Top 10 On3 NIL Valuations in McDonald's All-American Game
The list of McDonald’s All-American Game alums includes some of the best to ever play basketball.
But Tuesday night, LeBron James will watch his son and 23 of the of the nation’s top high school basketball prospects play at the Toyota Center in Houston. On top of that, each athlete will be able to monetize their name, image and likeness right when they reach college or the G League. While some were limited to cashing in during their high school career, that will completely change when they land on a college campus.
Some have already signed with agencies for representation, others will in the coming months. Ahead of tip, On3 is breaking down the top 10 On3 NIL Valuations ahead of Tuesday night’s game.
Rosters for the McDonald’s All-American game
1. Bronny James
On3 NIL Valuation: $7.2 million
Position: Combo guard
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 27
College choice: Uncommitted
Wherever Bronny James decides to play his college ball, the oldest son of LeBron James will be the most well-known athlete on campus. While he might be ranked as a four-star combo guard in the 2023 class, his name recognition and connections make him the most valuable high school athlete. He sits at No. 1 in On3’s NIL 100, which is the first of its kind and the defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by market valuation.
With more than 12 million social media followers, he’s invaluable to brands. James has already signed a few NIL deals, aligning with Beats by Dre and PSD Underwear. He also signed with Nike back in October, joining the same sneaker brand as his father. Throughout McDonald’s All-American Game practices this week, he has been one of only two players not to wear adidas sneakers, instead representing Nike. In the latest edition of the 2023 On3 150, James was named a five-star prospect and the No. 9 player in the country. Ohio State appears to be one of the top schools in his recruitment, along with Oregon and USC. Two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant recently said on a Boardroom podcast that he hopes the combo guard goes to college instead of going “disappearing for a year.”
2. Jared McCain
On3 NIL Valuation: $1.2 million
Position: Shooting guard
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 15
College choice: Kentucky
Jared McCain was named the Gatorade California basketball Player of the Year earlier this month. A five-star recruit, he committed to Duke this past March. He may turn out to be one of the top talents in the 2023 recruiting class after averaging 18 points, and 7.1 rebounds in his senior season. But there’s no denying his brand value. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard has more than 2.5 million social media followers. He’s signed with Excel Sports for NIL representation. McCain also landed a multi-year deal with Champs Sports back in September, starring in his first commercial next to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
3. DJ Wagner Jr.
On3 NIL Valuation: $690,000
Position: Combo guard
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 3
College choice: Kentucky
The five-star combo guard out of Camden, New Jersey, has not wasted time monetizing his platform. Because DJ Wagner Jr. is from New Jersey, he’s been able to sign NIL deals as a high school athlete. The first was a partnership with Drake’s Nike sub-label NOCTA, appearing in promotional material for the brand. In October he was one of the five basketball players to sign with Nike. That’s been on full display this week at McDonald’s All-American Game practices. He and Bronny James have been the only two players not to wear adidas sneakers, instead rocking the swoosh. Wagner announced back in October he is working with WME for representation. As a Kentucky signee, his social media following and brand are only on the rise.
4. Matas Buzelis
On3 NIL Valuation: $575,000
Position: Small forward
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 5
College choice: G League
One of the most heavily recruited basketball players in the Class of 2023, Matas Buzelis announced in June his decision to he bypass college and sign with the G-League Ignite. The small forward ultimately opted to go professional over offers from Kentucky, North Carolina, Florida State and Wake Forest. Already projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Buzelis signed with Excel Sports on the same day as his commitment.
5. Isaiah Collier
On3 NIL Valuation: $570,000
Position: Point guard
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 1
College choice: USC
The top-ranked recruit in the nation was not able to monetize his publicity rights during his high school career. Because Georgia does not allow high schoolers to cash in on their NIL, Isaiah Collier has not signed his first partnership yet. He also does not have an agent lined up yet. There’s no denying his on-court talent, though. The The 6-foot-3 point guard and USC commit has some progress to make on his jump shot. But according to On3’s Jamie Shaw, Collier has a way of creating passing angles off the live dribble and is a strong on-ball defender. The Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Boys Player of the Year be on the West Team on Tuesday night in Houston.
