On3 NIL Valuation: College football's 20 biggest risers after Week 4

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 4 of the college football season:

1. Clemson QB Cade Klubnik +$309K

Clemson is the first FBS team with at least a 28-point lead after the first quarter in back-to-back games in the last 20 years. The Tigers finished with a 59-35 win over NC State, as quarterback Cade Klubnik was 16 of 24 for 209 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 70 yards and a score. Klubnik has a $877,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

2. Florida QB Graham Mertz +$212K

Florida held off its sixth consecutive SEC loss on Saturday, picking up a 45-28 win over Mississippi State. Gators’ quarterback Graham Mertz was 19 of 21 for 201 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 24 yards and a score in the win. Mertz inked a deal with the Mercedes-Benz of Gainesville dealership in June and has a $822,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

3. Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson +$207K

The Iowa running back has rushed for more than 100 yards in all four games this season. Kaleb Johnson rushed for 206 yards on 21 carries for three touchdowns in a 31-14 win over Minnesota. He averaged 9.8 yards per carry. He leads the nation with 685 rushing yards. With an On3 NIL Valuation of $693,000, he recently signed an agreement with Powerade.

4. Michigan EDGE Josaiah Stewart +$183K

Senior EDGE Josaiah Stewart had two sacks, including a strip-sack, three tackles for loss and eight pressures for Michigan in a 27-24 win over USC. He’s worked extensively with the Michigan-driven NIL collective Champions Circle and has a $770,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

5. Maryland WR Tai Felton +$145K

Through four games, the Maryland wide receiver has posted 41 catches for 604 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He’s averaging 14.7 yards per reception. A year ago Tai Felton finished with 48 catches for 723 yards and six touchdowns. His receiving yards rank No. 3 in the nation. Felton has a $716,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

6. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier +$116K

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-17 win over UCLA. He’s thrown for 1,247 yards with 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions through four games. The quarterback has worked with Powerade and EA Sports and has a $1.5 million On3 NIL Valuation.

7. West Virginia QB Garrett Greene +$92K

West Virginia is 2-2 through four games. Quarterback Garrett Greene has thrown for 902 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions. He’s been a bigger threat on the ground with 209 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Greene has a $774,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

8. Washington QB Will Rogers +$85K

The former Mississippi State quarterback has protected the ball through four games, throwing for 1,048 yards and eight touchdowns without an interception. Will Rogers has a 75.5% completion percentage. The Huskies are 3-1 ahead of Friday’s trip to Rutgers. Rogers has a $586,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

9. Ohio State RB Quinshon Judkins +$78K

Quinshon Judkins continues to see a jump in his valuation as his on-field performance picks up. The Ohio State running back rushed for 173 yards and two touchdowns last week against Marshall. With a $1.1 million On3 NIL Valuation, he’s worked with companies like Four Star Freightliner, JLab, Kane Footwear and Icy Hot.

10. Ohio State OT Josh Simmons +$58K

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 $668,000 On3 NIL Valuation. He’s improved, too, since logging four penalties in his first four starts with the Buckeyes a year ago.

11. Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen +$53K

The top prize of last offseason’s transfer portal cycle has tallied 12 total tackles with a pass deflection through four games. According to Pro Football Focus, Walter Nolen posted a sack and nine hurries. The former Texas A&M transfer has a $622,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

12. Penn State QB Drew Allar +$43K

Working with new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar has thrown for 729 yards with eight touchdowns and just one interception. He’s also rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Penn State is 3-0 ahead of a top-20 matchup Saturday with Illinois. Allar has a $1.1 million valuation.

13. Ole Miss WR Tre Harris +$39K

Ranked by On3 as a top 10 player in college football, Tre Harris continues to rack up stats. The wide receiver has 38 catches for 628 yards and four touchdowns through four games. Harris finished with 225 receiving yards in last weekend’s win over Georgia Southern. He has a $902,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

14. Ole Miss EDGE Princely Umanmielen +$36K

Florida transfer Princely Umanmielen has become a key piece of the Ole Miss defense through three games, posting eight tackles and two sacks. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound pass rusher has a $831,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

15. Missouri OT Armand Membou +$36K

Armand Membou has emerged as one of the top offensive tackles in college football this season. The Missouri star has not allowed a sack or hit through four games, according to Pro Football Focus. Membou has a $809,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

16. Virginia QB Anthony Colandrea +$35K

Quarterback Anthony Colandrea has Virginia at 3-1. The sophomore has thrown for 1,032 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions. With an $800,000 valuation, Colandrea has rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns this season.

17. Miami OT Francis Mauigoa +$34K

Ranked by On3 as one of the top five offensive tackles in the nation, Francis Mauigoa has a $779,000 On3 NIL Valuation. The Miami offensive line has allowed three sacks in two games. Mauigoa was a Five-Star Plus+ recruit in the 2023 cycle.

18. Georgia Tech QB Haynes King +$33K

A former Texas A&M transfer, Haynes King has found success in Year Two at Georgia Tech. The quarterback has thrown for 1,274 yards through five games, including a Week 1 win over Florida State in Dublin, Ireland. King has a 73.9% completion rate and six passing touchdowns on top of 216 rushing yards and four scores. He enters Week 5 with a $790,000 valuation.

19. Boston College OT Ozzy Trapilo +$33K

An All-ACC Second Team selection last season, Boston College offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo has allowed just one sack in four 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 $732,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

20. Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison +$26K

Viewed as one of the top cornerbacks in college football, Benjamin Morrison has lived up to the hype this season. The Notre Dame star has tallied 11 tackles and two pass breakups in four games. He’s also allowed only eight catches on 18 targets. Morrison has a $597,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

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.”