Williams Nwaneri, Dakorien Moore see spike in On3 NIL Valuations following commits

Five-Star Plus+ defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri showed the power of NIL state laws on Monday.

The No. 3 overall prospect in the nation committed to Mizzou live on ESPN2, making the decision to stay home to play his college football. The state’s recently enacted NIL law put him at an advantage. Once the defensive lineman signs a financial aid agreement, which he can do as early as Sept. 1., he can begin earning NIL dollars.

Missouri already allows high schoolers to enter into NIL deals, but the new Missouri state law gives in-state schools a four to nine-month headstart over other programs where a recruit can’t begin receiving NIL money until they enroll at the university.

While he begins working on NIL deals, he saw a significant jump in his On3 NIL Valuation. The increase in On3 NIL Valuations comes from the major school brands now associated with the recruits. Playing for a preeminent program guarantees eyeballs will be on the athlete and signifies just how talented the prospect is. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index and sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes.

Here’s a look at five recruits who saw their valuations jump this week following their commitment:

Dakorien Moore – LSU

Position: Wide Receiver
On3 NIL Valuation: $214,000
Increase over last week: $38,000
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 10

On Saturday, just 48 hours removed from four-star running back Caden Durham announcing his commitment to LSU, his Duncanville teammate Dakorien Moore followed suit and pledged to the Tigers. It was a crucial two days for LSU. A five-star and the No. 2 wide receiver prospect on the On3 Industry Rankings or the 2025 recruiting cycle, Moore had 44 receptions for 764 yards and six touchdowns last season. He averaged 17.4 yards per catch for the Texas 6A D-I state champions. While he can’t sign NIL agreements as a high school athlete in Texas, he has nearly 40,000 social media followers.

“I liked just the vibes and energy from the coaches,” Moore told The Bengal Tiger staff. “It’s a cool place, to play ball and to just live around. They have always been at the top for me. It’s just WRU. You’re wrong if you didn’t have LSU at the top as a wideout.”

Williams Nwaneri – Mizzou

Position: Defensive Line
On3 NIL Valuation: $386,000
Increase over last week: $22,000
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 3

During times in his recruitment, Tennessee, Georgia and Oklahoma all appeared as favorites to land Williams Nwaneri. But the Five-Star Plus+ defensive lineman stayed home, picking Mizzou on Monday afternoon. The nation’s third-overall recruit has racked up 99 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, 31 hurries and 17 tackles for a loss over his sophomore and junior seasons. NIL played a factor in his decision. Once the defensive lineman signs a financial aid agreement, which he can do as early as Sept. 1., he can begin earning NIL dollars. Missouri already allows high schoolers to enter into NIL deals. The new Missouri state law gives in-state schools a four to nine-month headstart over other programs where a recruit can’t begin receiving NIL money until they enroll at the university.

There’s no doubt he has the brand to begin working on NIL deals. Nwaneri has more than 17,000 followers and made his commitment live on ESPN2.

Caden Durham – LSU

Position: Running Back
On3 NIL Valuation: $119,000
Increase over last week: $20,000
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 105

The first domino to fall for LSU last week was four-star running back Caden Durham. The No. 8-ranked running back in his class picked the Tigers over Oklahoma and Texas A&M. The 5-foot-10, 200-pound tailback was originally set to make his college commitment on Aug. 25, but that changed after he spent time in Baton Rouge this summer. The Sooners legacy made two visits to LSU in as many months this summer and became the Tigers’ top priority target at the running back position for associate head coach Frank Wilson. Durham carried the ball for 1,960 yards and 36 touchdowns for Duncanville in 2022 en route to a 6A state title. Averaging 9.33 yards per carry, he clocked personal best times in track this spring with a 10.25-second 100-meter dash and a 21.12-second 200-meter dash.

Wardell Mack – Florida

Position: Cornerback
On3 NIL Valuation: $128,000
Increase over last week: $18,900
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 72

The nation’s No. 19 overall prospect according to On3, Wardell Mack announced his commitment to Florida on Monday. It’s another major pickup for Billy Napier and the Gators. The No. 22 commit to Florida in the 2024 cycle, Florida now ranks No. 3 in the On3 Industry team recruiting rankings. As a native of Marreo, Louisiana, Mack can execute NIL deals as a high school athlete. On3’s Director of Scouting Charles Power has been impressed with the cornerback’s ability to stick with receivers by his length and movement skills.

“Just having a sit down with coach Corey (Raymond) and his work through the years,” Mack told On3’s Hayes Fawcett about the decision. “Also, having Louisiana native coaches puts a plus on everything. Coach Armstrong made it clear that I’m a great player that he wants on his defense, and feels as though I’m savvy enough to play corner and nickel in the defense. 

Jeremiah McClellan – Ohio State

Position: Wide Receiver
On3 NIL Valuation: $130,000
Increase over last week: $17,800
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 91

Another top-ranked prospect from the state of Missouri, Jeremiah McClellan opted to join the deep wide receiver room at Ohio State. His commitment marks the third top-100 wideout to join the Buckeyes 2024 class, joining five-stars Jeremiah Smith and Mylan Graham. Similar to many top receivers in the nation, the No. 91 overall prospect was drawn to Columbus by offensive coordinator and wide receiver coach Brian Hartline. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound wideout has the skill set, physical makeup and mental capacity to line up inside for the Buckeyes. And headed into his final year of high school football at Christian Brothers College, he can profit off his NIL.

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 and exposure.

About On3 NIL Valuation, Brand Value, Roster Value

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 accounts for an athlete’s roster value and brand value. Roster value is the value an athlete has by being a member of his or her team at his or her school, which factors into the role of NIL collectives. Brand value factors in an athlete’s personal brand and the value it could bring to regional and national brands outside of the scope of NIL collectives.