The NIL era in college sports has changed everything, and LeBron James has plenty to say about it. With the introduction of these “Name, Image, and Likeness” deals, athletes who haven’t even gone pro yet can now profit off their personal brand. That includes endorsement deals, merchandise opportunities, social media sponsorships, and in some cases, seven-figure paychecks, all while still in school.
For the most part, it’s been seen as a positive shift. College athletes are finally being rewarded for their hard work and visibility. Many come from tough backgrounds and now have a way to support themselves and their families without needing to go pro right away.
But there’s another side to it, too. and James recently spoke about that on the Mind the Game podcast. He praised the benefits of NIL, especially for players who aren’t quite ready for the NBA. According to him, these deals have eased the pressure that used to come with declaring for the draft. At the same time, though, it’s not as regulated as the Los Angeles Lakers star would like it to be.
Because college students today can choose to stay in school longer, develop, and still make money, LeBron feels that the NIL is going in the right direction. But he also opined that it’s unchecked. He said, “Yeah, it’s a little bit lawless right now. They’ve got to figure that out.”
With the transfer portal wide open and NIL deals acting like free agency contracts, it’s turned college basketball into a high-stakes bidding war. Loyalty to programs is dropping, and some players are reportedly switching teams just for better financial offers.
LeBron has no problem with players making money at such a young age. He said, “I’m happy kids are making money, man.” He didn’t criticize athletes for chasing better opportunities, but he did point out that the current setup lacks structure. There’s no real framework to manage how NIL and transfers work together, and that lack of regulation could end up hurting both players and programs in the long run.
The superstar has spoken about NIL in the past as well. During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, he said, “If NIL was around when I was in high school, I would have loaded up.” One can only imagine the kind of money LeBron would’ve made back then, considering the level of hype surrounding his name.
Florida wide receiver Naeshaun Montgomery is planning to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, On3 has learned. He caught three passes for 26 yards in 2025.
Montgomery played high school football at Miami Central (West Palm Beach, FL), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 262 overall recruit in the 2025 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted algorithm that complies all major recruiting media services.
He had a bunch of different premier programs interested in his services as a recruit. We’ll see who comes calling this time around for the wide receiver.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
More on Naeshaun Montgomery, NCAA Transfer Portal
Meanwhile, the NCAA Division I Administrative Committee passed dates for the one-time-only college football transfer portal back earlier in October. As it stands, the 2025-26 college football transfer portal will last 15 days. It’ll span Jan. 2 to Jan. 16, the NCAA announced.
Moving forward, the entire Division I football notification of transfer windows is slated for Jan 2-16. As has been the previous standard, athletes on College Football Playoff teams still playing would have 5 days beginning the day after their team’s final game to enter the transfer portal.
Additionally, players have 15 days to enter the portal, but they’re not under a deadline to commit when they enter. Traditionally, the deadline for committing is how late a school can enroll a player through admissions.
One caveat is that if a head coach is fired, the transfer portal will not open for players immediately. The NCAA revealed that moving forward, players will only have 15 days to enter the portal after a coaching change, instead of the former allocation of 30 days. Players will also have to wait five days after a new coach is hired or announced.
Finally, graduate transfers also cannot enter the transfer portal until Jan. 2 with the new one-time-only portal window. All these new guidelines are bound to shake things up, but the transfer portal will still remain as interesting and entertaining as ever.
Some Tennessee football players are expected to negotiate for higher NIL pay after strong performances in the 2025 season.
Since July, schools can directly pay athletes through revenue sharing, in addition to third-party NIL deals.
Players who have likely increased their value include DeSean Bishop, Braylon Staley, and several standout freshmen.
NIL negotiations have become a regular part of the college football calendar, influencing player decisions on transfers and the NFL draft.
Some Tennessee football players will negotiate a raise in NIL pay after overperforming in the 2025 season.
Those discussions have become part of the college football calendar in this era of frequent player movement, and money is a driving force in big decisions.
Negotiations likely started long before No. 23 Tennessee (8-4) plays Illinois (8-4) in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30 (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). And they’ll continue when the transfer portal opens on Jan. 2.
The top players with eligibility remaining consider declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft. Some players consider testing the transfer market by entering the portal. And overperforming players hope to cash in with a pay raise from their school.
Since July, schools have been allowed to pay athletes directly with revenue shares, essentially a royalty for use of their name, image and likeness. Players can earn additional money in third-party NIL pay from collectives, corporations and business owners.
Some players get raises. Other players get pay cuts.
