Top 10 On3 NIL Valuations in Saturday's spring game slate

On Saturday, 27 college football programs will hold a spring game. It’s really the last chance teams have to evaluate talent before camp rolls around in August.

At the same time, the transfer portal has officially opened. Players have until April 30th to figure out what their standing is on the team and if they need to look elsewhere. For fans, it provides the opportunity to start figuring out where their team is going to land come the fall.

Some of the biggest names in college football will be in action Saturday. Before games start, On3 is breaking down the top 10 On3 NIL Valuations playing in spring games.

1. Texas quarterback Arch Manning

On3 NIL Valuation: $3.8 million
On3 NIL 100: No. 2
Social Media Followers: 249K

The grandson of Archie, son of Cooper and nephew of Peyton and Eli announced his commitment to Texas this past summer. Arch Manning enrolled earlier this year, marking the official start of the Manning era in Austin. He finished his career at Isidore Newman as the school’s leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns and total yardage. Now he is challenging Quinn Ewers for the starting job, a competition that Steve Sarkisian characterized as a real contest. Saturday will be the first real chance the public has had to see how he’s progressed so far this spring.

The No. 1 ranked recruit in the 2023 class may not have the largest social media following, yet his name recognition for a freshman is uncommon. He also has the opportunity to partner with his superstar uncles in NIL ventures if he wants. With more than 240,000 social media followers, his brand and name recognition will only rise throughout his career at Texas. He has yet to publicly announce his first endorsement deal, but the quarterback will not have any problems finding opportunities.

2. USC quarterback Caleb Williams

On3 NIL Valuation: $2.6 million
On3 NIL 100: No. 5
Social Media Followers: 277K

Caleb Williams may just be the most marketable college football player. He recently wrapped up his first season in Los Angles. Since making the move to the West Coast more then a year ago, he has pieced together one of the strongest NIL resumes of any player in the country. Sure, he’s aligned with notable brands, such as Athletic Brewing Company, NASCAR, AT&T, Beats by Dre and AC+ION Water. But he is also developing into a fashion star. He wore an adidas x Gucci suit at the Heisman Ceremony. He recently signed a partnership with Alo Yoga, which describes itself as clothing for the studio, along with streetwear. When he was on spring break in Miami, he landed an invitation to walk the Hugo Boss fashion show. The NIL world has taken notice; he was nominated for Male Athlete of the Year ahead of the second NIL Summit.

For all of the NIL success, Williams nearly had USC playing in the College Football Playoff. He finished his sophomore season ranked No. 1 in the country with 42 passing touchdowns and just five interceptions. The quarterback threw for 4,537 yards, while rushing for another 10 touchdowns. Saturday will be a chance to see if the USC offense has taken a step forward, especially with receiver Jordan Addison gone.

3. North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.5 million
On3 NIL 100: No. 8
Social Media Followers: 63K

Drake Maye‘s name was everywhere ahead of the transfer portal opening back in December. With multiple ACC coaches alleging unnamed coaching staffs and collectives of tampering, some expected the North Carolina quarterback to be the top commodity in free agency. He ultimately decided to stay put in Chapel Hill, not leaving for what would have been a lucrative NIL package. The freshman finished his first season with 4,321 passing yards with 38 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He’ll challenge Caleb Williams for the Heisman next season. And with more than 60,000 social media followers, there will be plenty of brands clamoring to strike an agreement with Maye.

So far, he’s signed with Bose and Campus Mogul. The number of endorsement deals he inks could be on the rise since he signed with CAA for NIL representation this past fall. There’s not much doubt entering the Tar Heels’ spring game what Maye is capable of. But the question is: Is North Carolina’s ceiling an ACC title?

4. Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.3 million
On3 NIL 100: No. 12
Social Media Followers: 356K

If Caleb Williams is the most marketable figure in college football, Marvin Harrison Jr. is one of the top risers. The son of the NFL Hall of Famer, the Ohio State receiver now has a major social media following north of 350,000. But entering last fall, he was still considered the No. 2 wideout in the Buckeyes offense behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba. That changed when Smith-Njigba went down against Notre Dame and really never returned. Harrison went on to finish with 77 catches for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns and was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award. Saturday won’t be about showing off his talent. Ryan Day is looking to nail down a starting quarterback.

He has not rushed into NIL, instead methodically crafting his approach. An ambassador for the Monarc robotic quarterback, the partnership does not include a cash component. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound receiver has partnered with the Ohio State-driven Cohesion Foundation to do charity work with the Ronald McDonald House. He’ll also be at The Foundation‘s spring festival later this month. And Harrison is driving around a Chevrolet Tahoe thanks to a partnership with Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet of Columbus.

5. Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.2 million
On3 NIL 100: No. 15
Social Media Followers: 331K

Nico Iamaleava gave Tennessee a major victory on the recruiting trail when he committed in March. The five-star quarterback turned down offers from nearly every major program. He gave the Volunteers validation on the recruiting trail immediately, helping the Vols coaching staff piece together the rest of the 2023 class. Now he’s on campus, competing for the starting job with Joe Milton. He’ll have a chance to start, but Milton is the clear favorite. Giving Iamaleava a year to develop and learn seems to be the play for Tennessee. As On3’s JD PicKell said recently, “He’s been on campus for like 15 minutes, dude. Give him a break. Let him develop. Let him get comfortable in the college life.”

NIL is not new to Iamaleava, though. When he verbally committed back in March, the quarterback stole headlines not for his commitment but because of NIL. As The Athletic has since reported, the California native reportedly signed a deal that could see him make $8 million over three years. He’s since signed with Spyre’s Volunteer Club and promoted Force Factor.

6. Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.2 million
On3 NIL 100: No. 18
Social Media Followers: 117K

This past season, Jordan Travis threw for 2,769 yards and 22 touchdowns, while rushing for 367 yards and another seven touchdowns. The Florida State quarterback led the Seminoles to a 10-3 mark for the first time since 2016. Now the question is where can Travis and Florida State go from here. There’s little doubt they have a roster to compete for a College Football Playoff berth. They’ve appeared in the top 15 of nearly every way-too-early preseason poll. Mike Norvell continues to add talent via the portal, too.

His strong 2022 season has also set Travis up for success in NIL. The quarterback will be hosting a camp in June with his running back Trey Benson. The two have become a package NIL deal, signing partnerships with Tallahassee Ford and Hotel Indigo together. Both athletes use the Just Win Management group for representation.

7. Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.1 million
On3 NIL 100:
Social Media Followers:

Xavier Worthy played through half of last season with a broken hand. That’s a lot to ask for a player who’s expected to catch balls at a high level. When Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian shared the news last Month, he admitted he made a point not to share the injury during the season; Worthy played in all 13 games. “I think anytime you’re a receiver and you’re playing with a broken hand, that’s a pretty important aspect of your game,” he said. “That guy never wanted to sit out, not play. He came to work, he fought through it.”

Worthy is back to being healthy. He’s played throughout spring practice and will be available for Saturday’s Orange-White game. One of the top receivers in football, he finished 2022 with 60 catches for 760 yards and nine touchdowns. Worthy also has NIL deals with Epic Games and Sonic.

8. South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler

On3 NIL Valuation: $956K
On3 NIL 100: No. 24
Social Media Followers: 592K

In December 2021, Spencer Rattler made the decision to transfer from Oklahoma to South Carolina. He made another key commitment this offseason, deciding to return to college for another season. The quarterback finished his first season 8-5 and 4-4 in the SEC. South Carolina finished the season strong, knocking off Tennessee and Clemson. With a new offensive coordinator, will Rattler help Shane Beamer make real progress in the SEC this year?

Rattler has not hesitated to cash in on his name, image and likeness. The quarterback signed plenty of deals at Oklahoma. And in December, he agreed to terms with  Dick Dyer Mercedes-Benz. He’s now driving around a garnet-colored Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon. He’s also up for Male Athlete of the Year at the NIL Summit.

9. Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins

On3 NIL Valuation: $911K
On3 NIL 100: No. 29
Social Media Followers: 108K

The Grove Collective signed Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins through the 2023-24 season back in December. Judkins finished the regular season averaging 5.9 yards per carry. He’s well over the 1,000-yard mark with 1,476 yards. He set the Rebels’ single-season rushing touchdown record with 16. The Grove Collective locking down Judkins to a longer NIL deal is a win for Ole Miss. It ensured the tailback wouldn’t be one of many players entering the portal. He has emerged as large part of Lane Kiffin’s offense, which has turned into a prolific, rush-heavy attack this season.

10. USC quarterback Malachi Nelson

On3 NIL Valuation: $885K
On3 NIL 100: No. 31
Social Media Followers: 162K

A five-star plus recruit in the 2023 class, Malachi Nelson was previously committed to Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma before following the head coach to USC. Even before officially enrolling at USC, the quarterback had more than 150,000 followers. Since California become the first state to allow high schoolers to start monetizing their name, image and likeness, Nelson positioned himself unlike many in the high school ranks. FaZe Clan, the lifestyle and media platform, filmed a documentary throughout his final season at Los Alamitos. He also signed with the h.wood Group this past summer, a Los Angeles-based global hospitality firm. Through the deal with h.wood, he has posted multiple promotions for SLAB, a Texas-style barbecue restaurant, on his social media.

Now he’s at USC. Caleb Williams is the definite starter for the foreseeable future. But it’s clear Riley is already starting to groom Nelson for the starting job.

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 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.

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.

The On3 NIL Valuation is publicly available. Performance, Influence, and Exposure ratings along with the athlete’s personal Brand Value Index and Roster Value Index are available only to the athlete in the “Athlete Verified” private dashboard on the On3 Athlete Network.