Top five On3 NIL Valuations in Tennessee, Georgia matchup

Georgia and Tennessee have each made it to Week 10 undefeated and touting a top-five College Football Playoff ranking.

The Vols have been the story of the college football season, knocking off Alabama and picking up victories over five ranked teams. They debuted at No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff release Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, Georgia has stayed perfect. The Bulldogs have not lost a game since Dec. 4, 2021, in the SEC Championship Game. They’re currently rumbling along on a 10-game win streak. But they will also face the top offense in the SEC on Saturday.

There’s been plenty of NIL success on both sides, too. Hendon Hooker had a major week, signing three deals. And Brock Bowers and Stetson Bennett have not disappointed, either.

Something has got to give. Will Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs be in Atlanta come December? Or will Tennessee’s fairytale season last longer? That’s what is on the line Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET in Athens.

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

1. Brock Bowers

On3 NIL Valuation: $1.1 million
Position: Tight End
Per Post Value: $1,700
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 11

It’s an easy argument to make that Brock Bowers may be the most complete football player on the field Saturday. The Georgia tight end has shown this season he can help the Bulldogs win in every facet of the offensive game. He has 31 catches for 547 yards along with three touchdowns this season. And in a few instances, he’s shown off what he can do in the running game. On just three carries he has 82 yards and three touchdowns. It won’t be a surprise if Georgia turns to him again in the running game Saturday. All of it has led to a strong NIL portfolio. Most recently, he inked a deal with Morgan & Morgan. A three-month agreement, he’ll be featured on billboards in Athens, Atlanta, Savannah and throughout Georgia. The contract with the law firm also calls for a social media component for the sophomore. Bennett has seen major growth in his On3 NIL Valuation, which now sits at $1.1 million and in the top 20 of the On3 NIL 100.

2. Hendon Hooker

On3 NIL Valuation: $1 million
Position: Quarterback
Per Post Value: $2,100
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 6

Hendon Hooker has been building towards this. But this week marked the first time the Tennessee quarterback’s Heisman campaign made a noticeable impact on his saw his NIL opportunties. On Tuesday, Hooker had inked a partnership with Mercedes-Benz of Knoxville. He signed a lease for a Mercedes-Benz GLE 53. He also promoted a new partnership with Mark Wahlberg’s brand, MUNICIPAL, which calls itself a sport utility company. And on Friday, he signed an endorsement deal with French’s Mustard — and ode to the bottle that landed on the field last year against Ole Miss. As part of the deal, French’s has commissioned a pair of mustard-inspired Nike Air Force 1s. Hooker will also push out content for the yellow mustard on his social media platforms. It’s all just more evidence that the Heisman is his to lose. He’s been nearly perfect on the field this season, completing 71.2% of his passes for 2,338 with 25 total touchdowns. He’s thrown just one interception, too. A win against Georgia on Saturday may just seal that Heisman campaign.

3. Stetson Bennett

On3 NIL Valuation: $909,000
Position: Quarterback
Per Post Value: $2,900
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 86

The Georgia quarterback had a strong start to the season, but the Bulldogs offense has had a few hiccups. Stetson Bennett and his offense struggled against Mizzou, only escaping with a 26-22 victory. And while his 2,349 passing yards rank in the top 15 in college football, he’s thrown just nine touchdowns along with three interceptions. A win against Tennessee could quiet any doubt about Georgia. Bennett has not had any problems finding NIL opportunities this year. He added Fanatics, Georgia Power, AARP and Synovus Bank to his list of partnerships before the start of the season. And Stetson Bennett added another in early October, signing with Shuman Farms. Combined, the deals are nearing the combined seven-figure threshold.

4. Jalin Hyatt

On3 NIL Valuation: $755,000
Position: Wide Receiver
Per Post Value: $1,600
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 15

What Jalin Hyatt has done on the field is remarkable. The junior wide receiver was going to be a big part of the Vols offense this season. But when Cedric Tillman went down against Akron, he quickly took a larger role. His performance against Alabama — five touchdown catches — is going into Vols lore. In eight games this season, Hyatt has 45 catches for 907 yards and 14 touchdowns. What his on-field performance has meant for his NIL is even more noteworthy. Entering the showdown against the Tide, he had 15,700 Instagram followers. He’s now added 73,000 followers. In the new world of Name, Image and Likeness, social media followers equal dollar signs. Social media activations took up 52.6% of all NIL deals done on Opendorse through September. Athletes are viewed as social media influencers, and Hyatt now has a following to show for it. His profile on the field and in NIL is only going to continue to grow.

5. Christopher Smith

On3 NIL Valuation: 
Position: Safety
Per Post Value: $667
On3 Impact 300 ranking: No. 21

Georgia defensive back Christopher Smith had a monster start to the season, earning SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors against Oregon. He finished the game with six tackles including a tackle for loss and an interception. He’s continued to build on that performance. Against Vanderbilt, he had two fumble recoveries. He tied his season-high six total tackles last week against Florida, too. One of which was a sack. Smith will play a crucial role Saturday if Georgia can slow down this Tennessee passing game. His on-field performance and NFL potential are two key reasons why his On3 NIL Valuation have continued to grow this season. He’s been fairly selective with which NIL deals he’s opted to sign. The only deal Smith has advertised on his social media accounts so far is an NFT partnership with The Players’ Lounge.

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.