Get Rich in College Sports?

Get Rich in College Sports?

Submission by Dr. Glenn Mollette

College sports have entered a new financial era. For the 2025–26 season, the top 25 college athletes by NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) valuation are earning sums once reserved for professional stars.

Leading the list is Texas quarterback Arch Manning, whose NIL valuation is estimated as high as $6.8 million. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza also ranks among the top 25, with an estimated valuation ranging from $2.2 million to $2.6 million, depending on the source.

These figures reflect how dramatically the college athletics landscape has shifted in just a few years.

Top 25 Highest-Paid College Athletes (2025–26 NIL Valuations)

Rank Athlete School Sport / Position Estimated NIL Valuation
1 Arch Manning Texas Football – Quarterback $5.3M–$6.8M
2 Carson Beck Miami (FL) Football – Quarterback $4.3M–$4.9M
3 Jeremiah Smith Ohio State Football – Wide Receiver $4.2M
4 AJ Dybantsa BYU Basketball – Forward $4.1M
5 Garrett Nussmeier LSU Football – Quarterback $3.7M–$3.8M
6 LaNorris Sellers South Carolina Football – Quarterback $3.7M
7 DJ Lagway Florida Football – Quarterback $3.7M
8 Darian Mensah Duke Football – Quarterback $3.3M
9 Bryce Underwood Michigan Football – Quarterback $3.0M
10 JT Toppin Texas Tech Basketball – Forward $2.8M
11 John Mateer Oklahoma Football – Quarterback $2.6M–$2.7M
12 Ryan Williams Alabama Football – Wide Receiver $2.6M–$2.7M
13 Josh Hoover TCU Football – Quarterback $2.4M–$2.5M
14 Jayden Maiava USC Football – Quarterback $2.4M
15 Caleb Downs Ohio State Football – Safety $2.4M
16 Ty Simpson Alabama Football – Quarterback $2.3M
17 Yaxel Lendeborg Michigan Basketball – Forward $2.3M
18 Cade Klubnik Clemson Football – Quarterback $2.2M–$3.4M
19 Fernando Mendoza Indiana Football – Quarterback $2.2M–$2.6M
20 Boogie Fland Florida Basketball – Guard $2.1M
21 Dylan Raiola Nebraska Football – Quarterback $2.1M–$2.3M
22 Taylen Green Arkansas Football – Quarterback $2.1M–$2.6M
23 Donovan Dent UCLA Basketball – Guard $2.0M
24 CJ Bailey NC State Football – Quarterback $2.0M–$2.3M
25 Sam Leavitt Arizona State Football – Quarterback $2.0M–$3.1M

Fernando Mendoza: Not the Highest-Paid, But Doing Very Well

Fernando Mendoza may not top the list, but his success illustrates how NIL value is shaped by more than just statistics.

  • Major endorsement portfolio: Mendoza has secured partnerships with Adidas, Dr Pepper, T-Mobile, Keurig, Epic Games, and Royal Canin.
  • Heisman recognition: He recently won the Heisman Trophy, a milestone that significantly elevates an athlete’s market value and earning potential.
  • Authentic persona: Known for his leadership, discipline, and openness about his faith and his mother’s battle with multiple sclerosis, Mendoza’s public image extends well beyond the field.
  • Projected NFL future: As a projected first overall NFL Draft pick, his current NIL valuation is viewed as a way to layer leverage ahead of professional contract negotiations.

Several clear trends explain why NIL money has exploded:

  • Quarterback premium: Elite quarterbacks dominate NIL rankings, becoming the primary luxury assets for top college programs.
  • Transfer portal as free agency: The transfer portal now functions much like free agency, with top players receiving multi-million-dollar NIL offers when switching schools.
  • Direct school payments: Beginning in the 2025–26 season, some schools can directly pay athletes through revenue-sharing models of up to approximately $20.5 million per year, in addition to third-party NIL deals.
  • How valuations are calculated: NIL valuations are projections—not salaries—based on performance, media exposure, social-media reach (especially Instagram), and, in some cases, family legacy.
  • Compliance concerns: Rapid growth and evolving rules have raised concerns that reported deal values may represent only a portion of the actual money changing hands.

Despite these eye-catching figures, most college athletes will never see this kind of money. The majority will rely on full or partial scholarships, and many will receive no direct compensation at all.

As of 2026, college athlete compensation is divided between direct payments from schools and external marketing deals. While a small group of high-profile athletes earn millions, the vast majority of the roughly 200,000 NCAA student-athletes do not receive direct pay for their participation.

College sports can make a few athletes rich—but for most, the promise remains far more modest.



Support Christian Journalism

Freedom ​is Not Free! Free Speech is essential to a functioning Republic. The assault on honest, Christian Journalism and Media has taken a devastating toll over the last two years. Many Christian media outlets have not survived.

It is through your Generosity and Support that we are able to promote Free Speech and Safeguard our Freedoms and Liberties throughout our Communities and the Nation. Without your donations, we cannot continue to publish articles written through a Biblical worldview.

Please consider donating or subscribing today. A donation of any size makes a Big Difference. Thank you for your Support!

Katy and Fort Bend Christian Magazines

Katy and Fort Bend Christian Magazines have over fifteen years of experience in getting Christian-centered messages out to the Greater Houston area and national communities on issues of significant sociocultural and economic interest and represent the only suite of family-oriented publications of its kind in the Houston metropolitan region. As a gold standard in parachurch publications, Katy and Fort Bend Christian Magazines pride themselves on the values of enterprise, family, and truthfulness, and have helped foster a culture of fearless honesty, rigor of business and industry, and interconnected networking among the readership.