Inaugural On3 NIL Elite Series set to begin Tuesday
The On3 NIL Elite Series begins Tuesday afternoon in Nashville, marking the first time the top college football prospects in the nation will gather to learn about name, image and likeness. Presented by Mizuno, it marks the first event put on by On3’s OS Division.
Twenty-two of the top 100 prospects in the 2024 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, will be in attendance. The On3 NIL Elite Series is aimed to give each athlete and their family an education on the NIL climate they’ll soon enter in college. Six of the athletes in attendance are able to monetize their publicity rights as high schoolers.
Held at the Thompson Hotel in downtown Nashville, invitations to the event have been extended to athletes and a guardian.
“This event facilitates information and transparency into the marketplace for these athletes,” On3’s Athlete Network Development director Grant Frerking said. “Our goal is to create more opportunities to educate and prepare athletes to navigate a marketplace that is projected to grow to nearly $5 billion over the next few years.”
Which top recruits will be in Nashville?
In total, 30 prospects will be in Nashville, marking one of the few times so many recruits from the 2024 recruiting class will gather before they enroll in college.
Four quarterbacks will be in attendance, including five-star quarterback DJ Lagway. A Florida commit, he has a chance to build a significant brand throughout his college career. With more than 48,000 social media followers and the following of an SEC school’s fanbase, the top-ranked recruit out of Texas is off to a strong start.
Jeremiah Smith has earned comparisons to A.J. Green and is one of the top wide receiver prospects to come through the high school ranks in recent memory. With a 6-foot-3, 198-pound frame, the rising senior at Chaminade-Madonna Prep is the No. 2 recruit in the nation. An Ohio State commit, Ryan Day and Brian Hartline are a big reason why he chose the Buckeyes. Georgia has been trying their best to force a flip, though.
There is plenty of talent from the line of scrimmage making the trip to Nashville, including Five-Star Plus+ EDGE Colin Simmons, five-star EDGE Dylan Stewart, five-star EDGE Eddrick Houston, four-star offensive tackle Brandon Baker, four-star EDGE Jordan Ross, four-star DL Ernest Willor and three-star DL Carson Gentle.
Just two running backs, Kameron Davis and Jerrick Gibson, will be in attendance. Georgia commit Jaden Reddell will be the lone tight end in Nashville.
What speakers will be attending the On3 NIL Elite Series?
Recruits will spend time learning about how to equip their On3 NIL Valuation, which projects their annual value. The evaluation calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories: performance, influence and exposure.
LSU gymnast and social influencer Livvy Dunne will be a featured speaker, sharing how she has built her valuation and what she has learned since the inception of NIL. The most followed college athlete on social media., Dunne has a $3.4 million On3 NIL Valuation and has a multi-year agreement with Vuori Clothing.
Nationally known football analyst Kirk Herbstreit will also be a speaker at the series, talking with the invitation-only group of football players and their parents about the ever-evolving college football landscape.
Next to Dunne and Herbstreit, AJ Vaynerchuk, the founder of VaynerSports, will discuss the world of agents and sports marketing. For many athletes, NIL has meant signing representation deals significantly earlier in their playing careers. Other speakers at the event will feature voices from the legal and financial fields, offering insight on contracts and making smart business decisions.
How to follow along
On3 will be covering every angle of the event, with multiple reporters on the ground covering NIL to the latest on each athletes’ recruitment. Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons will be catching up with recruits as they enter the month of June, which is official visit season.
The college sports business team will be running a live blog of On3 NIL Elite Series, focused on sharing some advice guest speakers share and the experience athletes have had dealing with NIL in their recruitments. And On3’s J.D. Pickell and Josh Newberg will be delivering video content throughout the week.
Make sure to follow along on Twitter and subscribe to On3’s YouTube page.