The complicated, frustrating and often murky world of NIL (name, image and likeness) has touched every corner of college sports. From college football and basketball to gymnastics and softball, the landscape of college athletics drastically changed four years ago when the NCAA changed rules to allow student athletes to profit from NIL.

Names like Shedeur Sanders, Bronny James and Livvy Dunne topped the charts when it comes to NIL valuations in the past. In fact, we got a sense of how much money Cooper Flagg agreed to in NIL endorsements during his one year at Duke recently, as he’s expected to become the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. As the summer approaches, we’re one step closer to the 2025-26 academic year, and there’s a new crop of athletes topping the NIL charts.

Remember, NIL deals are not solely dependent on athletic performance on the field. Sanders, who had a reported $4.7 million valuation last year — the highest among college football players — was not a Heisman Trophy finalist and went on to be a fifth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns. Arch Manning, who had the second-highest reported NIL valuation heading into last year’s college football season at $3.8 million, had not started a college game before last season.

With that, here is a look at the top 25 college athletes with the highest NIL valuations heading into the 2025-26 academic year.

*NIL valuations are from On3.com, which calculates the optimized NIL opportunity for athletes relative to the overall NIL market and projects outcomes over the next 12 months. 

1. Texas QB Arch Manning ($6.8 million)

Manning instantly became one of the most-valued athletes in college sports the moment he stepped foot on campus in Austin, Texas in 2023, holding a $3.8 million NIL valuation at the time. Manning has reportedly inked deals or partnered with EA Sports, Red Bull, Uber and Vuori as he prepares for his first full season as Texas’ starting quarterback. While Manning is the highest-valued NIL athlete in college sports, he doesn’t take any money from Texas’ NIL collective, the Houston Chronicle previously reported. 

Beck initially declared for the 2025 NFL Draft this offseason before surprisingly transferring to Miami. It was rumored that Beck received $3 to $4 million from Miami’s NIL collective to make the move to South Florida, moving on from Georgia after he helped the Bulldogs win the SEC title in 2024. According to On3, Beck has inked 11 deals and partnerships over his college career, with Chipotle, Beats By Dre and Powerade headlining the notable brands.

Following a standout freshman season, Smith shot up the board as one of the most valuable players in college sports. He was recently unveiled as a co-cover star athlete for “College Football 26,” adding to the list of notable endorsement deals he has secured. He has reported deals with American Eagle, Lululemon, Red Bull and Nintendo, among others. Smith also agreed to a local car dealership deal — which appeared to gift him a new Mercedes — in May.

4. BYU F AJ Dybantsa ($4.1 million)

Before he even steps on the court in Provo, Utah, Dybantsa is already one of the highest-valued players in college sports with reported deals with Nike and Red Bull. It was reported at the time of his commitment that he secured a deal worth around $7 million, giving one of the top prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft a significant payday.

Nussmeier opted to forgo early entry into the 2025 NFL Draft, making him one of the top prospects in 2026. Set to enter his second season as LSU’s starter, Nussmeier has multiple reported NIL deals and partnerships, including Powerade and EA Sports, among others. 

Sellers was one of the SEC’s breakout stars in 2024, winning the conference’s Offensive Freshman of the Year Award. He has reportedly secured NIL deals with Collegiate Legends and Cheez-It, and another strong year could help him continue to climb this list.

Similar to Sellers, Lagway was also a breakout star in 2024. He went 6-1 in the seven starts he made as a true freshman, helping Florida turn its season around. He has reportedly earned an NIL deal with Nintendo since the end of the season, while Gatorade has featured him in a commercial, as he agreed to a deal with the iconic brand before his freshman year. Lagway certainly seems to be a candidate to be No. 1 on this list next year if Manning declares for the draft.

Klubnik, who FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt recently named as his top quarterback for the 2025 season, is entering his third year as Clemson’s starter. He led the Tigers to an ACC title last season and reportedly has existing NIL deals with Rhoback and ONIT, among others. 

Allar turned down early entry into the 2025 NFL Draft despite speculation he could be an early-round pick. According to On3, Allar hasn’t logged any new NIL deals since he helped Penn State reach the CFP last season. However, he reportedly has pre-existing deals with Bose and Frosted Flakes.

