Olivia Dunne of Louisiana State University is a renowned gymnast who got an endorsement deal worth over $1 million. The NCAA gymnast had signed on with the activewear brand Vuori, which sells athletic clothing for both men and women. Already having received a full athletic scholarship back in 2020, she seems to be doing quite well for herself.
She is currently said to have about $3.5 million in NIL deals. Undoubtedly her huge social media following, of over 4 million followers on Instagram, had much to do with the endorsement. When speaking on the podcast Full Send, she indicated that she has made around a half-million dollars for a single post.
McKenzie Milton of Florida State University and D’Eriq King of Miami joined onto Dreamfield as its co-founders. The NIL platform focused on booking live events for student-athletes. Some of the events included meet-and-greets, autograph signings, and speaking engagements. Because, after all, an endorsement deal without fan engagement would be missing the point.
As part of the endorsement deal, the two quarterbacks could charge up to $2,000 per hour per event. The NIL deal totaled $20,000 and there was also a signing bonus on top of that. Furthermore, they even tried their hand in the NFT market as part of Dreamfield. Milton currently works as a coach and offensive analyst for the University of Tennessee. As for King, he coaches quarterbacks at Southern Methodist University.
Shedeur Sanders — son of Deion Sanders — became the first HBCU athlete to sign an endorsement deal with Gatorade when he was at Jackson State University. While the exact amount he received was not disclosed, with it being Gatorade, you’d have to assume that it was quite a bit, especially given that it was unprecedented. Gatorade is one of the biggest sports drink brands in the world.
Shedeur Sanders's total valuation is said to be around $1.4 million when you combine all of his endorsement deals. Shedeur Sanders also inked a deal with Mercedes-Benz, earning himself a 2022 electric EQB SUV worth over $50K. Later he purchased a Maybach with his own money, worth at least $200K. He now plays as quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes.
Bryce Young, once part of the Alabama Crimson Tide, struck a deal of over $800K by signing with Cash App. On top of that, the quarterback had an agreement with the trading card companies Leaf, Wild Card, and Onyx – before he even started playing! Young went on to win the Heisman Trophy and take Alabama to the national championship game.
Since his victory, the Heisman-winning quarterback has signed on with some pretty significant brands, including Jordan Brand, Bodyarmor, and Snickers. It's safe to say this kid is going places, as his net worth is already said to be around $3 million. He's proven successful, moving on to the NFL with the Carolina Panthers.
Quinn Ewers — currently playing for the Texas Longhorns — left high school a year early to jump at the opportunity of an endorsement deal with GT Sports Marketing. Upon enrolling at Ohio State, he signed with GT Sports in exchange for signing autographs. His NIL deal was said to be an impressive $1.4 million.
Quinn Ewers was the first ever amateur player to get this kind of deal, making his achievement one of the most impressive in sports history. He played as quarterback for Ohio State for only a year before transferring to Texas the following year.
Caleb Williams, a transfer quarterback from Oklahoma to USC, has signed several deals with a variety of companies, including Beats by Dre, Athletic Brewing Company, Fanatatics, and AT&T. Still, his most significant endorsement deal is said to be with Hawkins Way Capital. This real estate private equity firm manages over $2 billion in assets.
The endorsement with Hawkins Way Capital has helped skyrocket his current valuation to about $3 million. Of course, given that Hawkins Way Capital’s endorsement is a long-term agreement, it's safe to say that the company is Caleb Williams’s biggest supporter. We'll definitely be keeping an eye on this quaterback's career after graduation.
Nico Iamaleava was a high school college football player that signed a NIL endorsement deal that landed him a whopping $8 million. Up front, he would earn $350,000 from the deal and then receive escalating payments totaling $2 million per year. This makes Nico’s NIL deal the largest ever signed by a non-professional athlete.
The deal he made was with the Spyre Sports Group. Playing for the Tennessee Volunteers, he is one of the top players in his 2023 class. Currently, the athlete has just 169K followers on his Instagram, but that number is only going up as he continues to make a name for himself in the world of football.
Bronny James — son of legend LeBron James — is just finishing High School. But having LeBron James as a father and a ton of talent to go along with his namesake - comes with its perks. Already, Bronny James had received offers from numerous prestigious universities, including the University of Kentucky, the University of Michigan, and Ohio State University.
