Colorado football claims two of top three spots in NIL athlete value rankings
At 6-2, the Colorado Buffaloes football team enters Saturday's game against Texas Tech ranked 21st in the most recent AP Top 25 football poll.
That might not be the list that matters most to the men in Boulder.
Colorado football players claimed two of the top three spots in On3's list of the Top 10 NIL deals. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders and cornerback Travis Hunter ranked first and third, at $6.2 million and $3.4 million, respectively.
Coming in second between the two Buffaloes is LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne at $4 million. Even though she was not among the top scorers when the Tigers marched to their first NCAA gymnastics title in April, Dunne's 5.3 million Instagram followers would likely agree with her ranking. She is the only female athlete in the Top 10, per On3.
Coming in at No. 4 is Texas quarterback Arch Manning. Similar to Dunne, Manning isn't No. 1 on the quarterback depth chart in Austin. But his famous lineage — grandson of Archie Manning, nephew of Eli and Peyton — has lent the Longhorns' QB2 enough fame to cash in without the pressure of facing opposing pass rushers every Sunday. According to on On3, Manning's NIL valuation sits at a cool $3.1 million.
Duke men's basketball player Cooper Flagg checks in at No. 5 on the list at $2.6 million according to On3, followed by Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe at $2.2 million. Miami quarterback Cam Ward is next at $2.1 million, according to On3. A guard on the Crimson Tide's basketball team, Mark Sears, is next at $2.1 million.
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel is next at $2 million, followed by University of North Carolina guard RJ Davis at $2 million.
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