Top five On3 NIL Valuations in Kentucky-Tennessee matchup

Kentucky and Tennessee are set to renew the Border Battle on Saturday night in Knoxville. But it’s only the third time the two programs have played the rivalry and are each ranked at the time of the matchup.

The Vols enter Saturday with a perfect 7-0 record and No. 3 ranking. They beat Alabama earlier this month for the first time in 16 years. Plus, a trip to Athens next week looms large.

But first, Tennessee has to handle Kentucky. The No. 19 Wildcats are 5-2, also touting a top-25 ranking. While Hendon Hooker has emerged as a top name in the Heisman race, Will Levis has led Kentucky to a 15-4 mark the last two seasons.

The stakes are as high as they’ve been in recent memory. Will Kentucky knock off Tennessee’s Cinderella-style run? Or will the Vols setup a massive showdown with Georgia next week?

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

1. Hendon Hooker

On3 NIL Valuation: $1 million
Position: Quarterback
Per Post Value: $2,000
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 14

Hendon Hooker planted himself in the Heisman Conversation when helped Tennessee break its 15-game drought against Alabama earlier this month. It’s a night that is going to continue to be talked about this season. Cigar smoke wafting above the Tennessee River. The goal posts coming down. Hooker’s performance two weeks ago is the reason why the Vols are in control of its College Football Playoff berth. Hooker and Tennessee first have to play Kentucky in Neyland on Saturday night before looking ahead. The quarterback has been nearly perfect this season, completing 70.6% of his passes for 2,093 with 21 total touchdowns. He’s thrown just one interception, too. And he’s made sure to take his on-field success and capitalize in the NIL space. Hooker signed with Tennessee collective Spyre Sports in February, where he’s been set up with a substantial deal. His On3 NIL Valuation continues to rise, now sitting at $1 million. Kentucky’s pass defense is one of the better ones the Vols have seen up to this point in the year. Another big-time performance will only help Hooker in the Heisman race. The goal this week may just be to survived and advance, though.

2. Will Levis

On3 NIL Valuation: $765,000
Position: Quarterback
Per Post Value: $2,100
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 37

It’s hard to question the impact Will Levis has had on the Kentucky program. He has a combined win-loss record of 15-4 as the starting quarterback with the Wildcats, and he’s 5-1 as the starter this season. But this year has also come with some ups and downs. He missed the South Carolina game dealing with a foot injury, a game the Wildcats ultimately lost. Levis and Kentucky can play the upset role on Saturday in Knoxville. Levis has not seen his NFL draft stock drop, though. Many still seem him going in the first round, in large part to the pro-style system he’s already running at Kentucky. And his NIL value has not dropped. One of the major stars of NIL in Year One. He’s racked up endorsement deals with Ale-8-One soda, NOBULL, a golf course, car dealership, and even with a thoroughbred stallion. If he can orchestrate the upset over the Vols, there’s going to be plenty of NIL opportunities headed his way.

3. Jalin Hyatt

On3 NIL Valuation: $642,000
Position: Wide Receiver
Per Post Value: $1,500
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 33

The junior tallied six catches for 207 yards and five touchdowns against Alabama, becoming the first player since DeVonta Smith in 2019 to have 200 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns in a game. Since then, Jalin Hyatt has made sure to cash in on the moment. He signed with the The Volunteer Club, which is facilitated by Spyre Sports Group. As part of the agreement, Hyatt will receive the profits of all new memberships he drives to the Volunteer Club in the first month. And he will receive another 20% moving forward. In exchange, the wide receiver is sending out autographed pictures of himself. He is also involved in a co-licensed line of apparel that says “GIMME 5” through the apparel company BreakingT. All of that makes for the making of a very strong NIL brand. But it’s his Instagram following that has done the most work. Entering the game against the Tide, his Instagram had roughly 15,700 followers. He’s now added more than 59,000. Saturday’s another major opportunity for Hyatt to build his name recognition.

4. Chris Rodriguez

On3 NIL Valuation: $306,000
Position: Running Back
Per Post Value: $484
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 54

Chris Rodriguez entered the season with 2,739 career rushing yards, more than any other active SEC running back. And he had a real opportunity to top Benny Snell (3,873) for the all-time career rushing yard mark. But the team captain missed the full month of September after reports of an NCAA issue. He’s done everything he can in three games this season, racking up 395 yards to bring him to 3,134. Against Ole Miss this month, he carried the ball 31 times for 197 yards. There’s no question the impact he has on the Kentucky offense, and his matchup against the Tennessee front seven deserves attention Saturday. A big-time performance this weekend could see his On3 NIL Valuation jump back up to where it was this summer.

5. Cedric Tillman

On3 NIL Valuation: $254,000
Position: Wide Receiver
Per Post Value: $491
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 231

Cedric Tillman is making his return this weekend, and he announced it the only way a college football player can these days. The Tennessee wide receiver re-upped his NIL deal with the Moonshine Mountain Cookie Company. Serving as its “Cookie Monster” this season, if Tillman catches two touchdowns against Kentucky the Knoxville company will give out two cookies. His go-to cookie option is the Berry White.  One of the top returning receivers in the SEC this season, he had 1,081 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns a year ago. Tillman injured his ankle against Akron and was ruled out against Florida, LSU and Alabama. In only three games this season, the receiver has 17 catches for 246 yards and a touchdown. Defenses have already been worried about slowing down Tennessee’s passing attack, throwing Tillman in is only going to add to an offense that’s averaging 50.14 points per game.

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.