Revamped top 10 college football On3 NIL Valuations following Week 1

College football brought plenty of surprises in Week 1.

The Ohio State offense scored just 21 points, the fewest amount of points scored by the Buckeyes since 2018. Anthony Richardson led Florida to its first win of the Billy Napier era, a 29-26 win over No. 7 Utah.

All of it had NIL ramifications, too.

On3 is diving into the top 10 On3 NIL Valuations following Week 1 of the college football season. This season marks the second year athletes are able to profit off their NIL and their marketability can increase because of their accomplishments on the field.

Let’s dive in.

1. Bryce Young

Last week’s ranking: No. 1
On3 NIL Valuation: $3.2 million
Movement: Up $559
Position: Quarterback

Bryce Young opened the season with a commanding 55-0 win over Utah State in Tuscaloosa. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner threw for 195 yards on 18-for-28 passing with five touchdowns. But he really caught some attention for the work he did on the ground. He finished with 100 rushing yards and another score, adding a new layer to Alabama’s offensive attack. Bryce Young will not be knocked off his top spot until there’s serious competition for the Heisman.

2. Caleb Williams

Last week’s ranking: No. 3
On3 NIL Valuation: $2.4 million
Movement: Up $758
Position: Quarterback

The USC quarterback eased into his new role over the weekend with a 66-14 win over Rice. But Caleb Williams still looked comfortable, throwing for 249 yards and rushing for 68 more. This offense is not going to struggle to put up points and Williams is going to be the star of the show in Los Angeles. The competition was definitely not the stiffest USC will see; the Trojans visit Stanford this weekend.

3. C.J. Stroud

Last week’s ranking: No. 2
On3 NIL Valuation: $1.9 million
Movement: Down $645,000
Position: Quarterback

Ryan Day wanted Ohio State to win the toughness battle on Saturday night. And that’s exactly what the Buckeyes did. With No. 5 Notre Dame in Columbus, Ohio State grinded out a 21-10 win. The star of the show was defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and the new-look Buckeyes defense. C.J. Stroud had his moments, too. But with Jaxon Smith-Njigba sidelined due to a low-grade hamstring injury, Ohio State’s offense did not finish with all-world numbers. It won’t be long until Stroud is back to creating jaw-dropping throws.

4. Jordan Addison

Last week’s ranking: No. 9
On3 NIL Valuation: $1.7 million
Movement: Up $262,000
Position: Wide Receiver

Saturday went as well as it possibly could for Pitt transfer Jordan Addison. Against Rice, the new USC wideout pulled down two touchdowns and helped secure a blowout win. And with Ohio State star Jaxon Smith-Njigba and LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte seeing minimal targets in the Tigers’ loss to Florida State, Jordan Addison holds the top On3 NIL Valuation of any player at his position.

5. Will Anderson

Last week’s Ranking: No. 5
On3 NIL Valuation: $1.6 million
Movement: —
Position: Linebacker

Will Anderson did his job in the Alabama season opener. The top defensive player in the country helped the Crimson Tide secure a shutout. Utah State mustered just 136 total yards as Anderson finished with five tackles, including a tackle for loss. This Alabama defense will get its first true test when it visits Austin this weekend and faces Steve Sarkisian‘s Texas offense.

6. Bijan Robinson

Last week’s ranking: No. 7
On3 NIL Valuation: $1.6 million
Movement: Up $1,600
Position: Running back

Bijan Robinson only carried the ball 10 times in Texas’ Week 1 victory over Louisiana-Monroe. But the running back showed he can be a player in the passing game, too. He finished with three catches for 40 yards and a touchdown. He’ll be asked to carry the ball much more this week against Alabama. A big-time performance could catapult him into the top five.

7. Spencer Rattler

Last week’s ranking: No. 4
On3 NIL Valuation: $1.5 million
Movement: Down $519,000
Position: Quarterback

New South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler led the Gamecocks to a 35-14 win over Georgia State, completing 23 of 37 passes for one touchdown and two interceptions. He’s still settling into his new role in the Palmetto State. But his performance was similar to what forced Oklahoma to make a switch at quarterback last season.

8. Jalen Carter

Last week’s ranking: No. 17
On3 NIL Valuation: $1.1 million
Movement: Up $255,000
Position: Defensive lineman

Jalen Carter was on the verge of crashing the top 10 On3 NIL Valuations in the preseason. But Georgia’s dominant defensive performance against Oregon sealed the deal. He blew up plays all day Saturday. He shoved off Ducks offensive lineman Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu with one-hand, then blew up a play in the backfield. He was one of the best defenders on Georgia’s defense last season. And now he’s making a point to remind the country.

9. Anthony Richardson

Last week’s ranking: No. 43
On3 NIL Valuation: $1.1 million
Movement: Up $575,000
Position: Quarterback

Hello, Anthony Richardson. The Florida quarterback willed the Gators to an upset win over Utah to kickoff the Billy Napier era. The sophomore finished with 274 yards of total offense, including 106 yards rushing and three scores on the ground. He became just the third Florida player since 1996 to rush for three touchdowns and pass for 150 yards, joining Tim Tebow and Jesse Palmer.

10. Quinn Ewers

Last week’s ranking: No. 8
On3 NIL Valuation: $1.1 million
Movement: Down $390,000
Position: Quarterback

Quinn Ewers maybe gained more attention this weekend for having his car towed than his performance on the field. The former Ohio State quarterback turned Texas starter completed 16 of 24 pass attempts for 225 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start. He’ll have to go against Nick Saban‘s defense this week.

Dropped out

• Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba down to No. 11 at $1.1 million
• LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte down to No. 12 at $951,000

About the On3 NIL Valuation

The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. A proprietary algorithm, the On3 NIL Valuation calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories:

+ Performance
+ Influence
+ Exposure

While the algorithm includes deal data, it does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals athletes have completed to date, nor does it set an athlete’s NIL valuation for their entire career. The On3 NIL Valuation calculates the optimized NIL opportunity for athletes relative to the overall NIL market and projects out to as long as 12 months into the future.