After committing to the University of Southern California, endorsement deals amounted to $6.4 million, including deals from Nike and Beats by Dre. Whether he can play as well as his papa remains to be seen, but considering his massive social media following (7.6M followers on Instagram), he probably won’t even have to. His net worth is $7.2 million in total.
Arch Manning of the University of Texas is another rising star with a big family name to live up to. If you’ve already guessed that he’s related to Super Bowl brothers Eli and Peyton Manning, you’d be correct. Arch is their nephew, and he's the grandson of former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning.
Arch has followed in his family’s footsteps, playing football for the University of Texas. As the number one recruit of his class, he has an NIL valuation of $3.7 million, which means a heck of a lot of endorsements for the next biggest thing in the world of football. Undoubtedly, we can expect to see him at the Super Bowl one day. His first NIL deal has brought in over $100K for charity.
Mikey Williams secured a huge endorsement deal with the popular Puma sportswear brand as part of the University of Memphis before transferring to UCF. The life-changing offer made him one of the first high school football players to have achieved a deal of that caliber. After graduating in 2023, he swiftly moved on to his college career.
Mikey Williams committed to the University of Memphis as a four-star recruit, playing under NBA legend Penny Hardaway. He had a $3.6 million valuation by On3 NIL. It seems clear that Williams is about to become one of the biggest names in college basketball, and we can’t wait to see what he does with UCF.
The University of Texas offensive linemen struck an endorsement deal that totaled $800,000 as part of a new NIL program called The Pancake Factory. The non-profit charity, Horns with Heart, based in Austin, Texas, donated the money to the 16 offensive linemen on the team as part of an annual scholarship.
Each of the 16 offensive linemen would receive $50,000 in addition to receiving money from the Clark Field Collective, meaning that every offensive lineman ended up making $150K per year! Funds for the sponsorship came from donors since the organization operates as a charitable one. It's just a good deal for everyone!
This isn't the biggest number, but it involves a lot of players. The University of Miami football team struck a deal with a South Floridian businessman that totaled $540,000. Dan Lambert offered the 90 players $500 monthly contracts in an effort to promote his business American Top Team – mixed martial arts training academies spread across the state.
Potentially, players could earn up to $6,000 per year just by promoting the martial arts academy on social media as well as making personal appearances. The endorsement deal was overseen by Lambert’s very own marketing company called "Bring Back The U." Who cares if none of these players are really martial artists or not?
Angel Reese of Louisiana State University is a forward in basketball. She earns $1.4 million a year from her NIL endorsement deals. After an excellent high school career and two years at the University of Maryland, she transferred to Louisiana State and made an even bigger name for herself.
The record-setting Angel Reese competed at the 2023 NCAA tournament, leading the Tigers to a championship victory. For her work on the court, she was named the Most Outstanding Player. And if her victories are any indication of her career going forward, we can expect many great things from her.
J.J. McCarthy of the University of Michigan is said to be earning $1.3 million in endorsements. The football player had over 30 endorsement offers but ended up committing to the Wolverines in 2019. By 2021, he debuted for the University of Michigan, playing a total of 11 games that year.
By his second season, he performed even better. He was chosen for the 2022 All-Big Ten conference after he led the Wolverines to the Fiesta Bowl, despite the fact that they lost. J.J. McCarthy’s endorsement deals include offers from Wolverine Boots, Topps trading cards, and Alo Yoga Apparel.
In an endorsement deal with Built Bar, all 136 Brigham Young football players of the University’s athletic program received up to $1,000 as brand ambassadors. In addition to helping scholarship players, the deal also assisted in paying tuition for walk-on players. The NIL deal amounted to $136,000 plus tuition.
Built Protein Bar later paid players an additional $600, a payment which founder Nick Greer said was “an extra 15% of the proceeds from sales of the CougarTail Puff bar.” To put this more in perspective, he clarified that more than 30% of CougarTail sales had been paid back to BYU and its players.
Drake Maye has a valuation of $1.5 million and significant support from his fans - 52.5K followers on Instagram! As a student of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Class of 2024, Drake Maye plays as a quarterback for the Tar Heels. He ranks among the top NIL players.
After graduating from Myers Park High School in North Carolina, he found much success in college. He has been named ACC Player of the Year, ACC Offensive Player of the Year, and ACC Rookie of the Year at Chapel Hill. In 2022, he threw 4,321 passing yards and made 38 touchdowns.
