As the 2025–26 college football season nears, the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) era continues to reshape the landscape of college athletics. What once revolved solely around stats and trophies has evolved into a high-stakes marketing game, where branding, influence, and media presence are often just as valuable as on-field performance. Names like Shedeur Sanders, Bronny James, and Livvy Dunne have shown just how powerful a personal brand can be in today’s college sports ecosystem.

Now, with a new academic year on the horizon, a fresh wave of football stars is rising to the top of the NIL charts. From household names with massive social media followings to elite prospects poised for breakout seasons, these athletes are commanding serious value — both on and off the field. Here’s a look at the top 20 college football players with the highest NIL valuations entering the 2025–26 season.

1. Texas QB Arch Manning ($6.8 million)
2. Miami (Fla.) QB Carson Beck ($4.3 million)
3. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith ($4.2 million)
4. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier ($3.7 million)
5. South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers ($3.7 million)
6. Florida QB DJ Lagway ($3.7 million)
7. Clemson QB Cade Klubnik ($3.4 million)
8. Penn State QB Drew Allar ($3.1 million)
9. Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt ($3.1 million)
10. Michigan QB Bryce Underwood ($3 million)
11. Duke QB Darian Mensah ($2.8 million)
12. Oklahoma QB John Mateer ($2.7 million)
13. Alabama WR Ryan Williams ($2.7 million)
14. TCU QB Josh Hoover ($2.4 million)
15. Ohio State S Caleb Downs ($2.4 million)
16. North Carolina State QB CJ Bailey ($2.3 million)
17. Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola ($2.3 million)
18. Arkansas QB Taylen Green ($2.1 million)
19. UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava ($2 million)
20. Auburn QB Jackson Arnold ($2 million)

NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com

Under the current NIL-driven system, the Miami Hurricanes have done pretty well for themselves. Despite being in the ACC, the football program has remained reasonably competitive at least when they actually play defense and Miami basketball has a pair of deep runs in the NCAA tournament in recent years. Now, the recent NCAA compensation settlement has fundamentally changed the college sports landscape forever (again).

The details and short-term impacts of the settlement already seem pretty well known. All NIL deals over $600 after July 1 are now subject to oversight to ensure that they are for a “valid business purpose” and not just pay-to-play and each school can distribute up to $20.5 million to student-athletes as compensation.

However, what has yet to be understood is how this new system will really impact existing NIL deals and if the new oversight will actually limit spending from alumni/boosters the way everyone seems to want.

Hurricanes’ strategy of targeting top recruits with big dollars hangs in the balance after NCAA settlement

Under the terms of the settlement, any NIL deals paid out after July 1, 2025 will be subject to oversight to determine if they are legitimate payments or not. That seems fairly simple, but the impact on existing, but yet-to-be-paid deals for guys like top Canes recruit Jackson Cantwell who command large NIL paydays under the current system is trickier. The payments to Cantwell will obviously be regulated as he is a 2026 recruit, but does the $20.5 million cap on payments from the school change the calculus on Miami’s end and threaten to get Cantwell’s NIL deal voided because it isn’t “legitimate” depending on where the money is coming from?

This raises another fundamental issue for Miami and schools like them: the NIL oversight provisions themselves. Who exactly is going to be determining whether a deal is legitimate and will those judges change from case to case? Are power conferences going to get preferential treatment because their brands are already bigger and therefore more “legitimately valuable” when it comes to assessing marketing deals? How strict are these NIL overlords actually going to be?

We don’t have the answers to many of these questions yet and it could be a while before we do. The transfer portal is the Wild West right now as guys try to move around and get deals paid before the July 1 deadline. Once the dust settles and we start to see how this system actually operates, the Hurricanes may find that this “creating a level playing field” could end up costing them overall.

More Hurricanes News from Canes Warning

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(Photo by Zac BonDurant/Getty Images)

Day One of Super Regionals is in the books and Friday reminded us of what makes June so captivating.

Some national seeds flexed. A mid-majors proved, again, that it belong on this stage. A heavyweight showdown in Corvallis gave us a wild comeback and one of the postseason’s best moments so far. And while the baseball world buzzed, the entire landscape of college athletics shifted in a way that’s going to impact the sport for years to come.

We’ll dive into all of it here—the upsets, statement wins, stars of the day and what Friday’s off-the-field news means for the future of college baseball.

North Carolina Opens with Statement Win

Every postseason bracket delivers a dose of cruelty—whether through brutal travel, unfavorable matchups or bad timing against a red-hot opponent. Few teams drew a tougher hand this year than Arizona, which opened super regionals thousands of miles from home in front of a frenzied North Carolina crowd and against a Tar Heel team that could go all the way.

