Bronny James and Shedeur Sanders are leading the rankings for name, image and likeness deals. A 2021 NCAA policy allowed student-athletes to sign brand deals and receive compensation.
James, who recently joined the University of Southern California and the Trojans, the institution’s basketball team, leads the pack with a NIL valuation of $6.1 million, according to On3. The 18-year-old has stepped into his father Lebron James’ footsteps by signing deals with Nike and Beats by Dre.
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Nike recently released Bronny’s first official USC gear. The item sold out as the college basketball star has yet to play his first game for the Trojans. He has been recovering from cardiac arrest during practice in July. He was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.
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Sanders, a quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes, is the second student-athlete with the highest NIL valuation. He is at the top of college football with a valuation of $4.1 million, according to On3. That number jumped from $2.5 million after Sanders helped his teammates win against Texas Christian University Horned Frogs at the start of the season.
The 21-year-old was the first athlete from an HBCU to sign a multi-year deal with Gatorade, according to Afrotech.
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Sanders was also the youngest ambassador for Beats by Dre when he signed a deal with the company at 19 years old. In 2022, he became an ambassador for Tom Brady’s BRADY Brand.
“Shedeur Sanders embodies everything we look for in a BRADY™ athlete. His character and values align perfectly with our brand. Not only is he an exceptional football player and quarterback but he is one of the most influential players of his generation” – @TomBrady pic.twitter.com/LYJ78zQ2AY
— BRADY (@bradybrand) October 13, 2022
The NIL top 5 ranking also includes LSU gymnastics’ Livvy Dunne with a valuation of $3.2M, Texas Longhorns’ Arch Manning with a valuation of $2.9M and USC Trojans’ football player Caleb Williams at $2.6M.
