On3 NIL Valuation: High school quarterback averages

The top NIL packages in the high school recruiting ranks continue to flow to the quarterback position.

Just like college football and the NFL, quarterbacks land the most lucrative financial deals. A prediction made by an SEC staffer in November 2022 has become true. A trickle-down effect has arrived in the space, with quarterbacks outside the top 10 commanding deals in the low six figures. One NIL collective operator told On3 on Wednesday afternoon that “what was once $1 dollar is now $100,000.”

“If the top five and 10 are commanding a million dollars, well, then No. 11 is gonna go, ‘Oh, shoot, I’m worth something,’” the SEC staffer said 18 months ago. “And he’s gonna want something and it’s gonna trickle down. I don’t know how far, but I am certainly aware of it because it comes up in conversations.”

On3 is tracking the top 15 quarterbacks according to the On3 Industry Ranking, breaking down the average quarterback On3 NIL Valuation.

The On3 NIL Valuation is calculated by combining Roster Value and NIL. 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.

Here is the full breakdown:

QBs 1-5: Average $1 million

Similar to the top transfer portal quarterbacks like Dillon Gabriel and Riley Leonard, the top high school quarterbacks average a $1 million On3 NIL Valuation. The top five quarterback prospects in the 2025 class are Bryce Underwood (LSU commit), Julian Lewis (USC commit), Tavien St. Clair (Ohio State), George MacIntyre (Tennessee commit) and Matt Zollers (Missouri commit).

Lewis has the highest social media following of the group with more than 200,000 followers. He’s used his platform to sign notable endorsement deals with Alo Yoga and Cactus Jack. Lewis holds a $1.2 million On3 NIL Valuation and is also on flip watch. The five-star quarterback has continued to take visits, spending time at Colorado and Auburn recently.

The value of a top quarterback commit goes further than talent. Underwood is the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 class and has played a pivotal role in piecing together LSU’s No. 2 class, according to the On3 Industry Team Ranking. Underwood has the highest On3 NIL Valuation in high school football at $1.3 million.

At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, St. Clair has impressed with his live arm and strong mechanics, On3’s Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power wrote coming off the Elite 11 Finals. Zollers picked Missouri over his home state school of Penn State and has flashed with his ability to move around the pocket. MacIntyre committed to Tennessee in January, choosing the Volunteers over Alabama.

QBs 6-10: Average $540K

Quarterbacks ranked No. 6 to 10 in the On3 Industry Ranking include Husan Longstreet (Texas A&M commit), Deuce Knight (Notre Dame commit), Keelon Russell (Alabama commit), Akili Smith Jr. (Oregon commit) and K.J. Lacey (Texas commit). All four-star prospects, the average On3 NIL Valuation for quarterbacks six to 10 sits at $540,000.

Russell recently flipped his commitment from SMU to the Crimson Tide and won Elite 11 Finals MVP. With the backing of the Alabama brand, his true NIL value to brands will jump when he arrives in Tuscaloosa.

Knight got the nod for the On3 MVP at the Elite 11 Finals out in Los Angeles. Power said the Notre Dame commit’s arm talent was “among the best on hand and he was able to operate well within the structure of this camp setting.” Ole Miss has made a late push to flip Knight, who is from Lucedale, Mississippi.

A Texas A&M commit, Longstreet holds an On3 NIL Valuation of $619,000. He committed to the Aggies this spring and is known for having one of the strongest arms in his class. Lacey decided on Texas earlier this month and is the No. 10 quarterback in the 2025 cycle.

QBs 11-15: Average $280K

On3 Industry four-star recruits ranked in the top 250 of the 2025 cycle ar Madden Iamaleava (UCLA commit), Ty Hawkins (TCU commit), KaMario Taylor (Mississippi State), Ryan Montgomery (Georgia) and Antwann Hill (Memphis). The average On3 NIL Valuation for a quarterback in this group sits at $280,000.

While not the top quarterbacks in the class, the prospects all have upside and will have the chance to grow into starters at the college level. Hill made the surprising decision earlier this month to pick Memphis over Florida. Montgomery committed to Georgia this spring, choosing the Bulldogs over Florida and South Carolina.

Not all schools qualify for a return on investment by on-field production. Some programs want to land a top-15 quarterback to be the leader of their recruiting class and to have a chance to develop talent.

“I think teams, depending on the situation, will still pay big for high school quarterbacks if they are going to be the leaders of the recruiting class and they believe they’re truly special,” a quarterback agent previously told On3. “They weren’t paying every player before. So overall, they now understand that everyone needs to get something.”