Leavitt only has a pair of reported NIL endorsement deals, agreeing to partnerships with Jones Ford Verde Valley and Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers, but he also agreed to a deal with Arizona State’s NIL collective in January, shutting down transfer rumors. 

11. Michigan QB Bryce Underwood ($3 million)

After dealing with struggles at quarterback during the 2024 season, Michigan made Underwood a reported offer through its NIL collective worth $10.5 million over four years to get him to flip his commitment from LSU to the Wolverines. Underwood, ranked as the top quarterback recruit in the Class of 2025, wound up flipping his commitment to remain in his home state of Michigan.

Toppin has the highest NIL valuation among returning college basketball players this upcoming year. It was reported that Toppin is expected to earn $4 million in NIL after forgoing entry into the 2025 NBA Draft. Toppin won Big 12 Player of the Year and was named a second-team All-American after scoring 18.2 points per game in the 2024-25 season.

Duke landed Mensah in the transfer portal after he had a strong first season as Tulane’s starting quarterback (2,723 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, six interceptions) in 2024. It was reported that Mensah earned an $8 million deal from Duke’s NIL collective to transfer to the school in December 2024.

Mateer is also among the list of the most valuable college athletes after transferring from Washington State to Oklahoma this offseason. Klatt recently ranked him as his third-best quarterback for the 2025 season after he threw for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions to go with 826 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns.

The other co-cover star athlete of “College Football 26” is among the most valuable athletes in college sports for 2025-26. Williams emerged as one of the best receivers as a 17-year-old freshman in 2024, recording 865 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns. Williams also has a pretty diverse list of NIL endorsement deals as well, reportedly securing partnerships with Uber Eats, Hollister and Sally Hansen.

Hoover doesn’t have any listed NIL brand deals on On3 beyond the one he has with TCU’s NIL collective. However, after his strong 2024 season (3,949 yards, 27 touchdowns, 11 interceptions), he could’ve earned more this offseason. Tennessee offered Hoover roughly $1 million more in NIL money than what he’s currently receiving at TCU, which is at least seven figures, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported in April.

17. Ohio State S Caleb Downs ($2.4 million)

Ohio State has two of the highest-valued non-quarterbacks in college football entering the 2025 season. Downs, who is arguably the best defensive player in the nation (81 total tackles, two interceptions in 2024), has a few reported NIL brand deals, highlighted by partnerships with Panini, Beats by Dre and American Eagle. He also signed an NIL deal with Ohio State’s collective, The Foundation, when he transferred from Alabama following Nick Saban’s retirement in 2024.

Bailey doesn’t have any known NIL deals with brands, but he signed a new deal with NC State’s collective, One Pack, in December 2024 to remain in Raleigh, North Carolina. That deal helped ensure Bailey wouldn’t transfer after he scored 22 total touchdowns to go with 2,413 passing yards as a true freshman in 2024. 

Following a wild recruiting process that saw him commit to two schools before landing at Nebraska in 2024, Raiola has earned a few NIL deals with notable brands. He reportedly signed a deal with Panini right after he committed to Nebraska in December 2023, before signing a deal with Campus Ink early in his freshman season. He reportedly signed an endorsement deal with Adidas in April, following in the footsteps of his idol, Patrick Mahomes. He also has a deal with Nebraska’s NIL collective, 1890. 

Lendeborg announced he was transferring from UAB to Michigan in April, but he wasn’t fully committed to the Wolverines until he removed his name from the 2025 NBA Draft in May. The top-ranked player in the transfer portal this offseason by 247 Sports, Lendeborg received an NIL package believed to be in the neighborhood of $3 million to return to school, CBS Sports previously reported. Lendeborg was viewed as a potential first-round pick prior to his decision to remove his name from the 2025 NBA Draft, as he was named first-team All-AAC the past two seasons. 

Green earned a few endorsement deals with local companies during his time at Boise State before he transferred to Arkansas ahead of the 2024 season. After transferring, he reportedly signed a deal with the school’s NIL collective, Arkansas Edge. It’s unclear how much that deal is worth, but the collective helped Green land an endorsement deal with a local car dealership in 2024, which landed him a Ram 1500 truck. 