Travis Hunter was offered $1.5 million in endorsements as the cornerback and wide receiver for the University of Colorado. Following a highly successful high school career, Travis Hunter went on to play for Jackson State in his freshman year and ended up being named SWAC Freshman of the Year.
Despite having much success at Jackson State, he ended up transferring to follow his coach Deion Sanders, who took a coaching job with the Colorado Buffalos. The $1.5 million deal Travis Hunter was offered was to get him to transfer elsewhere, but thus far, Hunter remains loyal to his coach.
Paige Bueckers of UConn is a guard for the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team. After attending Hopkins High School in Minnesota, ESPN ranked her as the number one recruit. Moving on to UConn, also known as the University of Connecticut, she went on to earn multiple victories and titles.
In 2021, she signed a deal with Gatorade and Crocs (no word on whether she was forced to wear them), and many others, that have earned her around $1 million. In her junior year, Bueckers suffered an ACL injury, which she did not recover from until August 2023. Now cleared to return, we expect her to make a big comeback.
Class of 2023, Bo Nix of the University of Oregon is a quarterback for the Ducks. He is said to be earning $1.5 million in NIL endorsement deals, and he’s worked exceptionally hard to get that — after playing three years for the Auburn University Tigers before transferring to Oregon.
Bo Nix has landed deals with some of the biggest brands, including Bose, Fanatics, and Bojangles, making him one of the biggest names in college sports. No doubt we can expect to see him on the NFL draft list as he integrates into the professional world of sports. Good luck, Bo!
The Cavinder Twins, Haley and Hanna Cavinder, were said to pull in around $1.6 million, combined. Their first NIL was with Boost Mobile back in 2021. But thanks to their social media following of over 4 million on TikTok, they were also able to secure deals with companies like Victoria’s Secret, PINK, Champ Sports and Raising Cane’s.
Haley and Hanna Cavinder played for the Fresno State Bulldogs before transferring to the University of Miami. Many victories later, after the 2022 to 2023 season, the twins announced that they were ending their college basketball careers, (despite the fact that they were eligible for another year) due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They’ve since made their WWE debut.
Hansel Emmanuel played for Northwestern University's basketball team before transferring to Austin Peay, where his head coach Corey Gipson was hired. For many amputees, and really anyone, he is a source of inspiration since he can play Division 1 basketball with only one arm. Having lost his arm at the age of six, it never prevented him from pursuing his passion.
Hansel Emmanuel has a $1.5 million valuation on On3’s NIL list. But it’s not all about the money. He also has significant support from fans, with over 4 million followers on Instagram, earning their support through his flashy athleticism. Currently, the social media star has deals from big names like Gatorade and T-Mobile.
Sunisa Lee is easily one of the most decorated college athletes in the world. Not even out of college, Sunisa Lee has multiple Olympic medals that she won at the Tokyo Games, including a gold medal for All-Around, a silver for Team, and a bronze for Uneven bars. On top of that, she won a gold medal at the 2019 World Championships and a gold at the 2022 NCAA Champion in Fort Worth.
As a representative for the Auburn Tigers women's gymnastics team, she made a huge name for herself. Sunisa Lee has scored multiple endorsement deals from some of the biggest companies in the world, including Amazon, Gatorade, Target, Invisalign and CLIF Bar & Company – just to name a few. She has a net worth of $3 million. Among her accomplishments are Female Athlete of the Year by Sports Illustrated in 2021 and was included in Time 100's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State University, Class of 2025, is a wide receiver making about $1.4 million per year. And if his name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s the son of NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison. While it is not known which companies he has endorsements with, Grippo’s Chips is certainly one of them.
The company released a Hot Honey BBQ flavor in honor of the college football player. The chips are sold within the Ohio region, so they may not be available at your local grocery store – unless you live in Ohio. Nevertheless, it’s just a stepping stone to bigger and better things for this hot football player.
Zia Cooke became one of the highest-paid college basketball players as a guard and leading scorer for the University of South Carolina. With a following of over 227K followers on Instagram, her posts were said to be worth about $8,000 each, according to the publication Bloomberg. Good for her!
