Key Takeaways:
-Creative teams play a pivotal role in boosting student-athletes’ visibility, making them more marketable and attractive for NIL partnerships-Content-driven storytelling signals to recruits that schools are invested in helping athletes succeed on and off the field-AI-powered content creation scales highlights, multilingual commentary, and personalized clips, maximizing student-athletes’ chances to secure valuable NIL opportunities
In his first season as the starting quarterback of the Texas Longhorns, Arch Manning is the most talked-about athlete in college sports. It's hardly a surprise. The nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli, Arch is not only a member of football’s royal family, he's also a 6-4, 219-pound “modern-day Manning, equipped with the footspeed that Peyton and Eli would’ve cut a Faustian deal for,” according to The Athletic.
It's only natural, then, that Manning is leading college sports in NIL value by a wide margin. Per On3, the monetary value of his name, image, and likeness is $6.3 million. The site estimates that over 50 athletes will bring in a minimum of $1 million this season, which is a huge increase from 2024, when only the top 20 reached this valuation.
Here are the top five ranked athletes on On3's NIL 100:
1. Arch Manning
School: University of Texas Class: Sophomore Sport: Football Position: Quarterback Social media following: 512K Top brand partnerships: Uber, EA Sports, Red Bull, Warby Parker, Raising Cane's, Vuori, Panini America NIL valuation: $6.3 million
2. Carson Beck
School: University of Miami Class: Senior Sport: Football Position: Quarterback Social media following: 167K Top brand partnerships: Chipotle, EA Sports, Beats by Dre, The Dairy Alliance, Powerade NIL valuation: $4.7 million
3. Jeremiah Smith
School: Ohio State University Class: Sophomore Sport: Football Position: Wide Receiver Social media following: 874K Top brand partnerships: Nintendo, adidas, Lululemon, 7-Eleven, Red Bull, American Eagle Outfitters NIL valuation: $4.2 million
4. AJ Dybantsa
School: Brigham Young University Class: Freshman Sport: Basketball Position: Small Forward Social media following: 835K Top brand partnerships: Nike, Redbull, Fanatics NIL valuation: $4.1 million
5. Garrett Nussmeier
School: Louisiana State University Class: Senior Sport: Football Position: Quarterback Social media following: 350K Top brand partnerships: Powerade, EA Sports, Raising Cane's NIL valuation: $4 million
Why NIL Infrastructure Matters More Than Ever
Four years after its introduction, it's clear that NIL has caused a seismic shift in college sports. The most notable change has been in the evolution of the recruitment arms race between schools. Originally, it was about facilities, the opportunity to compete for national championships, and the best chance of going pro; now, attracting and retaining top-tier talent is also about building the right NIL infrastructure.
A big part of that infrastructure is marketing. The University of Georgia, for example, hired an athletic-marketing manager to lead its in-house NIL department. UT Austin's athletics decided to enhance marketing efforts by launching a sports agency that will provide strategic content and customized NIL solutions. Other schools, like Tennessee and Florida State, rely on NIL collectives — organizations funded by alumni and boosters that employ staff focused on, among other things, marketing and content creation.
But the lion's share of responsibility for content creation, in the context of promoting student-athletes, still rests with creative teams within athletic departments. “I never thought I would be standing in front of recruits and explaining what our creative team can do for them, but here we are,” said Brandon Berrio, Executive Director of Social Media and branding at LSU Athletics. “You have to evolve, and you have to understand the landscape.”
Potential recruits have already adapted to the new landscape, and some of them choose a school based on its ability to market them. “We have 3.5 million combined followers across platforms just from LSU football, and they’ve seen the athletes that we’ve helped — Jayden Daniels, Joe Burrow, the list goes on and on,” noted Berrio.
From Moments to NIL Deals: The Power of Smart Content Tech
Athletic departments that invest in content creation are doing more than producing highlight reels – they’re elevating their athletes’ visibility. Compelling short-form clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and social-ready highlights make players more marketable, boosting their NIL value and opening doors to brand partnerships. At the same time, it signals to future recruits that the school is committed to helping them build their personal brand and succeed beyond the game.
The challenge, of course, is scale. Division I programs have hundreds of athletes, many from around the world, with unique stories worth telling. Doing this requires the right technology. AI-powered content creation platforms can instantly generate and distribute eye-catching, shareable assets in multiple languages across touchpoints. Done right, this approach can help athletes maximize their NIL opportunities, even if they weren’t born into football’s royal family.
Actionable Insights:
-Spotlight athletes beyond the game: capture and share behind-the-scenes moments, lifestyle content, and personal stories that make student-athletes relatable and marketable.
-Tailor content for multiple platforms: repurpose highlights and short-form videos into the formats fans prefer most, from vertical reels to tappable stories.
-Think globally with multilingual output: use tools that generate captions or voice-over in multiple languages to showcase international athletes and expand audience reach.
