5 collegiate athletes with highest NIL valuation including Bronny James' $5,900,000-worth deals

In the realm of collegiate sports, NIL valuation—also known as Name, Image, and Likeness valuation—is a relatively new concept. It calculates the worth in money of a sports player's name, likeness, and image.

This is typically based on elements like a player's accomplishments in their particular sport, level of recognition and popularity, and number of followers on different social media sites. It serves as a benchmark for an athlete's popularity, performance, and fan base.

Bronny James holds a $5.9M On3 NIL valuation (via Instagram)

Top College Athletes with High NIL Valuation

1. Bronny James - $5.9M

According to the premier college sports and recruiting digital media company, On3, Bronny James holds the number one spot on NIL Valuation with a staggering $5.9 million, the most in Collegiate Athletics.

Bronny James, USC Trojans guard and son of Los Angeles Lakers Star LeBron James has made a name for himself in basketball. He averaged 13.8 points/game, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.8 steals in his senior year’s regular season. His impressive performance and strong social media presence, with 7.6 million followers on Instagram, have contributed to his high NIL valuation.

2. Shedeur Sanders - $4.8M

The Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders has established himself as one of the flashy college football athletes. He has amassed 2,420 passing yards and 21 touchdowns in 2023.

He was a standout quarterback at Jackson State before coming to Colorado. His remarkable abilities and devoted following have contributed significantly to his considerable net worth. Sanders has a large following on Instagram, with over 1.7 million users, demonstrating his strong social media presence.

3. Livvy Dunne - $3.2M

Livvy Dunne, the artistic gymnast for the LSU Tigers, has achieved remarkable feat in her career and developed a significant following on social media. She has been named an All-American on the bars and owns a career-high score of 9.925 in the discipline.

Her exceptional performance in gymnastics and her popularity on social media with a combined fan base of 12.5 million (across Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok) have significantly contributed to her high NIL valuation.

4. Arch Manning - $2.8M

Arch Manning, the quarterback for the Texas Longhorns, started as the starting quarterback for the varsity team his freshman year of high school, helping Newman win by a score of 26 points.

With 2,407 yards and 34 touchdowns at the end of his rookie campaign, he was named MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year. Manning has more than 274,000 total social media followers across all of his platforms which places him at number four with an astounding value of $2.8 million NIL valuation.

5. Caleb Williams - $2.7M

Caleb Williams, the quarterback for the USC Trojans, won several Player of the Year awards in 2022, including the Heisman Trophy, after throwing for 4,537 yards with a school-record 52 total touchdowns.

His remarkable achievements on the field and his popularity among fans have resulted in his high NIL valuation. In addition to his on-field accomplishments, Williams has a significant social media following. He has 183,000 followers on Instagram, 73,000 on Twitter, and 21,000 on TikTok.