Similar to Lendeborg, Fland was one of the top players in the transfer portal this offseason but also declared for the 2025 NBA Draft. He removed his name from the draft in May, while simultaneously announcing his transfer from Arkansas to Florida. The defending champion’s NIL collective reportedly gave Fland a package worth over $2 million, according to CBS Sports. 

Dent, who won Mountain West Player of the Year at New Mexico this past season, reportedly received a $3 million NIL deal to transfer to UCLA in March, according to The Santa Fe New Mexican. He received $2 million of that deal up front, while he’ll earn the other $1 million during the 2025-26 season. 

Iameleava arguably became the face of the NIL debate this offseason. He transferred out of Tennessee after the program reportedly denied his request for a pay raise from its NIL collective, seeking $4 million annually. He wound up at UCLA, agreeing to an NIL deal rumored to be in the $1.5 million range, according to Front Office Sports. That’s actually a pay decrease from what he was getting at Tennessee, as he was set to earn $2.4 million from the Vols’ collective in 2025, per ESPN. Iamaleava was also one of 11 college football players to sign a deal with Beats by Dre ahead of the 2024 season. 

Arnold was among the handful of quarterback transfers who reportedly earned a multi-million-dollar payday this offseason. It has been rumored that Arnold received a deal worth at least $2 million to transfer from Oklahoma, which got a laugh out of former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron. Arnold finished the year with 1,421 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, three interceptions, 444 rushing yards and three rushing scores.

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Ever since the New York Islanders won the draft lottery, fans have had one prospect circled. James Hagens has been the prospect that fans have been dreaming about. A Long Island native who grew up and is a die-hard Islanders fan. He seems like the perfect player for the Islanders to draft, and the franchise icon fans can rally behind.  

However, while Hagens would be a great story, he’s not the best fit for the Islanders. While Hagens is a talented player, he struggled to adapt his game to college hockey in his first year at Boston College. A sign that his game may not translate to the higher level of hockey. 

When you have the first overall pick, you want someone who will shine as soon as they reach the NHL, something Michael Misa will do. But what makes Misa such an interesting pick, and a better option than the other players available?    

Why Michael Misa makes the most sense for the Islanders 

Since being granted exceptional status, Misa has been one of the most dominant players in the OHL. In 132 career games with the Saginaw Spirit, he recorded 91 goals and 118 assists for 209 points. His 2024-25 season was one of the greatest seasons a player has had in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). In 65 games, he registered 62 goals and 72 assists for 134 points. He also tallied a goal and two assists during the Spirit’s playoff series against the Erie Otters. 

While these numbers are impressive, they become even more special when you compare them to other top players. He put up a higher point total in his draft year than Mitch Marner, Steven Stamkos, and John Tavares. He was also only nine points shy of Patrick Kane’s 145-point season, the highest point total of the past 20 years. 

Sure, just because he has similar numbers to star players does not guarantee he will be a star in the NHL, but it’s encouraging. It shows that he was able to play at the same level as the current superstars played when they were his age. It indicates that this Misa has a high floor and an insanely high ceiling. 

Another area where Misa sets himself apart from Hagens is his ability to play defense. All the talk surrounding Hagens revolves around his offense and how his skill set can be developed to improve his offensive capabilities. However, you don’t hear much about how he impacts his defensive side.     

Unlike Hagens, many are quick to praise Misa’s defensive playmaking capability. Both his forechecking and ability to create turnovers have been described as elite. Having players who can do that and do it at a high level is crucial for teams to have success in today’s game. Misa can give the Islanders that edge to go up against the top teams in the league and give them a taste of their own medicine.    

Although it’s not as great a story as drafting Hagens is, if the Islanders want to get their next franchise-changing player, then they have to draft Misa.  

SMITHFIELD, R.I. — Bryant field hockey head coach Kellie Joyce is pleased to welcome Liz Ryan and Asia Porter to the coaching staff for the upcoming 2025 season. 

The additions represent the first hires for Joyce, who was named head coach in March. 

