Top 10 college football On3 NIL Valuations entering Week 3

College football has already seen a handful of NIL stars emerge in the first two weeks of the season.

Following his breakout performance at TCU, Travis Hunter’s social media accounts took off, adding more than 75,000 followers. The Colorado cornerback and receiver now has roughly 1.5 million followers and more than 200,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel.

Quinn Ewers delivered in primetime at Alabama, leading Texas to its signature win of the Steve Sarkisian era. Brands are lining up to work with the quarterback. C4 Energy led the way with a deal struck in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Before Week 3 kicks off, we’re breaking down the top 10 On3 NIL Valuations in college football:

1. Shedeur Sanders – Colorado

On3 NIL Valuation: $4.1 million
Social media followers: 1.5 million
Position: Quarterback

After starring at Jackson State the last two seasons, the biggest question was how would Shedeur Sanders handle the jump to the Power Five. After two weeks, it’s clear Deion Sanders’ son is ready to compete. The quarterback is 68 of 89 for 901 passing yards and seven total touchdowns. He’s yet to throw an interception.

The on-field performances have in major NIL returns. Sanders has seen his On3 NIL Valuation jump $2.8 million in the last 10 weeks. In this past week alone, his valuation spiked by $292,000. He holds the highest-ranked valuation in college football, too, with more than 1.5 million followers on social media.

Sanders has been cashing in on NIL since 2021. Working closely with SMAC Entertainment and Constance Schwartz-Morini, he’s signed with Gatorade, launched his own barbecue sauce, been tabbed as the BRADY brand’s long-term ambassador and promoted Mercedes Benz. Most recently, he was named to the “Beats Elite” class along with 14 other college football players. The athletes will be featured across various marketing campaigns and wear custom Beats products.

2. Arch Manning – Texas

On3 NIL Valuation: $2.9 million
Social media followers: 271K
Position: Quarterback

A former Five-Star Plus+ recruit, Arch Manning has arrived on the college football scene. The grandson of Archie, son of Cooper, and nephew of Peyton and Eli has the second-ranked On3 NIL Valuation in college football. While the 6-foot-4, 215-pound freshman has yet to play in a game this season at Texas, he has started to monetize his NIL.

He entered a multi-year, exclusive agreement with Panini America. And he auctioned off his first NIL trading card last month for $102,500. It’s the highest-selling card in Panini’s website history, knocking off a one-of-one Luka Doncic national treasure card that sold for $100,000. All proceeds from the sale are going to a Central Texas nonprofit with the help of St. David’s HealthCare and St. David’s Foundation. Seven new cards have been released with Panini America, too. Funny enough, the record price paid for a Peyton Manning card is $71,988.88

With nearly 270,000 social media followers, the NIL opportunities are limitless for Arch Manning. Working with his uncles should not be ruled out either. Texas did travel four quarterbacks to Tuscaloosa this past weekend. He could see some playing time this weekend against Wyoming.

3. Caleb Williams – USC

On3 NIL Valuation: $2.6 million
Social media followers: 308K
Position: Quarterback

Caleb Williams set the precedent for what can be done in NIL as a college football star. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner and USC quarterback has parlayed his on-field success into a national NIL brand. The third-year quarterback has inked NIL agreements with Athletic Brewing Company, Fanatics, Neutrogena, AT&T, Beats by Dre, PlayStation and AC+ION Water. He’s also signed for a season-long NIL campaign with United Airlines, promoting the addition of 127 new, nonstop flights for college football season. The quarterback is the face of Dr Pepper’s Fansville, too. Williams is a fashion symbol, too. He wore a Gucci suit to the Heisman ceremony and was in the Hugo Boss show during his spring break in March.

All that to say, he has done everything on the field this season to defend his Heisman. Through three games this year, Williams has thrown for 878 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s rushed for a touchdown, too, while showing off his playmaking ability by escaping pressure in the pocket.

Through all his stardom as a quarterback and social media influencer, he’s established the Caleb Cares Foundation, which focuses on anti-bullying, youth empowerment and mental health awareness.

4. Travis Hunter – Colorado

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.8 million
Social media followers: 1.5 million
Position: Wide Receiver/Cornerback

College football has not seen a two-way player like Travis Hunter in recent memory. A wide receiver and cornerback, Hunter was constantly making plays against TCU in Week 1. He finished with 11 catches for 119 yards, which doesn’t include the two first-half deep ball misses that only would’ve sent those numbers climbing. He picked off TCU quarterback Chandler Morris from inside the Colorado 5 on third down, disrupting what would have been a go-ahead touchdown. In Week 2 with Nebraska in Boulder, the two-way star had three catches for 72 yards while making four total tackles.

His social media accounts have taken off in the last two weeks, now with 1.5 million followers and a $1.8 million On3 NIL Valuation, which is a $253,000 increase over the last 10 weeks. The valuation is No. 4 in college football.

The No. 2 prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, Hunter signed endorsement contracts with Celsius Energy Drink, the Michael Strahan Brand, Actively Black and SoHoodie. He’s tapped into his fishing hobby through NIL in deals with WaterLand Co., KastKing and Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits. He also has a YouTube page with more than 203,000 subscribers.