Schools pay players directly under a salary cap of sorts. The payroll works out to about $13.5 million for each college football team, or approximately $170,000 per scholarship player. Those distributions and payroll strategies vary between teams.
And third-party NIL pay can double the earnings of the best players.
None of that payroll information is available to the public, which means it’s impossible to know whether a player is overpaid, underpaid or fairly paid. But it’s reasonable to believe their pay corresponds to their projected level of play.
And if they exceed those expectations, a raise is in order. With that being said, let’s take an educated guess at which players have increased their value.
DeSean Bishop
No Tennessee player has increased his value over the past year as much as running back DeSean Bishop. In January, the former Karns High standout was promoted from walk-on to scholarship player. That likely didn’t come with a big NIL payday because he wasn’t even a starter yet.
But Bishop earned that scholarship, and then some, in the 2025 season. He was named All-SEC second team after rushing for 983 yards and 14 TDs in the regular season. If Bishop wasn’t paid NIL this season, he certainly will next season. And if he was paid this season, it likely didn’t align with an all-conference season.
Braylon Staley
Braylon Staley showed promise heading into the 2025 season, but he was unproven. That quickly changed when he played well in UT’s biggest games and earned SEC Freshman of the Year with 64 receptions, 806 yards and six TDs.
UT may have already paid Staley a solid NIL amount. After all, he was a four-star recruit and top 100 player coming out of high school. But it’s doubtful that Staley was paid like one of the SEC’s top receivers, which he clearly now is.
Wendell Moe
This one is debatable, but leverage could come into play. Wendell Moe was a solid pick-up in the portal in 2025, but he turned into an AP All-SEC performer.
It’s difficult to predict how much UT paid Moe in the 2025 season without knowing the transfer market for his position. If he was coveted by multiple teams, Moe may have been paid well and simply played to that level.
But now Moe has proven to be a good SEC offensive lineman and potential NFL draft prospect. That could land him at least a moderate NIL raise to return in 2026.
Jesse Perry
In the 2024 class, offensive lineman Jesse Perry was rated fifth among five offensive linemen signed by Tennessee, according to 247Sports Composite. He was a three-star recruit.
NIL pay doesn’t always correspond to recruit ratings. But Perry’s moderate grades indicate that he had to prove his value on the field before earning a notable NIL check.
Perry did that in the 2025 season. He started 11 games, including seven at right tackle and four at right guard, and earned Freshman All-America honors.
Granted, his future NIL pay will depend on whether he’s a surefire starter or a versatile backup, but Perry is certainly in a stronger position than a year ago.
Ty Redmond
Like Perry, cornerback Ty Redmond probably entered the 2025 season with a low NIL value and had to prove himself. In the 2025 class, Redmond was rated fourth among five defensive backs signed by Tennessee, according to 247Sports Composite. He was a three-star recruit.
But Redmond, after some early growing pains, turned into a promising young cornerback. He was an All-SEC third-team selection and Freshman All-SEC performer. He tied for the SEC lead with 13 passes defended and led the Vols with three interceptions.
Regardless of what Redmond earned in 2025, he is in a stronger position after his freshman season.
Jordan Ross
This one is more speculative than the rest on this list. After all, edge rusher Jordan Ross was a five-star signee in the 2024 class, so he may already command high pay in NIL money based on his recruit rating.
That being said, Ross is on this list because of his play, his position and his perceived essential status in new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ defensive scheme. Knowles values edge rushers, and Ross is UT’s most dynamic.
Before being slowed by injuries, Ross showed flashes as a playmaker in the mold of former UT edge rushers Byron Young, James Pearce and Joshua Josephs. He had three tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks, six quarterback hurries, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Emailadam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.
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The No. 10 seed Miami Hurricanes defeated the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies 10-3 in the first round of the College Football Playoff. It was a defensive battle, ultimately decided by a late fourth-quarter score and red-zone interception by Miami.
With the score tied at 3 and 1 minute, 44 seconds left in the game, Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney scored on an 11-yard touchdown pass thrown by quarterback Carson Beck.
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Up next for the Hurricanes is a Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic matchup against the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes. It’s an uphill battle, as ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Hurricanes a 29.5% chance of winning.
Before his heroic performance, though, the wide receiver revealed an exciting Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) update. In a joint Instagram post, Toney revealed a new NIL partnership with Hellstar, a popular clothing brand that has a sports training component.
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“We are so proud to announce our first Hellstar Sports College Athlete NIL signing – Malachi Toney🌟.,” the post caption read. “We had the privilege to coach @malitoney10 while he was apart of our high school 7 on 7 program, so now seeing him shine on the collegiate level we couldn’t be more proud.”
