Top five On3 NIL Valuations in Florida, Tennessee showdown

Florida has defeated Tennessee in 16 of the last 17 meetings between the two teams. That won’t really matter Saturday in Knoxville, though.

The No. 11 Volunteers have one of college football’s top offenses, led by quarterback Hendon Hooker. And the No. 20 Gators showed potential in the season opener in the upset over Utah. They’ll have to rekindle some of that magic this weekend.

A fun fact about the NIL with the two programs: neither state has a sales tax. That’s pretty attractive from an NIL perspective.

The two teams meet on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. ET in Knoxville. On3 is breaking down the top-five On3 NIL Valuations ahead of the game.

1. Hendon Hooker

On3 NIL Valuation: $676,000
Position: Quarterback
Per Post Value: $1,000
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 59

Hendon Hooker secured the starting quarterback job outright last season. And now he has the Volunteers sitting 3-0 with College GameDay in town and on the cusp of a top-10 ranking. Talk about a perfect situation for a signature performance. His name has popped into the Heisman conversation; he could enter it for good after this week. The quarterback inked a deal this offseason with Spyre Sports that paid him in the seven figures. Hooker commands a serious NIL value thanks to his on-field performance. But his social media following has taken off, too. What was once an Instagram account of 12,000 now sits north of 41,000. In total, he now has 66,000 across his platforms. The one-time Virginia Tech star has won over the Rocky Top faithful.

2. Cedric Tillman

On3 NIL Valuation: $526,000
Position: Wide Receiver 
Per Post Value: $468
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 43

Cedric Tillman injured his ankle last week against Akron and has been ruled out this week against Florida. The Tennessee star will be absent in the Vols biggest game yet of the season. There’s hope he will return for the Oct. 8 matchup against LSU; Tennessee has a bye following Saturday’s Florida showdown. Through three weeks this season, the receiver had amassed 17 catches for 246 yards and a touchdown on the season. For an offense that lives on the vertical game, Tillman’s absence will be felt. He’s emerged as one of college football’s top receivers this season. He’s found NIL success, too, signing with the Moonshine Mountain Cookie Company as its “Cookie Monster.”

3. O’Cyrus Torrence

On3 NIL Valuation: $530,000
Position: Offensive Tackle
Per Post Value: $125
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 17

O’Cyrus Torrence followed Billy Napier to Florida, entering the transfer portal and leaving Louisiana. He’s been given opportunities to become a star on the Gators’ offensive line and has lived up to expectations. The offensive tackle has ranked as one of the top transfer portal pickups through three weeks this season. At 6-foot-5, 347 pounds he is one of the biggest players on the Florida roster. And his strength and aggression make him one of the toughest offensive lineman to get around in the SEC. The Tennessee defense has allowed under 85 yards per game on the ground this season. It will be a major battle on the line Saturday. Torrence’s NIL valuation has seen an uptick as well, rising to No. 78 in the NIL 100.

4. Anthony Richardson

On3 NIL Valuation: $435,000
Position: Quarterback
Per Post Value: $1,300
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 224

Anthony Richardson stole the spotlight in Week 1 of the college football season, pulling off an upset win over Utah. Since then, the Heisman Trophy talk has started to fizzle out. He struggled against Kentucky and South Florida, failing to throw a touchdown pass this season. But he has a major opportunity this weekend when the Gators head to Neyland Stadium for a top-25 matchup with Tennessee. Richardson added a major brand to his list of deals this week, signing with Champs Sports on Tuesday. His NIL evaluation ranks No. 72 in the college football NIL rankings.

5. Gervon Dexter

On3 NIL Valuation: $328,000
Position: Defensive Lineman
Per Post Value: $882
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 192

The former five-star plus recruit has emerged as the leader of Florida’s defensive line in Patrick Toney’s defense. A veteran voice in the front seven, Gervon Dexter has seen time at his typical interior defensive line role but has also been given the opportunity to bounce outside, too. With a 6-foot-6, 303-pound frame, he has 12 total tackles and an interception through three games this season. The Gators are currently allowing 26.7 points per game, and they’ll have to try and keep Hendon Hooker in check Saturday. Gervon Dexter will be right in the middle of that plan.

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
+ Exposure

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.