Liz Ryan – Assistant Coach

Ryan joins the Bulldogs after spending the 2024 season as an assistant coach at Boston University. A native of Hoosick Falls, N.Y., Ryan was a member of the 2019-20 U.S. U-21 National Team and graduated from BU in 2021. She was an All-Patriot League and NFHCA All-Region selection for the Terriers. This past year, the Terriers finished 6-11 overall and 3-3 in the Patriot League. 

“I am pleased to welcome Liz Ryan to the Bryant Coaching Staff,” Joyce said. “Her player-centered philosophy and dedication to the development of the student-athletes align with the values of our program. I am confident that her extensive coaching and playing experiences will make a significant impact and help to advance our program to the next level.” 

Prior to her season at BU, Ryan played and coached overseas in Ireland and England, most recently completing a master’s degree in sports performance and coaching from Dublin City University.
   
Ryan earned her International Hockey Federation (FIH) Hockey Academy Level 1 coaching accreditation last year through Hockey Ireland and has been working towards her Level 2 verification through Hockey England.
 
She played with the Catholic Institute Hockey Club (CIAC) for two years, helping them finish atop their league in 2022 and claim the Division 1 Irish Senior Cup for the first time in club history. In May 2023, Ryan was on the CIAC squad that competed in the Club European Championships in Alanya, Turkey.
 
While playing, Ryan was a hockey coordinator at Laurel Hill Coláiste FCJ in Limerick, Ireland, and also served as a development coach for the Munster U21 team in the fall of 2022. She spent the 2023-24 year as a graduate hockey sports fellow at Oakham School in England. 

Ryan starred at Hoosick Falls High School in New York before starting her collegiate career at Albany, where she helped the Great Danes reach the NCAA Tournament in 2018. She transferred to BU in 2019 and went on to earn a degree in international relations from the College of Arts & Sciences in 2021.

Asia Porter – Graduate Assistant

Porter comes to Smithfield after graduating this May from nearby Providence College. She was a five-year starter for the Friars, appearing in 74 games over the course of her career.

“I am excited to welcome Asia Porter to the Bryant Coaching staff,” Joyce said. “Having had the privilege of coaching Asia during her collegiate playing career, I know firsthand the depth of her understanding of the game. Her background in analysis, goalkeeping expertise and coaching experiences will add significant value to this program.” 

The Somerset, Mass., native and graduate of Moses Brown School, posted 28 victories between the pipes for the Friars. Porter finished with 409 career saves, a 2.23 GAA and a .710 save percentage. 

Porter’s best season came in 2023 as she posted a 10-7 record and backstopped Providence to six shutouts.

WALTHAM, Mass. – Recent Bentley graduate Sam Duerr has signed with Anglet in Ligue Magnus, the top professional hockey league in France.

A defenseman, Duerr was a key member of Bentley’s 2025 Atlantic Hockey championship team. One of the top scoring defensemen in the AHA, he registered eight goals and seven assists in 37 games.

A native of Chicago, he scored the game-winner in the AHA finals against Holy Cross. His goal with 10:44 remaining in the 3^rd period broke a 3-3 tie and gave Bentley the lead.

In two seasons at Bentley, he played in 72 games and had 14 goals and 14 assists.

Anglet is in the southwest of France and is close to the border with Spain.

He graduated from Bentley in May with a degree in marketing.

 

It seems that all Zeev Buium does is win. And be a part of history.
 
Buium was part of another momentous occasion in hockey in the United States this year, as he helped the Americans win their first IIHF World Championship gold medal in 92 years at the 2025 tournament last month in Herning, Denmark, and Stockholm, Sweden.
 
The now-University of Denver hockey alum has finished each of his last three playing seasons with a title, and the most recent gold medal added his collection that includes the 2024 NCAA Championship with the Pioneers, a pair of World Junior Championships and the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship with Team USA.
 
Those accomplishments might have been unimaginable for the American-born player when he first took to the sport by playing roller hockey in cul-de-sacs in San Diego, California, before eventually transitioning to indoor ice rinks.
 
