On3 NIL Valuation: College football's 20 biggest risers after Week 3

College football is filled with NIL stars. 

On3 breaks down the top NIL risers in college football each week using the On3 NIL Valuation, which is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes.

Here are the top risers in NIL after Week 3 of the college football season:

1. Miami QB Cam Ward +$238K

The former Incarnate Word and Washington State quarterback has thrown for 1,035 yards with 11 touchdowns and just one interception through three games. Cam Ward is squarely in the Heisman Trophy mix and touts a 73 percent completion percentage. With a $1.9 million On3 NIL Valuation, he recently signed with C4 Energy.

2. Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson +$212K

Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson has rushed for more than 100 yards in each game this season. He enters Saturday’s top-25 matchup at Oklahoma with 45 carries for 357 yards on the year with nine touchdowns. His 7.9 yards per carry ranks in the top 10 in the nation.

3. Boston College OT Ozzy Trapilo +$167k

An All-ACC Second Team selection last season, Boston College offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo has yet to allow a sack or quarterback hit through three games. The 6-foot-8, 309-pound offensive tackle is the son of former BC offensive lineman and NFL draft pick Steve Trapilo. He has a $699,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

4. South Carolina EDGE Kyle Kennard +$166K

The Georgia Tech transfer has delivered through three games for South Carolina. Kyle Kennard has tallied seven tackles for loss and five sacks with his eight total tackles. He’s also forced two fumbles. His seven tackles for loss lead the SEC. Kennard’s On3 NIL Valuation sits at $624,000.

5. Missouri QB Brady Cook +$134K

Brady Cook has Missouri off to a 3-0 start and ranked No. 7 in the country. The quarterback has thrown for 720 and just two touchdowns with an interception. He’s been a threat in the running game, rushing for 90 yards on 15 carries for four touchdowns. Cook has a $1.1 million On3 NIL Valuation.

6. Virginia Tech EDGE Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. +$130K

The 2023 All-ACC Second Team selection has posted 13 tackles for 4.5 sacks in three games. Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. has also posted two forced fumbles. The pass rusher ranks No. 3 in the ACC with his 4.5 sacks. He has a $654,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

7. Ohio State OT Josh Simmons +$101K

One of the top left tackles in the Big Ten started his career at San Diego State. Josh Simmons has not allowed a sack this season and only allowed one sack in his first year with the Buckeyes. Simmons holds a $609,000 On3 NIL Valuation. He’s improved, too, since logging four penalties in his first four starts with the Buckeyes a year ago.

8. Ohio State OT Josh Fryar +$97K

Named to the preseason watch list for the Outland Trophy, Josh Fryar has been a key piece of an offensive line that has yet to allow Will Howard to be sacked. The senior has worked with the Ohio State NIL collective The Foundation and The 1870 Society. He has a $592,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

9. Liberty QB Kaidon Salter +$95K

The former Tennessee transfer quarterback has found success at Liberty. Kaidon Salter threw for 2,876 yards and 32 touchdowns to lead the Flames to a Conference USA title last season. In three games this season the quarterback has thrown for 726 yards and three touchdowns. He touts a $592,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

10. Georgia Tech QB Haynes King +$92K

A former Texas A&M transfer, Haynes King has found success in Year Two at Georgia Tech. The quarterback has thrown for 962 yards through four games, including a Week 1 win over Florida State in Dublin, Ireland. King has a 76.4 completion rate and three passing touchdowns on top of 158 rushing yards and three scores. He enters Week 4 with a $756,000 valuation.

11. Miami EDGE Tyler Baron +$81K

Tyler Baron had one of the busiest offseason of any player. The former Tennessee EDGE entered the portal and committed to Ole Miss, before flipping to Louisville. He hit the portal again in the spring, picking Miami over USC. Now with the Hurricanes, he’s proven to be a disruptor in the first three weeks of the season. Baron has 4.5 this season and now holds a $959,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

12. Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter +$60K

Travis Hunter holds an On3 NIL Valuation of $3.1 million entering Week 4 of the college football season. The two-way star had one of his best career games at Colorado State. He tallied 13 catches for 100 yards with two touchdowns along with five tackles and an interception. The former Five-Star Plus+ recruit has landed in early 2025 NFL mock drafts as a possible top-five pick. He also has one of the largest NIL brands, boasting more than 3 million social media followers and endorsement deals with JLab, United Airlines and Celsius.

13. LSU OT Emery Jones +$59K

LSU offensive tackle Emery Jones has continued to improve. Viewed as one of the top draft-eligible offensive tackles, he has yet to allow a sack in three games. With a $690,000 On3 NIL Valuation, he has signed endorsement deals with Sunshine Quality Solutions and Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys.

14. Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola +$56K

True freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola has Nebraska at 3-0. He flipped his commitment from Georgia to the Cornhuskers right before National Signing Day, deciding to follow in his family’s footsteps. Raiola is the son of former Nebraska and Detroit Lions offensive lineman Dominic Raiola. Along with 14 years in the NFL, his father had a legendary career for Nebraska from 1998-2000, finishing as a consensus All-American and winning the Rimington Trophy for best center in college football. The quarterback now has a $1.3 million On3 NIL Valuation.

15. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier +$54K

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has thrown for nearly 900 yards and 10 touchdown passes through the first three games of the season. He helped lead a comeback in Week 3 at South Carolina and has emerged in the Heisman Trophy conversation. The quarterback has worked with Powerade and EA Sports and has a $1.3 million On3 NIL Valuation.

16. USC QB Miller Moss +$53K

The redshirt junior has significantly boosted his NFL draft stock in the opening weeks of the season. USC quarterback Miller Moss was 27 of 36 for 378 yards and a touchdown in a Week 1 win over LSU in Las Vegas. Now the Trojans travel to Michigan for their first Big Ten matchup. He has a $1.2 million On3 NIL Valuation.

17. West Virginia OT Wyatt Milum +$39K

A second-team all-Big 12 pick last season, Wyatt Milum has emerged as one of the top offensive tackles in the nation. He’s started over 32 games in his career at West Virginia and has not allowed a sack in three consecutive seasons. Milum has a $884,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

18. Ole Miss WR Tre Harris +$37K

The Ole Miss wide receiver has 403 receiving yards with two touchdowns through three games. Tre Harris is averaging 14.9 yards per catch. He holds an On3 NIL Valuation of $863,000.

19. Ole Miss EDGE Princely Umanmielen +$37K

Florida transfer Princely Umanmielen has become a key piece of the Ole Miss defense through three games, posting five tackles and a staff. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound pass rusher has a $794,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

20. Oregon RB Jordan James +$34K

Oregon running back Jordan James has rushed for 283 yards through three games this season. James’ On3 NIL Valuation is $781,000.

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.

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.

“Despite what some fans and media believe, there is not an unlimited amount of money being deployed to manage rosters,” said Shannon Terry, the founder and CEO of On3. “Any model – whether it’s today’s broken NCAA ‘student-athlete’ construct or media rights sharing through employment, which is almost a certainty in the near future – demands efficiency based on the athlete and school knowing the athlete’s respective market value.”