Top 10 On3 NIL Valuations entering 2023 SEC football season

After a summer filled with another wave of conference realignment and the NCAA lobbying Congress for a federal NIL mandate, college football is officially back this weekend.

Georgia appears primed to make a run for its third consecutive national title. Caleb Williams is back at USC, ready to defend his Heisman crown. Whoever emerges as the victor of The Game will be a favorite to win the College Football Playoff.

Before the SEC kicks off its full schedule this weekend, we’re diving into the top 10 On3 NIL Valuations entering the 2023 season.

1. Nico Iamaleava – Tennessee

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.1 million
On3 NIL 100: No. 16
Social media followers: 332K
Position: Quarterback

In many ways, Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is the face of the NIL Era. He generated national headlines in his senior year of high school when he signed an NIL deal with Spyre Sports Group. With the deal, he could make $8 million over three years. That move created a multi-million-dollar market for blue-chip quarterbacks and put NIL on the map with mainstream college football fans. While he’s not set to be the starter for the Volunteers as a freshman, he’s impressed in practices. In many ways has become one of the leaders of the Tennessee football program’s future and a celebrity in Knoxville because of the brand he built before he arrived.

2. Evan Stewart – Texas A&M

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.1 million
On3 NIL 100: No. 20
Social media followers: 2.4 million
Position: 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.

3. Spencer Rattler – South Carolina

On3 NIL Valuation: $1 million
On3 NIL 100: No. 25
Social media followers: 578K
Position: Quarterback

South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler built one of the strongest NIL brands in college football thanks to his late-season success in 2022, excitement around the 2023 season, and savvy deals with both local and national companies. After helping the Gamecocks engineer two of the biggest wins in 2022 against Tennessee and Clemson, Rattler is being mentioned as a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate. So, it’s only fitting brands continue to gravitate toward the star signal-caller. Take his NIL deal with Dick Dyer Mercedes-Benz for example. Photos and videos of him driving a garnet-colored Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon went viral.

4. Quinshon Judkins – Ole Miss

On3 NIL Valuation: $971,000
On3 NIL 100: No. 26
Social media followers: 126K
Position: Running back

Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins burst onto the scene in 2022, rushing for 1,567 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was named the 2022 SEC Freshman of the Year and is expected to do even bigger things in 2023. And a big reason why he remained in Oxford – and out of the transfer portal – is because of the NIL opportunities he built for himself. Take his NIL agreement with The Grove Collective for example. The partnership locked Judkins to a longer deal and ensured he’ll continue to be a prolific part of Lane Kiffin’s offense.

5. Joe Milton – Tennessee

On3 NIL Valuation: $840,000
On3 NIL 100: No. 36
Social media followers: 300K
Position: Quarterback

Joe Milton went undefeated in two starts last fall, leading the Vols to a win over Clemson as he earned Orange Bowl MVP honors. This offseason has been filled with videos of the fifth-year player showing off his arm strength at the Manning Passing Academy. Now he’s ready to lead the Volunteers in 2023 as QB1. He’ll be one of the most closely followed quarterbacks in the country this fall, and his NIL deals prove it. For example, Milton recently entered into an NIL partnership with Beats by Dre. As part of the agreement, he gifted his entire team Beats Studio Pro wireless headphones, which sell at retail for $349.99. He also executed deals this offseason with The Volunteer Club and participated in an event in March at Dick’s House of Sport in Knoxville with Shedeur Sanders hosted by the BRADY brand.

6. Jarquez Hunter – Auburn

On3 NIL Valuation: $785,000
On3 NIL 100: No. 45
Social media followers: 40K
Position: Running back

The biggest question this offseason with Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter is whether he will play in Week 1 against UMass. Hunter had been suspended since May and Hugh Freeze said very little, stating at various points that he couldn’t or wouldn’t comment on the running back’s status. He’s been practicing with the team since mid-August. Hunter is Auburn’s top returning playmaker this season, which is why he’s got a high On3 NIL Valuation. He came in at No. 56 in On3’s Top 100 College Football Players in 2023. Last season, he totaled 668 yards and seven touchdowns.

7. Raheim Sanders – Arkansas

On3 NIL Valuation: $745,000
On3 NIL 100: No. 53
Social media followers: 35K
Position: Running back

Arkansas running back Raheim Sanders returns for his third season in Northwest Arkansas after a breakout 2022 campaign. Sanders finished the 2022 season with 1,443 yards rushing and 10 scores in 2022 at a 6.5 yards per carry clip, and he’s been named a preseason All-SEC pick. Being the man in Fayetteville has its benefits, especially thanks to NIL. Sanders has landed numerous NIL deals, and he’s also partnered with ONEArkansas NIL, one of the main Razorback-focused collectives. Sanders also landed a new NIL deal with national car wash chain ZIPS earlier this week.

8. Brock Bowers – Georgia

On3 NIL Valuation: $730,000
On3 NIL 100: No. 55
Social media followers: 110K
Position: Tight end

An Everett Sports Management client, Brock Bowers played a significant role in helping Georgia win the last two national championships. Named to the first-team All-SEC, first-team All-American and the John Mackey Award winner, Bowers turned down deals from Georgia’s Classic City Collective this winter so the collective could spend more on his teammates. Instead, he inked individual partnerships with companies like NOBULL and Dick’s Sporting Goods. He also grabbed headlines in July with his NIL deal with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s ZOA energy drink. Simply put, Bowers has perfectly combined his success on the field with success with NIL.

9. Malik Nabers – LSU

On3 NIL Valuation: $718,000
On3 NIL 100: No. 56
Social media followers: 27K
Position: Receiver

LSU receiver Malik Nabers finished his sophomore season with 72 catches for 1,017 yards and three touchdowns. Nabers looked even better to close out the season, recording 14 catches for 291 yards and a pair of TDs in the Tigers’ final two games against Georgia and Purdue. He’ll hope to carry over that momentum into 2023 and leave his mark as one of the SEC’s top playmakers. Nabers is also expected to leave a bigger mark through NIL after his breakout season. He publicly announced one major deal – with Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys – during his time in Baton Rouge. But now that he’s firmly on the map, he should have limitless NIL chances this season.

10. Kool-Aid McKinstry – Alabama

On3 NIL Valuation: $708,000
On3 NIL 100: No. 57
Social media followers: 167K
Position: Cornerback

Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry has everything you need to be an NIL success story. First and foremost, he’s a star for one of the biggest brands in college sports. McKinstry was named first-team All-SEC as a sophomore and there’s no reason he shouldn’t again make the list in 2023. He’s been a staple in the Crimson Tide secondary since playing in all 15 games as a true freshman and earned a reputation as one of the top corners in all of college football. He’s used that success, combined with a strong social media presence of more than 167,000 followers, to ink multiple national-level NIL deals. This included the “Beats Elite” class deal that was announced earlier this week, along with partnerships with Candy Sweet Futures NFT, Bojangles and of course, Kool-Aid.

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.