“It wasn’t something that we thought about when we were kids just growing up,” Buium said of representing the U.S. on the international stage after winning his second World Junior gold in January. “To realize that was possible and to be a part of it, it’s such an honor and an awesome opportunity for me and my family.”
Buium was one of two current players from the National Collegiate Hockey Conference on this year’s U.S. Worlds roster, joining goaltender Hampton Slukynsky of Western Michigan. He was the youngest player on the Americans squad at 19 years of age and was one of four defenseman in the entire tournament that had yet to turn 20 years old.
 
While the history books officially list the Americans having won the gold medal at the World Championships in 1960; that year’s event was held in conjunction with Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley. Prior to this year, they’re last championship at an official Worlds-only event was in 1933 in then-Czechoslovakia.
 
In this year’s championship final, the U.S. defeated Switzerland 1-0 in overtime on May 25 at Avicii Arena (the Globe) in Stockholm, as Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres scored the only goal of the contest just 2:02 into the extra period and goaltender Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins posted a 25-save shutout.
 
Team USA had won four bronze medals since 2013 at Worlds, but the squad had never even reached a non-Olympic Gold Medal Game since 1950 when it earned the silver against Canada. The United States’ official medal count at the World Championship now totals 21 pieces of hardware, with three golds, nine silvers and nine bronzes.
 
Coming off a successful but also a championship loss at the NHL-hosted 4 Nation’s Face-Off in February, the Americans had plenty of motivation heading into this year’s tournament and aimed to build momentum for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, next winter.
 
“We want the gold,” Buium said to Wild.com during the tournament. “That’s what we came here for. We haven’t won this tournament for a very, very long time. We have a great group in there.”
 
Buium, a 2025 Hobey Baker Award Hat Trick Finalist, was primarily used as the seventh defenseman on the United States roster, but he still contributed four points on one goal and three assists and finished with a plus-2 rating while averaging 9:48 of ice time in eight games.
 
“Just being around some older guys has just really helped him,” said Ryan Warsofsky, the head coach of the San Jose Sharks and this year’s USA squad, to NHL.com. “You can see the talent. He’s going to be a really special player in the National Hockey League here soon.”
 
The teenager also made a little history with the most recent victory, as he is one of five players that are part of USA Hockey’s own version of the “Triple Gold Club.” He joined fellow 2025 Worlds teammates Clayton Keller, Will Smith, Slukynsky and Thompson in owning gold medals at the IIHF U18 World Championship, World Junior Championship (U20) and World Championship (Slukynsky was the backup goalie this year at Worlds and did not see any game action).
 
Buium is the only one of that group to own four gold medals between the three events and to win titles in successive years.
 
Playing in high-stakes games is one of his favorite parts about the sport.
 
“It’s why you play. When you’re a kid and you’re sitting in the basement and you’re acting like you’re scoring the Game 7 overtime-winner,” Buium told Wild.com in May. “I’ve always just loved those moments. That’s when the lights are the brightest and big crowds. I think it’s just so fun. When all eyes are on you, that’s the best part. All the guys in there are the same way.”
 
It has been a whirlwind 25 months for the Pioneer with plenty of bright lights. Since April 2023, Buium helped USA Hockey to its 11th gold at the U18 Worlds, won an NCAA National Championship at DU, was selected No. 12 overall in the 2024 NHL Draft and helped the Pioneers make their second-straight Frozen Four before signing his first pro contract and making his debut in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Minnesota Wild in April.
 
He also won a pair of World Junior Championships in both January 2024 and 2025 on a team coached by Denver’s David Carle.
 
“It’s been crazy. It’s definitely been a whirlwind,” Buium said to Wild.com of his experience the last several months. “I can’t complain. I’ve played in the NHL now and played at the Frozen Four and now I’m at the World Championship. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s great. Living out of the suitcase right now. It feels good.”
 
Those championships has also led to Buium being enshrined as part of several history-making squads.
 
He helped the Pioneers win the program’s 10th national championship in 2023-24, breaking a tie with Michigan for the most among all NCAA programs. This past January, he joined Carle with a repeat title with Team USA at the U20s, marking the first time in the country’s history it had won consecutive World Junior Championships.
 
