Mississippi State's Will Rogers raises $74,000 for Make-A-Wish through NIL deal

Will Rogers has the platform to easily monetize his NIL.

As the starting quarterback at Mississippi State, he is one of the most recognized athletes in the state. SEC quarterbacks have been some of the most successful players in the new NIL Era, too. And by no means has Rogers had any problems finding marketing opportunities

But even with his success on and off the field, he made sure to use his brand to give back to Mississippi. At the start of the season, Simmons Erosion Control pledged to donate $1,000 to Make-A-Wish for every touchdown pass Rogers threw this season.

The junior finished the regular season passing for 34 touchdowns, raising $34,000 for the nonprofit. The total amount donated to Make-A-Wish ballooned to $74,713 thanks to $40,000 in private donations.

Ultimately, the cash raised will help Make-A-Wish Mississippi grant wishes to 12 kids. The nonprofit typically grants 115 wishes annually.

“I was playing football for much more than myself,” Rogers told local TV station WCBI. “It just kind of adds an extra strain of motivation to play harder. Ultimately, the more touchdowns thrown the more kids wishes get granted.”

Rogers partnered with Moe’s Original BBQ in Starkville this season, treating his linemen to pregame meals every Thursday night in exchange for his sponsorship of the restaurant. 

He also was one of the first college athletes to join Tim Tebow’s company CAMPUS, where Rogers has his club titled the “Cowboy Club.” Annual memberships start at $99. The quarterback has been successful on the field, too, passing for 3,713 yards with only six interceptions with a 68.2 completion percentage.

Mississippi State is set to play Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa on New Year’s Day. Rogers has yet to announce if he plans to enter the 2023 NFL Draft.

Will Rogers’ On3 NIL Valuation

The Mississippi State quarterback currently holds an On3 NIL Valuation of $364,000. His evaluation ranks in the top 100 college football NIL rankings.

Rogers has built a solid social media following, which sits north of 45,000. He has a per-post projection of $1,200.

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 and 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.