College sports like NCAA Football and College Basketball might be on summer break, but behind the scenes, agents and athletes are working hard to secure the next big Name Image Likeness (NIL) deal.
Schools make big money off their top athletes, and as of just a few years ago, college athletes are now able to get endorsements and other deals related to their fame and recognition.
Let’s check out which NCAA athletes have scored the biggest NIL deals.
1. Cooper Flagg – Duke Basketball – $28M
One and done? Not a bad deal for Cooper Flagg, the Duke Basketball star who played just one season before declaring himself eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft.
Flagg racked up the Gatorade National Player of the Year in high school, and quickly followed that up with the Naismith College Player of the Year and AP National Player of the Year.
Per year, some sources say Flagg’s deals work out to just over $4 million. But the total of $28 mil – from Fanatics ($15M) and New Balance ($13M) – over the next several years is still pretty sweet for a college kid.
Flagg’s NIL deal will soon look like peanuts compared to the money he’ll make in salary and endorsements in the NBA, however. His initial contract alone is expected to be in the area of $60 million over the next 4 years.
2. AJ Dybantsa – BYU Basketball – $7M
With Cooper Flagg leading the way for NIL mega-deals last year, this year it’s AJ Dybantsa who’s ready to cash in.
Dybantsa has yet to play a minute in college basketball, but as the nation’s #1 recruit coming out of high school, he has received plenty of interest from advertisers.
Nike and Red Bull are the big names that Dybantsa landed on his way to an estimated $7 million this year. And schools are getting in on the action too, now paying certain athletes (on top of the free education). BYU apparently paid big money to land Dybantsa, the superstar that many are calling the best basketball prospect in years.
He’s already working out in the offseason with players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, and soon the young phenom will be playing against them. But a well-paid stopover at BYU comes first.
3. Arch Manning – Texas Football – $6.5M
With easily the most recognized family name when it comes to playing quarterback, Arch Manning is already a lucrative NIL earner as he heads into his sophomore season at Texas.
With grandad Archie and uncles Peyton and Eli all starring in the NFL at various points over the past several decades in the NFL, it seems like Arch has been primed for elite QB status his whole life.
And now Red Bull is giving him wings with a big NIL deal, along with Panini trading cards, Vuori clothing, Uber, and EA Sports College Football 25. When your likeness is already in a video game at the age of 20, you might be a star.
Manning backed it all up on the field this season, stepping in seamlessly for starting QB Quinn Ewers when needed and putting up big numbers both passing and running the ball.
4. Carson Beck – Miami Football – $4.8M
The Georgia QB is now the Miami Hurricanes QB, after a $4.5M NIL deal offered by the ‘Canes after the most recent college football season.
Beck is also a Beats by Dre endorser, and the Hurricanes are hoping he quickly finds rhythm with his new wide receivers.
It’s big money but maybe not surprising when you win the title of Mr. Football in the Florida high school system and follow it up with huge stats and two national championship titles in NCAA Football.
This will be Beck’s final season in college football, and no matter where he goes in the next NFL draft, he’s already playing with house money.
5. Livvy Dunne – LSU Gymnastics – $4.1 million
The highest earner in women’s college sports, Livvy Dunne has a long list of sponsors to supplement her gymnastics efforts.
Through savvy social media and high-level performance on the gym floor, Dunne has secured NIL deals with Sports Illustrated, Crocs, Nautica, Vuori and a handful of other sponsors.
She’s determined to spread the wealth too. Dunne created The Livvy Fund back in 2023 to create more NIL opportunities for LSU female athletes and to advocate for gender equality and representation in sports.
6. Jeremiah Smith – Ohio State Football – $4M
The highest earning NIL player who’s not a quarterback (or basketball player or gymnast), Jeremiah Smith is a star wide receiver who’s catching all kinds of deals.
With a freshman year where he set all kinds of records (with numbers like 76 receptions, 1,315 yards, and 15 touchdowns), Smith might head to the NFL before long. He’s committed to the Buckeyes for the 2025-26 season though, so get ready to see him become more of a household name even before he makes the leap to the big leagues.
His NIL deals include the Mark Wahlberg Auto Group, Nintendo, Lululemon and a number of other brands.
7. DJ Lagway – Florida Football – $3.8M
The Gators’ star QB has a long list of NIL deals already as he heads into his sophomore season. It’s especially impressive since he signed them all as a teenager, and he’ll only hit age 20 a few weeks before the 2025-26 NCAA football season starts.
Lagway might be better off named Swag-way with his Lamborghini NIL deal, showing off his flashy new corporate sponsor on social media regularly.
On top of his many other NIL deals, Lagway is also giving back. He provided a six-figure deal to support women’s athletics at the University of Florida, and he has also provided funds for several local charities and disaster relief organizations.
NIL deals are growing and have become part of the landscape for college football, college basketball and a number of other sports. Even high school players are getting into the NIL action already, and next year’s list of top NIL earners might include high schoolers like Jackson Cantwell, Jared Curtis and Caleb Holt.
