Top five On3 NIL Valuations in Michigan, TCU matchup

Michigan had to evaluate if it wanted to keep Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor two years ago. Now the Wolverines are back to the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive season.

The journey was not so smooth. Harbaugh tried to leave for the NFL last February, flying to Minneapolis expecting a job offer. That’s long in the past now. On Saturday night, Harbaugh will be trying to lead the Wolverines to a national title game appearance.

TCU stands in the way. Despite falling in the Big 12 Championship Game, the committee believed the Horned Frogs’ resume in Year 1 under Sonny Dykes was enough. They’ll have their chance to prove that in the desert.

Before kickoff, On3 is breaking down the top-five On3 NIL Valuations ahead of the Fiesta Bowl.

Note: Michigan running back Blake Corum holds a $1.2 million On3 NIL Valuation. He was not included in this list because of his season-ending knee surgery.

1. J.J. McCarthy

On3 NIL Valuation: $678,000
Position: Quarterback
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 161

 J.J. McCarthy had his first taste of the College Football Playoff a year ago, playing the entire second half against Georgia. On Saturday he’ll make his first start in the playoff. He locked up the Michigan quarterback job against Hawaii in Week 2, beating out Cade McNamara. Since then, he’s led the Wolverines to commanding wins over Ohio State and then against Purdue in the Big Ten title game. The former four-star recruit out of IMG Academy has thrown for 2,376 yards this season with 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Even though Michigan has a run-first offensive mindset, McCarthy has shown off his arm strength recently. Thanks in part to the Michigan brand and his on-field success, the quarterback’s NIL brand has skyrocketed. He’s worked closely with Valiant Management, which serves as a marketing agency for Michigan athletes, to secure multiple opportunities. The latest came this week in an agreement with Bose.

2. Max Duggan

On3 NIL Valuation: $640,000
Position: Quarterback
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 52

Back in 2014, TCU did not play in a conference title game when it was left out of the College Football Playoff. This year, the Horned Frogs fell in the Big 12 championship game. But the body of work from the season was enough to earn a playoff bid. Max Duggan had everything to do with that. It’s why he landed in New York City at the Heisman Trophy ceremony earlier this month. Entering the playoff, he’s thrown for 3,321 yards along with 30 touchdowns and only four interceptions. From a NIL perspective, Duggan has not actively promoted deals on social media. But he has real value to brands, touting a social media following that has saw a major uptick the last few weeks, now sitting north of 53,000.

3. DJ Turner

On3 NIL Valuation: $375,000
Position: Cornerback
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 148

Entering last year, DJ Turner had played in just eight games over two seasons, dealing with a handful of injuries along the way. He’d mostly seen time on the field in a special teams capacity. Yet, the former four-star recruit was primed for a breakout year. He took the opportunity and cemented himself as a starting cornerback at Michigan, tabbed as the team’s Most Improved Player on defense. He didn’t miss a beat this season, however, earning second-team All-Big Ten selection. Turner arguably had his best performance against Ohio State, too, tallying a career-high eight tackles in Columbus. He’s established himself as a starting cornerback, with an interception and 10 pass breakups. It’s resulted in a major On3 NIL Valuation increase of $59,000 over the past 10 weeks.

4. Jaylen Harrell

On3 NIL Valuation: $362,000
Position: Linebacker
On3 Impact 300 ranking: N/A

Jaylen Harrell has emerged as a threat in Michigan’s front seven this season. With Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo constantly putting pressure on quarterbacks last season, the linebacker was not sent in on blitzes very often. That changed this year with their departures. He’s tallied 27 total tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss. He’s also been able to reach the quarterback, with 3.5 sacks and five quarterback hurries. Michigan is third in the nation in team defense, allowing only 4.4 yards per play and 277.1 yards per game. Harrell has played a large role in that. It’s resulted in a major NIL valuation, which sits at No. 92 in college football.

5. Kendre Miller

On3 NIL Valuation: $345,000
Position: Running Back
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 58

Next to Max Duggan, Kendre Miller has shown up when TCU needed an answer all season. A third-year junior, he’s had at least one rushing touchdown in each game this season. And his 1,342 rushing yards this season ranks in the top 20 of college football. And while the Horned Frogs are an Air Raid-styled offensive attack, they’ve found balance thanks to Miller. They have no problem spreading the field and handing it off; the tailback is averaging 6.2 yards per carry. He has not been overly agressive in the NIL space, but Miller does have an agreement with the TCU-focused Think NIL collective. With his success this season, Miller has seen his On3 NIL Valuation climb 19% — $54,000 — over the past 10 weeks. He also now has nearly 14,000 social media followers. 

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.