Top five On3 NIL Valuations in Kentucky, Ole Miss matchup

Ole Miss and Kentucky meet Saturday afternoon at Vaught Hemingway Stadium.

And don’t think NIL does not play a role. Speaking to media Friday, Lane Kiffin admitted the Rebels had fallen behind in their NIL efforts.

The two top-15 teams meet on Saturday afternoon at 12 p.m. ET in Oxford. On3 is breaking down the top-five On3 NIL Valuations ahead of the game.

1. Will Levis

On3 NIL Valuation: $765,000
Position: Quarterback
Per Post Value: $2,100
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 34

Will Levis has pieced together one of the most respected NIL portfolios of any quarterback in college football. The Kentucky quarterback opted to not sign any contracts until he finished the 2021 season. Since then, however, e’s signed on with Paul Miller Ford, Boone’s Trace National Golf Club and NOBULL. And right the before season, the senior signed with Winchester, Kentucky-based soda brand Ale-8-One. He’s also emerged as an outspoken advocate about how NIL could be better for athlete. Sitting down for On3’s Lever Up Podcast, Levis was candid about how institutions need to provide more assistance and guidance to student-athletes, specifically underclassmen. Levis has continued to live up to NFL draft hype this season, too, throwing for 10 touchdowns and 1,185 yards through four games. Now comes the the second game of SEC play.

2. Zach Evans

On3 NIL Valuation: $409,000
Position: Running Back
Per Post Value: $812
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 108

Ole Miss running back Zach Evans left last week’s game against Tulsa, dealing with a hip pointer issue. The TCU transfer will be back this week, in time for the SEC opener with Kentucky on Saturday. Evans has not fully settled in with the Rebels, rushing for 365 yards with four touchdowns in four games. Picking up yards has not been a problem as he’s averaging 6.2 yards per carry. One of the top running backs to enter the transfer portal this offseason, Evans rushed for 559 yards and averaging 8.1 yards per carry in TCU’s first four games against FBS opponents last season. But a foot injury basically shut him down for the rest of the season. A breakout game could go a long way for Evans in the SEC opener.

3. Jaxson Dart

On3 NIL Valuation: $383,000
Position: Quarterback
Per Post Value: $823
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 160

Lane Kiffin opted to stick with a two-quarterback system, not handing over keys to the entire offense immediately. But Jaxson Dart has now won out the competition. After struggling in the first two games of the season, the quarterback produced 270 total yards of offense and two passing touchdowns in last week’s win. The former USC quarterback is still learning his way through Kiffin’s playbook. He’ll have his first taste of the SEC this weekend.

4. Michael Trigg

On3 NIL Valuation: $296,000
Position: Tight End
Per Post Value: $550
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 234

The former USC tight end was given some big expectations prior to the start of the season when Lane Kiffin compared him to former Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. Michael Trigg has lived up to that high comparison so far this season. In four games he has 13 catches for 87 yards and three touchdown grabs. He has the potential to be the top wideout in the Ole Miss offense. Being able to be a playmaker for his fellow portal partner and former USC teammate is the main priority.

5. Jordan Wright

On3 NIL Valuation: $270,000
Position: Linebacker
Per Post Value: $512
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 129

An NCAA investigation kept Jordan Wright off the field for the season opener. According to documents obtained by the Lexington Herald-Leader, the two UK football players, who were employed by UK HealthCare, were clocking in inaccurate time cards for their shifts. He has not missed a beat since then, though. The linebacker has 16 total tackles through three games with four tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

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.