Top 10 On3 NIL Valuations entering men's college basketball season

College basketball season has returned. And with it, plenty of NIL storylines.

Some of the nation’s top players opted to return for another year because of the NIL riches they stood to make. Instead of trying to test the NBA Draft waters, staying put and building a noteworthy brand had power. That’s something that would have never happened before the Name, Image and Likeness Era.

For other athletes, a new college basketball season means the opportunity to put their name on the map on and off the court.

Here’s a look at the top 10 men’s players with the highest On3 NIL Valuation heading into the 2022-2023 basketball season.

The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. The On3 NIL Valuation calculates the optimized NIL opportunity for athletes relative to the overall NIL market and projects out to as long as 12 months into the future.

And the On3 NIL 100 is the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation. 

No. 1 Hansel Enmanuel

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.5 million
Position: CG
Per Post Value: $20,000
On3 NIL 100 ranking: No. 9

Northwestern State freshman guard and Dominican Republic native Hansel Enmanuel received approval for an O-1 visa last month, which gives him the ability to pursue NIL deals in the U.S. through his newfound work authorization. He had already started to capitalize on NIL before the O-1 visa was granted, though. He previously signed with Gatorade but had to fly to Mexico City for the photo shoot to ensure he wasn’t in violation of his previous visa status to work in Mexico. His deal with the sports drink company is only a start to what could be a major NIL career.

No. 2 Shaqir O’Neal

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.1 million
Position: SG
Per Post Value: $15,100
On3 NIL 100 ranking: 15

Shaqir O’Neal is not new to the NIL scene. The Texas Southern sophomore was the first O’Neal to sign with boohooMAN last November. He’s also promoted Fortnite and recently announced a partnership with Capital One, advertising for the SavorOne student card. While some might think his name recognition is solely because of his father, Shaquille O’Neal, Shaqir has built up his own following. He has more than 4.6 million followers across social media. He’ll be a notable name to watch this college basketball season.

No. 3 Armando Bacot

On3 NIL Valuation: $1 million
Position: C
Per Post Value: $3,800
On3 NIL 100 ranking: 22

He registered double-doubles in all six of North Carolina‘s NCAA Tournament games this past spring. And then Armando Bacot capitalized on them in the NIL space. He’s signed a slew of NIL deals since the Tar Heels last played in the national championship, but possibly none more notable than with the hit Netflix show Outer Banks. The 6-foot-11, 235-pound center will appear in season three, which is set to drop this winter. He appeared on set in the summer and will reportedly appear in a few episodes as a character named “Mando.” Bacot played a large role in North Carolina’s run to the national championship game, and with that, he grew his name. His social media following grew. It’s hard to imagine the senior won’t have another monster year partnered with plenty of NIL options.

No. 4 Oscar Tshiebwe

On3 NIL Valuation: $916,000
Position: C
Per Post Value: $2,300
On3 NIL 100 ranking: 27

Even for the reigning Naismith Player of the Year, there are NIL hurdles. While the rest of his teammates were focused on bonding and playing exhibition games in the Bahamas in August, Oscar Tshiebwe‘s schedule was filled with filming commercials and signing autographs. Unlike Enmanuel, the Kentucky star has not been granted the O-1 visa. Which meant he had to take advantage of the time he was in international waters. Tshiebwe reportedly made $500,000 over the seven-day trip, bringing his total NIL earnings to about $2.75 million. The content he filmed will be used throughout the season in the deals he’s signed. He’s just another example of how NIL played a factor in staying in college another season, even if it meant jumping through a few more hoops.

No. 5 Drew Timme

On3 NIL Valuation: $911,000
Position: C
Per Post Value: $2,200
On3 NIL 100 ranking: 28

Drew Timme could have turned pro following Gonzaga‘s Sweet 16 exit this past spring. Whether that meant the NBA or international, that’s up for debate. He opted to return to for another season and cash in on his NIL, though. He re-signed with Walker’s Furniture for another season last month. The Team Up with Timme campaign kicked off a year ago and features prizes and giveaways. Timme averaged 18.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game a season ago. Gonzaga is expected to contend for a national title yet again, and the center will be in the middle of those efforts.

No. 6 Hunter Dickinson

On3 NIL Valuation: $868,000
Position: C
Per Post Value: $1,700
On3 NIL 100 ranking: 31

Another one of the big men who returned for another year, Hunter Dickinson has been open about why he returned. “I think NIL played a factor with all of us,” Dickinson told On3’s Andy Wittry back in June. “Being able to not have to worry about money but also being able to play college basketball, I think, was the best of both worlds for a lot of us.” A member of the Outback TeamMATES program, Dickinson has not had to worry too much about taking care of his NIL. Valiant Management’s Champions Circle collective expanded into men’s basketball last week. And at Big Ten Media Days, the Michigan star admitted that the income from his NIL deals funded, among other things, the purchase of a Ford Bronco.

No. 7 Emoni Bates

On3 NIL Valuation: $835,000
Position: SF
Per Post Value: $6,900
On3 NIL 100 ranking: 36

A five-star prospect coming out of high school, Emoni Bates was the unanimous No. 1 player in the 2022 class before reclassifying to the Class of 2021, where he was still considered a top-five prospect. Things just never went that easily for the small forward, though. While he played for Penny Hardway at Memphis last season, Bates missed the entire month of February and over half of March due to a back injury. Ultimately, he decided to leave and enter the portal, transferring back home to Eastern Michigan. He previously announced he signed with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports for NIL representation. With over 467K social media followers, if Bates wishes to be a big-time NIL player, he can be.

No. 8 Dariq Whitehead

On3 NIL Valuation: $763,000
Position: SF
Per Post Value: $219
On3 NIL 100 ranking: 44

Ranked No. 2 in the On3 Consensus for the 2022 recruiting class, Dariq Whitehead signed with Cuts Clothing last week marking his first NIL deal. In his recruitment, he received an offer from the NBA G-League worth $500,000. He ultimately opted instead to play for Duke. The freshman won’t make his collegiate debut in the season opener, however, as he’s dealing with a lingering foot issue. Already expected to be a lottery pick by many NBA Draft experts, Whitehead can get a jumpstart on building a brand this season thanks to NIL.

No. 9 Caleb Love

On3 NIL Valuation: $755,000
Position: PG
Per Post Value: $5,500
On3 NIL 100 ranking: 46

The second North Carolina basketball player to land on this list, Caleb Love is just starting to reap the rewards of Name, Image and Likeness. He signed with Priority Sports & Entertainment back in June. And this summer, he held a Hoophall Hangout at the Basketball Hall of Fame. He decided to come back for another season to possibly make himself a first-round pick, but there’s plenty of NIL potential, too. A member of Outback’s NIL program, he also made an appearance this summer at Damian Lillard’s Formula Zero. He has a T-shirt with BreakinT as well. If anything, he may have to turn down NIL opportunities this season.

No. 10 Trayce Jackson-Davis

On3 NIL Valuation: $608,000
Position: PF
Per Post Value: $1,600
On3 NIL 100 ranking: 57

Indiana big Trayce Jackson-Davis announced the withdrawal of his name from the 2022 NBA Draft to return to Bloomington in May. Hoosiers For Good has made sure to take care of him, however, signing two deals this spring. Plus, Merchants Bank of Indiana renewed its agreement with Jackson-Davis as a brand ambassador for another season. He averaged 18.3 points on 51.9% shooting from the field and pulled down 8.1 rebounds per game last year. Delivering Indiana an NCAA Tournament berth last season paid off on social media, too. He currently has more than 127,000 followers, which equals real NIL dollars.