Toney’s On3 NIL valuation of $878,000 is the 12th-highest among college football wide receivers. Among players on Miami, it’s the fourth-highest, behind quarterback Carson Beck ($3.1 million), EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. ($1.2 million) and offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa ($1.1 million).
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Through 14 games, Toney has been a major contributor to Miami’s success. He leads the team in receptions (89), yards (992) and touchdowns (eight).
With an exciting NIL opportunity under his belt, he and Miami look to stay hot against Ohio State. Kickoff is Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium, airing on ESPN and streaming on the ESPN app.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
In the growing landscape of college athletics, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals play a vital role in sports. Some programs are set up better than others based on a program’s valuation. Programs with higher valuations can help some of the top-performing teams stay successful.
CNBC released its valuation rankings for the country’s athletic departments, showing their growth from the 2024 fiscal year. The Colorado Buffaloes are ranked No. 47 in the nation, a rise from No. 55 in 2024.
Nov 25, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion ‘Coach Prime’ Sanders on the field against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images | Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images
Breaking Down Colorado Buffaloes’ Valuation Ranking
Colorado’s 2025 valuation is $574 million, with a year-over-year value change of 22 percent. The program’s 2024 revenue is set at $147 million, with a 16 percent year-over-year revenue change.
A program’s valuation determines its monetary worth, and it is important to look at the growth, which shows that Colorado is trending in the right direction. It is also important to note that the valuation rankings are based on all of the athletics, not just the football program.
Where Colorado Ranks In The Big 12
Sep 20, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
When focusing on the Big 12 conference, several of the programs are in the same vicinity with their valuation ranking.
No. 39 Kansas: $620M
No. 41 Oklahoma State: $600M
No. 42 Baylor: $585M
No. 46 Iowa State: $575M
No. 47 Colorado: $574M
No. 49 Texas Tech: $570M
No. 50 TCU: $568M
No. 55 Arizona: $529M
No. 57 BYU: $500M
No. 58 West Virginia: $481M
No. 60 Utah: $451M
No. 62 Kansas State: $435M
No. 63 Arizona State: $430M
No. 68 Cincinnati: $280M
No. 70 UCF: $262M
No. 73 Houston: $222M
MORE: Colorado Gets Hit With Biggest Transfer Portal Loss Yet
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While from the top valuation of Kansas to the bottom, which is Houston is a significant difference in the Big 12, the conference teams are still in a similar vicinity overall. With it having to do with all athletics, the programs that have consistently strong teams, such as Kansas’ basketball team, make sense to have a higher valuation.
Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his players warmup prior to the game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Colorado Buffaloes at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images
Looking at the Big 12 as a whole shows that the Colorado Buffaloes are in the top five for their valuation and trending upward.
Calling Back To Deion Sanders’ Comments On Fairness
While valuation is not the same as revenue, seeing the difference in the conferences does call back to Colorado coach Deion Sanders’ comments on the fairness between programs. The schools in the top five for their valuation are either in the Big Ten or the SEC, and all are in the billions.
“You talk about equality,” Sanders said during the Big 12 media day. “All you have to do is look at the playoffs and see what those teams spent, and you understand darn near why they’re in the playoffs. It’s kind of hard to compete with somebody who’s giving $25, $30 million to a darn freshman class.”
Colorado football coach Deion Sanders looks on against Texas Tech in a Big 12 football game Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Jones AT&T Stadium. | Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Although the valuation is on the programs’ overall athletics, Sanders has been outspoken about money when it comes to building the football program. With the Buffaloes facing a mass exodus through the transfer portal, Sanders has highlighted that several players are leaving because of money.
The positive side is that the Buffaloes’ valuation is growing with a 22 percent increase. This shows that the school’s athletics overall are being valued higher, and will help lead to more money poured into the program. With more money, the Buffaloes can put more of an emphasis on NIL as they look to build their roster and compete in the Big 12.
From a player retention standpoint, the first few weeks of the offseason haven’t been kind to the Colorado Buffaloes.
Several key Buffs have announced their intentions to enter the college football transfer portal when it opens next month, including wide receiver Omarion Miller, safety Tawfiq Byard and freshman defensive end Alexander McPherson. While every situation is unique, one Colorado insider believes money has been a common denominator among players’ reasons for leaving Boulder.