6. Justin Edwards
On3 NIL Valuation: $549,000
Position: Small forward
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 2
College choice: Kentucky
The second-ranked recruit in 2023, Justin Edwards has been a big piece of Kentucky’s top-ranked class. He helped the Wildcats land DJ Wagner Jr. and Aaron Bradshaw. The 6-foot-7, 180-pound small forward has eased into the NIL space. The top-ranked player out of Pennsylvania, the state did not start to allow NIL activity until December. Edwards has signed on with Klutch Group for representation. He also played AAU ball with Team Final, winning Nike’s 2021 Peach Jam. He led Imhotep to the Public League championship and PIAA Class 5A title in 2022, averaging 18.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
7. Aaron Bradshaw
On3 NIL Valuation: $516,000
Position: Center
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 4
College choice: Kentucky
Another top-ranked player out of the state of New Jersey, Aaron Bradshaw committed to Kentucky back in October. The No. 4 overall player in 2023 is a major piece of the Wildcats’ No. 1 ranked recruiting class. The 7-foot-1 center took a huge step this season, from being a four-star who intrigued just a year ago to being ranked among the top 10 recruits in the nation. John Calipari has already been impressed by his shot blocking skills, while he’s drawn strong reviews from his McDonald’s All-American Game teammates.
8. Ron Holland
On3 NIL Valuation: $452,000
Position: Small forward
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 7
College choice: Texas
The seventh-ranked player in the nation is staying in his home state of Texas and playing for Rodney Terry next year. When Ron Holland committed to the Longhorns back in early November, he pick them over Arkansas and UCLA. He helped Team USA win a gold medal at the FIBA U17 World Cup in Malaga, Spain, this past summer. Holland averaged 11.1 points and 6.6 rebounds in seven games with Team USA. The 6-foot-8, 195-pound power forward signed with One Legacy Sports for NIL representation in February. He will work work specifically with One Legacy’s Corey Barker, who serves as the director of player personnel, development and management at the agency.
9. Mackenzie Mgbako
On3 NIL Valuation: $439,000
Position: Small forward
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 6
College choice: Duke
A Duke commit and a 6-foot-8 five-star prospect, Mackenzie Mgbako missed nearly a month of his senior season. He returned in February, finishing the year averaging 16.25 points and 9 rebounds a game. The No. 6 recruit in the nation has also been able to monetize his NIL as a New Jersey athlete, similar to DJ Wagner Jr. Mgbako signed with CAA for representation in June. He’s promoted the Google Pixel, appearing in a commercial next to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum and Candace Parker in October. Earlier this week the small forward signed with the energy drink company G Fuel, promoting its new campaign with Grungy Gentleman.
10. Xavier Booker
On3 NIL Valuation: $436,000
Position: Center
On3 Industry Ranking:
College choice: Michigan State
The No. 2 center in the 2023 class, Xavier Booker shut down his recruitment in July when he committed to Michigan State. The top-ranked recruit in the state of Indiana opted to leave behind IU and Purdue, instead heading to another Big Ten school. While he is 6-foot-11 and a post guy, Booker has shown his his ball skills and how fluid he on the offensive side at McDonald’s All-American Game practice. Booker has not yet signed an NIL deal as the state of Indiana does not allow high school athletes to be compensated for their work in marketing campaigns.
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 and exposure.
About On3 NIL Valuation, Brand Value, Roster Value
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 accounts for an athlete’s roster value and brand value. Roster value is the value an athlete has by being a member of his or her team at his or her school, which factors into the role of NIL collectives. Brand value factors in an athlete’s personal brand and the value it could bring to regional and national brands outside of the scope of NIL collectives.