Top five On3 NIL Valuations in Michigan, Ohio State showdown

This day has been circled on the calendar for Ohio State for a year. The loss on the road at Ann Arbor hurt. It halted any College Football Playoff hopes for the Buckeyes. And it came with a large dose of commentary from Michigan.

On the flip side, the Wolverines have used the win as a jump starter. They won their first Big Ten title of the Jim Harbaugh era. They believe Michigan has the toughness to go toe-to-toe with the Buckeyes in Columbus.

Saturday marks the first time since 2006 that The Game has been played with undefeated teams on both sidelines. Not much more could be on the line: A trip to Indianapolis and a clear path to the playoff.

Before kickoff, On3 is breaking down the top five On3 NIL Valuations in the game.

1. C.J. Stroud

On3 NIL Valuation: $2.7 million
Position: Quarterback
Per Post Value: $8,000
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 2

The Heisman favorite dating back to the offseason, C.J. Stroud has wowed in moments. The Ohio State quarterback has torn apart defenses with the nation’s most feared passing attack. But he has never had Jaxon Smith-Njigba at his disposal. And that has led to a few tight moments for the Buckeyes. On the road at Northwestern in 80 mph wins, Stroud had to win the game on the ground. If anything, Ohio State has had to rely too much on the passing game at times because of struggles moving the ball on the ground. Stroud has a 66.4 completion percentage with 35 touchdown passes and just four interceptions. If there’s one blemish on the quarterback’s record, it is that he has yet to beat the Buckeyes as a starting quarterback. He can change that Saturday in Columbus. And the matchup provides the perfect Heisman moment.

2. Marvin Harrison Jr.

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.4 million
Position: Wide Receiver
Per Post Value: $3,100
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 5

Ohio State always knew it had one of the top young wideouts in the nation. Marvin Harrison Jr. just introduced himself to the college football world this season. The Biletnikoff Award semifinalist has 65 catches for 1,037 yards this season with 11 touchdowns. But it is the way the sophomore has made the catches. The son of NFL great Marvin Harrison jolted himself in the air to make an acrobatic touchdown catch against Michigan State. And Harrison somehow contorted his body near the sideline against Indiana to get a foot inbounds. The receiver’s social media following has exploded, too. He’s added 38,000 social media followers since early October — now sitting at 163K total. Add in the on-field success and Harrison is ready to be college football’s next star. Saturday provides the latest stage.

3. Blake Corum

On3 NIL Valuation: $821,000
Position: Running Back
Per Post Value: $2,000
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 12

Blake Corum has continued to impress with the way he’s built his NIL brand. Even though he exited last week’s game against Illinois, the Michigan running back was seen passing out turkeys the following day. He’s signed deals with Wolverine Boots, The M Den and the Michigan Army National Guard. He’s also excelled on the field, entering the Heisman conversation. Corum’s status for Saturday is unknown entering Saturday but his impact isn’t a question. The tailback has rushed for at least 100 yards in each Big Ten game this season. And he’s averaging 5.95 yards per carry with 18 touchdowns.

4. Dawand Jones

On3 NIL Valuation: $629,000
Position: Offensive Tackle
Per Post Value: $828
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 28

Maybe no other offensive lineman in the nation has built a stronger NIL portfolio. Working closely with Columbus-based NIL Management, Dawand Jones has inked multiple endorsement deals with major brands. He starred in a Chipotle commercial next to TreVeyon Henderson. With his fellow offensive lineman, Jones starred in an Applebee’s promotion. He has a car deal with Ricart Automotive. And most recently, he was back next to Henderson promoting Vivid Seats in a video released on Instagram. For all the NIL success, he’s considered one of the top offensive tackle in the country. Mel Kiper Jr. has him as his No. 9 offensive tackle ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. If the Buckeyes keep Stroud safe and open up running lanes Saturday, Jones will be a major reason why.

5. J.J. McCarthy

On3 NIL Valuation: $558,000
Position: Quarterback
Per Post Value: $2,300
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 222

 J.J. McCarthy locked up the Michigan quarterback job against Hawaii in Week 2, beating out Cade McNamara. And the sophomore has the Wolverines back in position to make a College Football Playoff run. The former four-star recruit out of IMG Academy has thrown for only 1,952 yards this season and 14 touchdown passes. That’s in large part to Michigan’s run-first offensive mindset. But with the status of Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards unknown for Saturday, McCarthy could be forced to lead Michigan down the field using his arm. Thanks in part to the Michigan brand and on-field success, the quarterback’s NIL brand has skyrocketed this fall. He secured an agreement with Dunkin’ at select Metro Detroit locations. And he’s worked closely with Valiant Management, which serves as a marketing agency for Michigan athletes, to secure opportunities with Eberg Capital, The M Den and Randy Wise Automotive Team.

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.