Top 10 On3 NIL Valuations in the 2024 football recruiting class
NIL has become a major aspect of college football recruiting, regardless of whether fans, coaches and even some athletes like it.
Student-athletes, some beginning at the high school level, are finding ways to monetize their success in avenues that weren’t previously available. The largest is social media, where high school prospects have amassed huge followings on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. The bigger the number of followers, the more a player can ostensibly demand to represent a brand.
As the 2024 cycle starts heating up, here are the top 10 On3 NIL valuations for 2024 football recruits.
1. QB Dylan Raiola – $266,000
School: Chandler (Arizona) High School
Status: Ohio State commit
Dylan Raiola, the five-star quarterback and No. 1 recruit in the country, has an On3 NIL Valuation of $266,000. He was sought after by numerous programs before choosing the Buckeyes on May 9. He is the next member of a football family, as his father, Dominic Raiola, earned All-American honors at center at Nebraska and played 14 years with the Detroit Lions. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound signal-caller has 14,300 followers on Twitter, a number that will likely rise following his arrival in Columbus. He is also in a great position to take advantage of NIL, as CJ Stroud already has multiple deals in place, along with an On3 NIL Valuation of $2.6 million.
2. QB Davi Belfort – $187,000
School: Fort Lauderdale (Florida) Gulliver Prep
Status: Uncommitted
Three-star quarterback Davi Belfort has an On3 NIL Valuation of $187,000. Belfort has 28 offers from top college football programs, including Alabama, Georgia and Michigan. He already has a large following on multiple social media platforms, especially Instagram with 112,000 followers. Part of that may be because his father is Vitor Belfort, a mixed martial artist who previously participated in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
3. WR Jeremiah Smith – $173,000
School: Hollywood (Florida) Chaminade-Madonna Prep
Status: Uncommitted
Five-star receiver Jeremiah Smith, the No. 3 player in the country, has a total of 31,000 followers and an On3 NIL Valuation of $173,000. Most of those are on Instagram (24,000) and Twitter (6,600). As Smith’s recruitment gains momentum, it is expected that his On3 NIL Valuation will only increase. Ohio State, Miami and Florida are among the schools heavily in pursuit of the nation’s top wide receiver.
4. QB CJ Carr – $163,000
School: Saline (Michigan) High School
Status: Notre Dame commit
Four-star quarterback CJ Carr, the grandson of legendary Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, spurned the in-state Wolverines for Notre Dame. More than four months after his pledge to the Fighting Irish, the 6-foot-2.5, 195-pound signal-caller has built a nice social media following and On3 NIL Valuation of $163,000. He has 17,500 total followers, with just under half of them on Instagram. Playing for one of the nation’s most iconic programs with a recognizable last name, Carr could be in for success on the NIL front when he arrives in South Bend.
5. WR Joshisa Trader – $160,000
School: Miami (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep
Status: Uncommitted
Despite being in the middle of his junior season, five-star receiver Joshisa Trader has already built a strong presence on social media and an On3 NIL Valuation of $160,000. The top-10 prospect has 43,000 followers, with most of them on TikTok (25,000). He also holds 12,900 followers on Instagram and 4,700 followers on Twitter. As a blue-chip recruit in a talent-rich state, Trader’s recruitment will eventually skyrocket. His On3 NIL Valuation will likely do so, as well.
6. S KJ Bolden – $160,000
School: Buford (Georgia) High School
Status: Uncommitted
Five-star safety KJ Bolden has an On3 NIL Valuation of $160,000. Most of Bolden’s 19,900 followers are on Instagram (15,300). Even though Bolden has less than 5,000 combined followers on Twitter and TikTok, he is a well-known name because of his status as one of the top defensive backs in the 2024 recruiting class. He has a massive offer list, but the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine lists Georgia, Clemson and Florida as the early favorites.
7. CB Desmond Ricks – $159,000
School: Fort Lauderdale (Florida) IMG Academy
Status: Uncommitted
Five-star cornerback Desmond Ricks is already a well-known prospect who has narrowed down his recruitment to 10 schools. While he does not have as big of a social media following as other prospects on this list, the blue-chip defensive back still has a decent presence of 21,000 followers. Nearly 14,000 of those are on Instagram. That’s helped him build an On3 NIL Valuation of $159,000.
8. QB Jadyn Davis – $158,000
School: Charlotte (North Carolina) Providence Day School
Status: Uncommitted
Four-star Jadyn Davis is one of the top uncommitted quarterbacks in the 2024 cycle, with suitors including Clemson, Georgia and Michigan among others. He has a social media following of 30,000, with a majority of those followers on Instagram (20,000). As his recruitment heats up, it is likely that the North Carolina native’s On3 NIL Valuation will make a large jump because of his position and status as a blue-chip prospect.
9. EDGE Colin Simmons – $150,000
School: Duncanville (Texas) High School
Status: Uncommitted
Four-star EDGE Colin Simmons is one of the top defensive prospects in the 2024 cycle. He also has one of the largest TikTok followers among his fellow recruits. The Lone Star State native has 46,000 followers on the platform. As he moves towards a decision, Simmons also has a solid presence on Instagram (12,100 followers). All of that has helped him build an On3 NIL Valuation of $150,000. LSU is listed as his leader with the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine saying the Tigers have a 91.9% chance of landing his pledge.
10. TJ Capers – $146,000
School: Miami Columbus
Status: Uncommitted
Similar to other recruits on this list, four-star linebacker TJ Capers‘ largest social media following is on Instagram. He has 15,200 followers on the platform. He has just under 3,000 other followers across both Twitter and TikTok. However, as a top-10 recruit, his On3 NIL Valuation of $146,000 is bound to rise. Miami, Georgia, Florida and Michigan State are listed by the On3 RPM as his top teams.
About the On3 NIL Valuation
The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.
The NIL valuation is comprised of a number of dynamic data points that focus on two primary factors – an athlete’s social media presence and their level of athletic performance.
A base valuation is generated from the number of followers on each social media platform an athlete has (Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok). Each platform is weighted differently based on the number of marketing dollars that brands and advertisers typically spend on each.