Oct 25, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Omarion Miller (4) is tackled by Utah Utes defensive back JC Hart (14) during the second half at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images
“The super majority of those people, I’m talking 95 percent, are going to be leaving for a bigger bag,” Thee Pregame Show’s Uncle Neely said on his YouTube channel. “This ain’t transferring in 1990. This ain’t transferring in the year 2000. This is 2025. This is business now. This isn’t, ‘Oh, I don’t like the coach. Oh, I don’t want to be treated the way they treat me.’
“This doesn’t mean something is wrong. These are business decisions now. But what we like to do is run with the narrative that woe is me, something must be wrong, something must be going on. How are all these people leaving?”
Nov 22, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders on the sidelines in the first quarter against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The NIL (name, image and likeness) era has rocked college football, and the depressing truth is that schools with more money will ultimately land the best players. In the Big 12, no school better exemplifies that trend than new conference champion Texas Tech.
Who’s Leaving Colorado?
Nov 22, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Tawfiq Byard (7) reacts in the first quarter against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
As of Sunday, 16 Colorado players will enter the transfer portal next month. That group includes 12 defensive players, six members of the Buffs’ 2025 high school signing class and a few other Buffs who spent only one season in Boulder.
Below is an updated list of Colorado players who plan on entering the transfer portal:
Safety TJ Branch
Defensive lineman Jehiem Oatis
Cornerback Noah King
Cornerback Teon Parks
Linebacker Mantrez Walker
Safety Terrance Love
Safety Tawfiq Byard
Wide receiver Omarion Miller
Defensive tackle Brandon Davis-Swain
Offensive lineman Carde Smith
Defensive end Alexander McPherson
Offensive lineman Tyler Brown
Defensive tackle Gavriel Lightfoot
Defensive tackle Christian Hudson
Defensive tackle Tawfiq Thomas
Wide receiver Dre’lon Miller
Nov 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Dre’Lon Miller (6) runs the ball during the second quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images
Uncle Neely shared his take that Colorado’s losses should be replaceable via the transfer portal.
“Have you ever stopped to say, what am I actually losing by those people leaving?” Uncle Neely said. “Have you ever looked at the numbers production-wise of who has announced that they’re getting up out of here and what you’re actually losing by them leaving?… Is it replaceable via the portal? And in this business in college football, is it replaceable cheaper? I would wager to say the answer is yes in all regards.”
MORE: Colorado Gets Hit With Biggest Transfer Portal Loss Yet
MORE: Michael Irvin Gets Real On Blame Surrounding Shedeur Sanders
MORE: Deion Sanders Faces Recruiting Problem After Omarion Miller Transfer News
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Oct 25, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes tight end JJ Buchanan (81) catches a pass against Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Teon Parks (3) during the second quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images
The college football transfer portal will open on Jan. 2 and close Jan. 16. Colorado coach Deion Sanders and his staff can begin adding players from the portal at the start of that period.
Lane Kiffin is bringing another Ole Miss assistant with him to LSU. According to Matt Zenitz ofCBS Sports, the Tigers have finalized a deal to hire Rebels running backs coach Kevin Smith for the same role.
Smith is reported to have a salary of close to $1 million, which would make him one of the highest-paid running backs coaches in the country. He is the sixth Ole Miss assistant to follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge.
The other coaches joining Kiffin at LSU are offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., tight ends coach Joe Cox, receivers coach Joe McDonald, inside receivers coach Sawyer Jordan and quarterbacks coach Dane Stevens. So far no defensive assistants from the Rebels have made the jump to Baton Rouge.
Smith worked with Kiffin as a running backs coach at Florida Atlantic form 2017-19 and joined his very first staff at Ole Miss in 2020. He stayed for the next two seasons in Oxford before leaving to take the running backs coach position at Miami in 2022.
Smith’s stint with the Hurricanes was a short-lived one as he returned to Ole Miss in 2023 and stayed through this season. Now he’ll look to continue the success he has enjoyed with Kiffin while building up the running backs room at LSU.
Smith helped to develop running backs such as Quinshon Judkins and Kewan Lacy during his time in Oxford. This past season, Ole Miss ranked fifth in the SEC with 185.6 rushing yards per game as Lacy led the conference with 21 rushing touchdowns and ranked second with 1,366 yards.
Ole Miss had its best season in program history this year to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time. However, Kiffin was not granted permission from the school to finish out the season with the Rebels after he accepted the LSU job.
Other assistants, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., were allowed to complete the playoff run with Ole Miss. The Rebels defeated Tulane in the first round and will face No. 3 Georgia, which they lost to earlier this season, in the quarterfinals.
As of right now, it looks like most of the Ole Miss offensive staff will follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge. The defensive side keep defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who has been on staff at LSU since 2024.
