through a deal with Sarchione Auto Gallery, he’s currently riding around in a Mercedes G-Wagon.

Marvin Harrison Jr.

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.5 million
Position: Wide Receiver
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 3

Marvin Harrison Jr. introduced himself to the college football world this season. He even admitted this week he thought he should have won the The Biletnikoff Award. The sophomore has 65 catches for 1,037 yards this season with 11 touchdowns. But it is the way the sophomore has made the catches that has truly set him apart. The son of NFL great Marvin Harrison jolted himself in the air to make an acrobatic touchdown catch against Michigan State. And Harrison somehow contorted his body near the sideline against Indiana to get a foot inbounds. He had another jaw-dropping, 42-yards touchdown catch against Michigan. The receiver’s social media following has exploded, too. He’s added more than 50,000 social media followers since early October — now sitting at 215K total. Add in the on-field success and Harrison is college football’s next star. Saturday provides the perfect stage against Georgia’s secondary.

Stetson Bennett

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.3 million
Position: Quarterback
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 46

Stetson Bennett delivered Georgia its first national championship since 1980 nearly a year ago. And then the NIL opportunities started to roll in. Working closely with Everett Sports Marketing, the quarterback has made sure his NIL portfolio lines up with his home state. He has inked endorsement deals with Fanatics and Georgia Power. Over the past few months, he’s added AARP, Synovus Bank and Shuman Farms to his list of partnerships. And just last month, he switched his nickname from the “Mailman” to “Milkman” in his latest deal, this time striking a partnership with Georgia Dairy Alliance. For all the success he’s been able to harness in NIL, the quarterback has Georgia back as the top-seeded team in the playoff and coming off its first SEC title since 2017. He has 17 total touchdowns in Georgia’s five games against ranked opponents. And he’s thrown 20 touchdowns with just six interceptions.

Brock Bowers

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.1 million
Position: Tight End
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 8

The Georgia tight end has only ramped up his NIL activity following his breakout freshman season. In Year 1 with the Bulldogs, Brock Bowers delivered a national championship and led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns. All of it made for a strong NIL foundation which he’s carried into this fall. He first signed on with Associated Credit Union, then inked a long-term agreement fast-food chain Zaxby’s. He’s added NOBULL and the nation’s largest injury firm Morgan & Morgan to his NIL portfolio. And he and Stetson Bennett just handed out Christmas presents to kids. Bowers has 52 catches for 728 yards and five touchdowns. It’s what he’s been able to do on the ground that really shows what he brings to the Georgia offense, though. On just six carries he has 93 yards and three touchdowns. He could cause problems all night for the Ohio State defense.

Jalen Carter

On3 NIL Valuation: $894,000
Position: Defensive Lineman
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 6

Jalen Carter kicked off the year with one of his best defensive performances during his time with the Bulldogs. The Georgia defensive lineman blew up plays all day against the Ducks, at one point shoving off Ducks offensive lineman Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu with one-hand, then blew up a play in the backfield. He’s continued to build on that, racking up 25 total tackles with 18 quarterback hurries. Carter is the top-ranked defensive lineman in the top 10 On3 NIL Valuations. His name has been brought up constantly this week following his four tackles and sack in the SEC title game.

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.