Her first deal had been with H&R Block, earning up to $1 million for female college athletes. Her college career with the South Carolina Gamecocks ended in 2023. Now playing at a professional level, Zia Cooke plays for the Los Angeles Sparks. We look forward to hearing more about her on the court and off!
Now that college players have lots of options for their NIL rights, many companies are attempting to swoop up as many sponsors as they can, and that includes Apple Beats. While they have worked with professional athlete sponsors in the past, they recently went on a hiring spree with notable college players.
At the end of August 2023, Apple Beats announced a list of 15 college athletes joining them as brand ambassadors. These players include Caleb Williams, Quinn Ewers, JJ McCarthy, Cade Klubnik, DJ Uiagalelei, Jalen Milroe, Jayden Daniels, Joe Milton III, Jordan Travis, Kool-Aid McKinstry, Malaki Starks, Michael Penix Jr., Nick Singleton, Sam Hartman, and Shedeur Sanders.
Jake Majors is an offensive lineman who plays for the Longhorns at the University of Texas Austin. Currently a senior at the school, Majors recently landed a huge endorsement deal from none other than Lamborghini themselves, who happen to have a notable dealership in the city of Austin.
The dealership themselves announced the partnership in an Instagram post from September of 2023. In addition to Majors, they have also scooped up several of his teammates in the deal as well. It's estimated that Majors' deal is worth upwards of $175,000, but specifics about the money are scarce.
Jaylan Ford is a linebacker for the Longhorns at the University of Texas in Austin. While his first few years with the team were a bit mediocre, he emerged as an important player for the team during his junior year and received several accolades from the Big 12 for his performance on the field.
Folks off the field have also been taking notice of Ford, which is probably why he was recently signed to a sponsorship deal with Lamborghini Austin, like several of his other fellow teammates. While their paychecks aren't public information, it's estimated that Ford's deal is worth at least $330 K.
John Rhys Plumlee has done a little bit of everything during his college athletics career. He originally began school at Ole Miss but has since transferred to the University of Central Florida in 2022. What's really surprising about this athlete is that he's played both football and baseball for these schools.
In August of 2023, Plumlee signed his fourth deal with a brand since the NIL rules took effect—this time with Pepsi. However, this deal wouldn't have gone through without a change to Florida law. Since UCF has Coca-Cola as a sponsor, this deal would have been impossible without the changes. It's estimated that this deal is worth at least $110,000.
Michael Penix Jr. got his start in college athletics at Indiana University in 2018; however, he made a transfer to the University of Washington in 2021, where he plays as a quarterback for the Huskies. Since the NCAA's changes to endorsement rules for college athletes, Penix has inked multiple deals.
Penix has recently inked deals with both Panini America and Simply Seattle. While these brands might not have the same name recognition as some other college athlete sponsors, these deals are nothing to scoff at, as their estimated value is expected to exceed more than $1 million. He currently plays for Oregon, and we'll keep a keen eye on him after graduation.
Jordan Whittington is currently a fifth-year wide receiver with the Longhorns at the University of Austin at Texas. Since the new NIL rules went into effect, Whittington has had several notable brand endorsements—and it seems like Whittington is using his newfound money and power for some really good causes.
Currently, Whittington has endorsement deals with both Reebok (which began in 2022) and Lamborghini Austin (which began in 2023). However, it was also recently announced that Whittington joined the Texas One Fund, which is an organization at UT Austin that helps student athletes make charitable donations with their NIL earnings. It's estimated that Whittington's deals are worth at least $216,000.
For Taulia Tagovailoa, college football is a family affair. The quarterback began his college career at the University of Alabama where he played backup for his brother, Tua Tagovailoa, who now plays for the Miami Dolphins in the NFL. Tagovailoa eventually transferred to the University of Maryland, where he will play his final season in 2023.
Since 2022, Tagovailoa has inked several deals with different companies, including Roots Natural Kitchen, Jersey Mikes, and Tempo College Park, an apartment complex in Maryland. All things considered, it's estimated that Tagovailoa is making at least $372,000 per year from these various endorsements, and we expect that even more will follow these three.
Zachariah Branch is a wide receiver for the University of Southern California Trojans, and, while he only signed with the team in early 2023, he's already making a splash in the world of college football with his seemingly superhuman speed on the field. It's no surprise that brands will do whatever it takes to work with him.