The matchup looked daunting on paper and proved even more so on the field. 

The Tar Heels unloaded on the Wildcats for an emphatic 18-2 win in Friday’s opener, making clear they have no intention of missing their shot at Omaha.

This is as complete a team as remains in the field. Every North Carolina starter reached base in the rout, with eight collecting hits and four launching home runs. On the mound, righthander Jake Knapp continued his dominant postseason run, matching a school record with his 14th win, a mark that had stood since 1978. 

With a rested and effective bullpen and an offense now fully firing after entering the tournament with some lingering questions, North Carolina suddenly looks like a national title threat.

With two chances to close the series, the Tar Heels will aim for an encore on Saturday and a return trip to college baseball’s biggest stage.

Coastal Continues Winning Streak to Open Supers

Friday’s opening slate didn’t deliver much in the way of true upsets. North Carolina’s blowout win went to script, and while Florida State fell to a talented Oregon State club, that result was well within expectation. If any outcome bordered on surprise, it was Coastal Carolina knocking off Auburn—though in truth, this was no upset at all.

In Baseball America’s view, the Chanticleers are simply performing to their standard. 

Coastal has looked like an Omaha-caliber team for weeks, and Friday’s 7-6, extra-innings victory only underscored that. Coastal jumped out to an early lead but had to weather Auburn’s surge, as the Tigers erased a five-run deficit to force extras. There, Blake Barthol’s pair of spectacular defensive plays at second base and a catcher Caleb Bodine’s second solo home run of the game sealed it.

The Chants entered the postseason with the nation’s premier pitching staff, a unit capable of shutting down any lineup in the country. What was less certain was whether their offense would consistently match that level and that question looks answered now. 

As we noted back in April, if Coastal could pair its elite arms with steady run production, it had the ingredients to contend for a title. One win from Omaha, it’s all coming together.

Don’t Doubt the Beavers

Oregon State hasn’t clinched a College World Series berth just yet—two losses in the next two days would still end its run—but after Friday night’s comeback, I’m ready to eat some crow.

Before the postseason, I questioned whether Oregon State had the résumé to warrant a top-eight national seed. I had Coastal Carolina pegged for that No. 8 spot and picked the Beavers comfortably as a host, but not much more. Then they powered through their regional, and despite that, I still picked Florida State to win the Corvallis Super.

Clearly, doubting this Oregon State team is a mistake.

For most of Game 1, it looked like Florida State would prove me right. 

Joey Volini spun 6.2 strong innings, allowing one run with eight strikeouts, and Joe Charles dominated in relief—until he didn’t. Needing one final out in the ninth, Charles gave up three runs, capped by a clutch, two-strike, two-out game-tying single from Jacob Krieg. Oregon State walked it off in the 10th.

There’s no other way to say it: this Beavers team is gritty, talented and hard to kill. Friday night proved as much. They’ve earned full respect—and could be Omaha-bound very soon.

Louisville Secures Pivotal Game 1 Win, Miami Saves Ace

Louisville left little doubt in Friday’s Super Regional opener, dispatching Miami 8-1 in a game that turned lopsided after a brief early battle. The Hurricanes trimmed the lead to 2-1 in the top of the third, but from there, the Cardinals took full control, clicking in all phases and never letting up.

Jake Munroe was the offensive star, launching two home runs and driving in five runs to pace the lineup. On the mound, Patrick Forbes was reasonably sharp, striking out nine over 5.2 innings to set the tone. 

It was as balanced and businesslike a performance as Louisville could have asked for, putting it one win from Omaha.

Now, all eyes turn to how Miami responds. Despite the lopsided result, this isn’t a mismatch on paper and the Hurricanes made a strategic choice that could loom large. By holding ace Griffin Hugus for Saturday’s elimination game, Miami preserved its best arm for when it matters most. The gamble didn’t flip Game 1, but it gives the Hurricanes a fighting chance to extend the series.

It’s also a fascinating case study in modern postseason pitching strategy, which we explored in more depth here.

Player of the Day

There were several worthy candidates for Friday’s top individual honor. Blake Barthol nearly earned it after a pair of jaw-dropping defensive plays, including a game-ending double play that sealed Coastal Carolina’s extra-innings win. Jake Knapp was in the conversation too—his ability to pitch deep into games is gold this late in the postseason, and he delivered again in North Carolina’s blowout victory.

But in the end, Jacob Krieg takes the crown. No player provided a bigger, more dramatic moment than the one Krieg produced in Corvallis.

Here’s the scene: Oregon State trailed Florida State 4-1 entering the bottom of the ninth. A bases-loaded wild pitch trimmed the gap to two. Then, with runners on second and third and two outs, Krieg—the Beavers’ nine-hole hitter—worked the count to 2-2 then lined the ball to left, driving in both runs to tie the game and ignite the home crowd. The Beavers would walk it off an inning later.