“You’re definitely proud to be an American,” Buium recalled after the most recent World Junior win. “It’s an awesome feeling to be going back-to-back (at the World Juniors) for the first time and show that our country is starting to come out on top. That is just the way it is going and it is going to continue to go that way.”
 
Now, Buium is part of another squad that will always be remembered for breaking a 90-plus year drought at the World Championships.
 
For him, putting on the USA sweater is something he doesn’t take for granted.
 
“It’s incredible. The first time you do it to the last time you do it, nothing changes. It’s the same feeling. If anything, you get more excited,” Buium noted of playing for Team USA. “You never know when you’re going to be able to put that jersey on ever again, so every time you do it you want to treat it as your last. I think everybody does a great job with that. It’s such an awesome opportunity, and I’m so grateful to be a part of USA Hockey and hopefully into the future too.”
 
His trophy case is already full of hardware before he has turned 20 years old, and there is still room for an Olympic Gold Medal and Stanley Cup. Will those be coming in 2026?
 

Livvy Dunne, middle, sister Julz Dunne, left, and Sam Green pose at an AtheteCon event on Thursday in Charlotte, N.C. designed to help college athletes, promote their name, image and likeness brand. (AP Photo/Steve Reed)

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — With her college gymnastics days behind her, influencer and Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Livvy Dunne is moving on with life — but that doesn’t mean she’ll be far from the public eye.

Dunne, who has more than 13 million followers on social media, created a multimillion-dollar personal brand while competing as a gymnast at LSU. Now she’s trying to help other female athletes do the same, helping to educate them about name, image and likeness deals and personal branding.

“I’m going to miss gymnastics so much because it has been a part of me for almost 20 years,” Dunne told The Associated Press at AthleteCon, where she had a speaking engagement. “What’s next? Everything. I want to do all of the things that I couldn’t do while I was a gymnast” because of the time constraints of being a student-athlete.

“So there are some really cool opportunities — stay tuned,” she added.

Dunne didn’t disclose any details, but it’s clear she plans to maintain her personal brand, which she developed along with the help of older sister and manager Julz Dunne.

AthleteCon CEO Sam Green, who has helped land more than 1,000 NIL deals, invited the Dunne sisters to speak to college athletes as part of a two-day seminar. Athletes met with representatives from social media platforms including TikTok, Snapchat and Meta, created live content and competed for NIL deals. They learned how to turn a creative idea into a brand.

More than 100 athletes attended, with another 150 turned away because of space constraints.

Green’s company slogan is “all athletes are creators.”

“I’m really big on giving athletes the tools to monetize their brand,” Green said.

Few, if any, have done that better than Livvy Dunne.

She helped the Tigers to the 2024 national championship as a junior before missing this past season because of an injury. But she was better known on social media, where she amassed more than 8 million followers on TikTok and 5.3 million on Instagram before leaving LSU.

Advertisers took notice.

She was the highest-paid female college athlete across all sports during her time with the Tigers, earning more than $4.1 million, according to On3. She worked with brands like Nautica, Crocs and Sports Illustrated, where she recently did a split on the catwalk on a “triple dare.”

Her boyfriend is Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes, who played baseball at LSU.

“She’s it,” Green said. “She’s the road map. She’s the blueprint and she was the first to do it. The Dunnes are so innovative and they have done it with genuine intent. Livvy is the definition of NIL, in my opinion, at least true NIL and what it was meant to be from the start.”

Dunne said navigating the ever-changing world of NIL was like living in the wild West.

“I learned that you don’t have to do one thing and be great at that one thing,” Dunne said. “You can do multiple different things and find success in tons of different areas.”

But there were trying times as she balanced classes, competition and the constant demand for multiple daily social media posts.

She remembers walking into LSU gymnastics coach Jay Clark’s office in tears because of stress about her schedule.

She fought through it and is glad she did.

“I hope people here take away that you are more than your sport and everybody deserves to capitalize on their name, image and likeness,” Dunne said. “Curiosity is key. Ask questions, network, and just create because, who knows, the sky is the limit. It got me to where I am today. Don’t just consume, but create.

“Keep posting,” she added. “The audience is there. People are interested. They want to see what you have to offer. Everyone’s story is different and has to be told.”