So far in his college career, Branch has inked deals with both Phillips Norelco and Panini America, which, unlike their name implies, is actually a business centered around sports cards and memorabilia and not paninis! These endorsement deals are expected to bring in as much as $688,000.
Cooper Beebe is a Kansas Native who has played offensive tackle for the Kansas State University Wildcats since 2019. During his time with the team, he became a starter during the 2021 season and was named to the Big 12 Conference's first team. With more seasons ahead of him, we imagine that his accolades will continue to grow.
At the end of August 2023, it was announced that Cooper Beebe had signed a deal with Long McArthur Luxury — a high-end dealership in the Manhattan, KS area. According to the press release from the company, Beebe will star in commercials and other advertisements for the company. It's estimated that this deal is worth $433,000.
Sam Hartman is a college quarterback who has played for multiple teams during his career. He began college in 2018 at Wake Forest where he was offered the starting position his Freshman year. In 2023, he announced he was transferring to Notre Dame and made his first appearance for the Fighting Irish in August of 2023.
August 2023 was a great month for Hartman for multiple reasons, including the announcement of endorsement deals from multiple companies. These included Under Armour, Beats by Dre, and Mizzen + Main, a high-end clothing company that describes itself as "True Athletic Fit Menswear." It's estimated that the deals will bring in as much as $900,000.
Even if he wasn't a college athlete, chances are that General Booty would still draw a fair amount of attention for that name alone since he's the nephew of John David Booty! The General currently plays as a quarterback for the Oklahoma University Sooner, but he got his start in college football at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, TX, before transferring to the Oklahoma Sooners as quarterback.
In what's probably the most clever NIL deal to date, it was recently announced that General Booty would be releasing a line of boxer briefs with the sock brand Rock 'Em Socks. While it might not be the most lucrative deal—it's estimated to be worth $116,000—it's definitely one of the most memorable we've seen!
Nolan Hickman is a point guard who has played for the Gonzaga Bulldogs since he started college in 2021. However, the basketball player is clearly in high demand, as he turned down offers from both Auburn University and the University of Kansas Jayhawks to play for Gonzaga.
At the end of August 2023, Hickman made headlines when it was announced that he would be signing on to the Klutch Sports Group, a sports agency that's most well-known for representing NFL and NBA stars—and which was founded with a little help from LeBron James. It's estimated that this deal will be worth at least $100k.
Raheim Sanders has been a running back for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks since joining the team in 2021. While not a starter in his first season, he did play every game that year, and he returned to the team in 2022 as a starting running back. During his time with the team, he's had a total of 12 touchdowns.
In February of 2023, Sanders turned heads with something of an unusual endorsement deal for college athletes—Huggies diapers. However, considering that Sanders has a young son himself, this is one partnership that actually fits really well. In August of 2023, Sanders also signed a deal with ZIPS Car Wash, and it's estimated that these two endorsements will bring him in at least $513,000.
Jackson Shelstad is currently a point guard for the University of Oregon Ducks who joined the team in 2022. Despite receiving another offer from the University of Kansas Jayhawks, Shelstad decided to keep things local and stay in Oregon for college. It hasn't seemed to hurt his endorsement prospects any!
In August of 2023, it was announced that Shelstad would be signing with the Klutch Sports Group—a sports talent agency that built its reputation representing some big names in the NFL and the NBA. It's estimated that this deal could bring in as much as $100k for Shelstad annually.
Drew Allar joined the Penn State Nittany Lions in 2022 as a quarterback. While not a starter, Allar played in several games during his freshman season and racked up 35 completed passes and 344 yards. He's still got several seasons to go in his college career, and we imagine that things will only get better for the QB.
However, when it comes to endorsement deals, Allar is already doing great. Since July of 2023, Allar has already signed with three companies, including Frosted Flakes, Bose, and the clothing company Kiwiclo. These deals combined are estimated to bring in more than $500k for the rising quarterback, which is nothing to scoff at!
Damieon George Jr. began his college football career in 2020 at the University of Alabama as an offensive tackle, but he transferred to the University of Florida in the spring of 2023 and made his debut on the field for the Gators in August. Time will only tell how his first season with the team will play out.
In August of 2023, George joined Florida Victorious, which describes itself as the "lead NIL entity of Gator Nation." The organization helps pair student athletes with local businesses and charities, and it's estimated that George could bring in as much as $84,000 for this partnership.