5. Evan Stewart – Texas A&M

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.7 million
Social media followers: 2.4 million
Position: Wide Receiver

Texas A&M receiver Evan Stewart was a Five-Star Plus+ recruit in the 2022 recruiting cycle. He was a key piece of the Aggies’ No. 1 ranked class, and he backed that up with a strong freshman season where he racked up 53 catches for 649 yards and two touchdowns. That success, combined with the brand of Texas A&M football and Stewart’s massive social media following, helped him build one of the best NIL brands in college football. He’s used that brand to ink several national deals, including with the luxury fashion brand Coach. If has more success, as expected, in 2023 then the sky’s the limit for Stewart and his reach of more than 2.1 million followers on TikTok.

Through two games this season, he has 19 catches for 257 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He’s averaging 13.5 yards per reception.

6. Drake Maye – North Carolina

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.5 million
Social media followers: 75K
Position: Quarterback

Drake Maye has shown why he’s such a highly-touted 2024 NFL draft prospect early this season. He commanded North Carolina to a win over South Carolina in Week 1. And in Week 2, he found a way to get the Tar Heels past Appalachian State, throwing for 208 yards and rushing for 57 yards and a score.

Football has instead been his focus over NIL, with marketing opportunities mixed in as he goes. In the last few months, he’s held a youth camp in Chapel Hill and partnered with the North Carolina-driven NIL collective Heels4Life. Maye also signed with the Baltimore-based Jimmy’s Famous Seafood and Jimmy’s Famous Meals. In exchange for promoting the brand, he will receive weekly meals from Jimmy’s Famous Meals through December 2023. The quarterback wrapped up his rookie campaign throwing for 4,321 yards with 38 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.

7. Bo Nix – Oregon

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.4 million
Social media followers: 192K
Position: Quarterback

The Oregon quarterback could have been one of the better prospects available in this past spring’s NFL draft. Instead, Bo Nix is back for a final season, giving the Ducks one of the top quarterbacks in college football. In his first year at Oregon, he threw for 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions while leading the Ducks to a 10-3 record. He gelled quickly with offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, who took the head coaching job at Arizona State; Dan Lanning brought in Will Stein to fill the role.

He has picked up right where he left off, throwing for 646 yards and five touchdowns and guiding Oregon to a 2-0 start. The date to watch is Sept. 23, when Colorado visits Eugene.

Nix has thrived off the field in NIL, too, inking agreements with Topps, Subway, The Duck Store, ONIT, the Oregon-focused NIL collective Division Street and Bojangles. He signed with Bose in December, too. As a returning starter at Oregon, he will be a name that brands will keep their on eye throughout the fall. His 191K social media followers are also appealing.

8. Marvin Harrison Jr. – Ohio State

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.4 million
Social media followers: 460K
Position: Wide Receiver

Marvin Harrison Jr. has begun his chase to become the first Ohio State wide receiver to win the Biletnikoff Award since 1995. Despite only having two receptions in Week 1, he showed off his talent this past weekend with seven catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

One of the top names in college football last season, Harrison opted not to ink an endorsement deal during his breakout year. The son of NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison has publicly announced eight endorsement contracts with brands and collectives since March, while also launching a memorabilia collection. Picked as the Big Ten Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, the former four-star recruit has already been tossed around as the potential No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. His top NIL deals as of recent include a partnership with Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet of Columbus, joining the Zoa Energy Drink marketing campaign, a one-off agreement with Dr Teal’s and being featured on a bag of Grippo’s Chips.

9. Michael Penix Jr. – Washington

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.3 million
Social media followers: 43K
Position: Quarterback

Michael Penix tossed five touchdown passes with 450 passing yards in a 56-19 drubbing of Boise State in Week 1. Viewed as one of the top games of the season-opening weekend, the Huskies made a statement as Penix finished with a 72.5% completion percentage. The Washington quarterback followed it up this past weekend against Tulsa, tossing three touchdowns and 409 yards.

The 2022 AP Comeback Player of the Year finished eighth in Heisman voting last season. Repped by CAA and Reggie Johnson, he has found plenty of NIL activities. Penix recently re-signed with the retail clothing brand Simply Seattle. He was also one of 15 college football players selected in the inaugural “Beats Elite” class. He will be featured across various marketing campaigns and wear custom Beats products. Penix signed an exclusive, multi-year NIL deal with Panini America last week, too.

10. Quinn Ewers – Texas

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.2 million
Social media followers: 225K
Position: Quarterback

Quinn Ewers was convincing in Texas’ win over Alabama. The former Five-Star Plus+ quarterback finished 24 of 38 for 349 yards with three touchdowns. He showed off his arm strength, too, airing it out and finding his top target Xavier Worthy for a 44-yard touchdown pass. He may have answered plenty of NFL scouts’ questions in the process, too.

Since the quarterback entered the college ranks at Ohio State in 2021, NIL has always been a major component of his college experience. With more than 210,000 social media followers, brands want to work with the star. Anything he accomplishes on the field will only help.

Within hours of the win in Tuscaloosa, C4 Energy partnered with Ewers. For an athlete who has already worked with plenty of major companies, adding an endorsement contract with C4 could be the start of a slew of agreements.

Represented by Sportstars and Rubicon, the quarterback signed at least six endorsement deals last season. In recent weeks, he rolled out his new custom merchandise line produced by Vapor Apparel. The quarterback inked an exclusive NIL agreement with Panini America, too. Plus, he hosted his first event, titled “An Evening with Quinn Ewers,” for fans and boosters. Earlier this month, Ewers formalized a deal with Ryl Tea Company. He made the announcement on his Instagram, promoting a recent meet-and-greet he held with the brand at an Austin Kroger grocery store.

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.