Krieg finished 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI, but it’s that ninth-inning swing that earns him this honor. On a night with limited drama, no moment loomed larger.

Big News For College Sports

Let’s zoom out for a minute to close, because the scope of this last topic is massive: college athletics changed forever last night.

While we were all locked into baseball, Judge Claudia Wilken of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California officially approved the landmark $2.8 billion House vs. NCAA settlement.

So what does that actually mean?

In short, schools can now start paying athletes directly through a new revenue-sharing model. Most power-conference schools will divide up about $20.8 million a year, with the majority earmarked for football. But how that money gets allocated is up to each school.

On top of that, NIL deals are still allowed—and likely still necessary for schools that want to go above and beyond. But there’s a new wrinkle: any NIL deal worth more than $600 now has to be reviewed and approved by the new College Sports Commission, led by former MLB exec Bryan Seeley. And here’s a key date—any new NIL deals signed after midnight on June 7 will fall under that review process, which is rumored to be more unkind to booster-driven contracts compared to sponsorship-type deals with companies.

For baseball specifically, the impact is huge. 

The sport’s outdated 11.7 scholarship limit will phase out, with teams soon able to fund up to 34 full scholarships. Most power programs are expected to start in the 22-plus range and build from there.

It’ll take time for all of this to fully kick in. But make no mistake—college sports will never be the same.

All-American pitcher Sydney Berzon is staying in the SEC for her final season. The former LSU righty announced her commitment to Oklahoma.

Berzon was a back-to-back NFCA All-American her first two seasons in Baton Rouge, but was one of the best in 2024. She had a 20-9 record and four saves along with a 1.78 ERA over 204 innings. Berzon threw a career-low 139.1 innings and 2.46 ERA has she battled through injuries. The rising senior relies on a heavy dropball.

For more transfer portal news, stay up to date with the Softball America transfer wire and the Dugout, our discussion board for members.

More from Softball America:
2027 Pitcher Recruiting Rankings
2027 Catcher Recruiting Rankings
2027 Middle Infield Rankings

Shortly after his Texas Tech softball team lost to Texas 10-4 in game three of the championship series of the 2025 Women’s College World Series, Gerry Glasco was asked about a familiar subject.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel broke down the latest with the NCAA House Settlement following an agreement this week. Most would want to know with a new allotment of money per school, if it would finally level the playing field around college athletics.

This is especially questioned in football where it’s the big boys and everyone else. Not necessarily a sport for underdogs, mostly, at the collegiate level.

Now that the House Settlement has passed, to the tune of nearly $3 billion, Thamel explained how this is going to work exactly. But it won’t stop the big boys from being the big boys.

“That’s a fascinating question, and there are so many variables between what’s being structured and what’s going to actually happen that I’m hesitant to predict an ideal situation,” Thamel said on SportsCenter. “I think the reality for a lot of this is the schools, the big box brands, the ones whose logos you recognize, have always had a competitive advantage for those brands, and how the NIL system is going to be set up, meaning schools can give $20.5 million for their athletes. 

“So in theory, that is going to be evenly spread. But where the competitive advantages go, they used to be about grey areas are now going to be how much outside NIL is going to be available to those athletes.”

With this House Settlement, schools can now directly pay athletes. Prior to this, the NCAA never did nor allowed payments directly to athletes over the last century-plus. As you can see, things have drastically changed in the era of NIL and the transfer portal.

Beginning July 1, schools will be able to share $20.5 million with athletes, with football expected to receive 75%, followed by men’s basketball (15%), women’s basketball (5%) and the remainder of sports (5%),’ as On3’s Pete Nakos pointed out. The amount shared in revenue will increase annually due to this House Settlement.

“You’re not supposed to promise it up front, but look, Texas is going to have more outside NIL available than Louisiana-Monroe as it goes,” Thamel said. “So how those deals are accepted through this NIL clearing house, look, they named a CEO of the College Sports Commission last night, like by midnight, there were a flurry of tweets, and it was like, ‘Hi, I’m your new commission, and this is your new commissioner, and we’re going to run college sports now.’ 

“The old NCAA enforcement model as we knew it is primarily dead. NCAA enforcement still exists for academic cases and fairness of the game cases, as the (Connor) Stalions case in Indianapolis this weekend is going on, but there is a whole new sheriff in town. His name is Brian Seeley, and he comes over for Major League Baseball, and he was hired formally within three hours of the settlement coming. His job and the role of his organization is ultimately going to determine your question of whether this evens the playing field or those advantages still exist.”