Some of the apical assemblage athletes are making millions of dollars.
Name, image, and likeness deals — aliases NIL deals for short — person go a billion-dollar manufacture since their preamble to amateur sports successful 2021, allowing student-athletes to gain important amounts of money.
Plus, successful May 2024, arsenic portion of a awesome antitrust settlement, the NCAA and its 5 powerfulness conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC) agreed that schools tin straight salary their athletes for the first clip successful assemblage athletics history.
This took effect successful July 2025, making the 2025-26 world twelvemonth the first afloat play wherever assemblage athletes could beryllium compensated by their schools.
Spencer Wadsworth, the elder vice president of world shot astatine Wasserman, a world sports, music, and intermezo company, antecedently told Business Insider that NIL has helped return the unit disconnected immoderate athletes to spell pro prematurely.
"I deliberation knowing that you tin still gain immoderate surviving — technically get paid for your athletics — and proceed your studies is highly affirmative because everyone does person their ain journey," Wadsworth said.
The On3 NIL valuation reflects the existent subordinate statement value. The pursuing athletes' valuations are based connected confirmed subordinate contracts, alternatively than an athlete's trading worth aliases endorsement potential.
With valuations starting astatine $5 million, here's a look astatine the apical 10 student-athletes pinch the biggest assemblage compensation packages. These figures were meticulous arsenic of August 2026.
10. Trinidad Chambliss — $5 million
University of Mississippi backmost Trinidad Chambliss is preparing for his 2nd play pinch the Ole Miss Rebels.
Chambliss was the 2025 SEC Newcomer of the Year aft helping lead the Rebels to the College Football Playoff.
In an interview pinch Vanity Fair published successful April, Chambliss said erstwhile he first started college, he budgeted $100 for 2 weeks' worthy of groceries. "It's conscionable chaotic to see, like, the first cheque hit, and it's like, wow, I person that overmuch money. That's crazy," Chambliss said.
Chambliss has a $5 cardinal NIL valuation, per On3. In July, Nike announced that he was 1 of 8 assemblage shot athletes added to its NIL roster.
9. Massamba Diop — $5 million
The 7-foot-1 Gonzaga University center, Massamba Diop, is preparing for his first play pinch the Gonzaga University Bulldogs aft transferring from Arizona State.
Hailing from Rufisque, Senegal, Diop played astir of his hoops profession successful Spain.
"He's conscionable very advanced," erstwhile caput coach Bobby Hurley said astir Diop connected the Bickley & Marotta power show successful February. "He was very well-coached. Very fluid player. Good IQ for the game, very skilled. He conscionable knows not to put himself successful bad positions."
Diop has a $5 cardinal NIL valuation.
8. Thomas Haugh — $5 million
University of Florida guardant Thomas Haugh passed up a projected lottery spot successful the 2026 NBA draft to return for his elder play pinch the Gators.
At 6-foot-9, Haugh led Florida past play pinch 17.1 points per crippled and averaged 6.1 rebounds.
"Florida is going to person the highest-paid subordinate successful each of assemblage hoops this season," CBS Sports expert Matt Norlander said of Haugh's decision to return to Florida successful April.
"Rightfully so. He has put successful the time. He'll beryllium a preseason first-team All-American. He was the cardinal cog connected a nationalist championship-winning team," Norlander added.
Haugh has an NIL valuation of $5 cardinal and was portion of a March Madness NIL run pinch Walmart and Dove.
6. Tyran Stokes — $5 million
University of Kansas defender Tyran Stokes is preparing for his first play pinch the Kansas Jayhawks aft playing for Rainier Beach High School.
The 6-foot-8 guard averaged 31.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 4.0 steals past season.
"Tyran is arsenic versatile a youngster that I've ever recruited. He tin score, and he's a terrific rebounder. He's powerful and tin beryllium a awesome facilitator, and possibly what he does champion is walk the basketball," said Kansas Jayhawks caput coach Bill Self in a property release.
With complete 347,000 followers connected Instagram, Stokes has a NIL valuation of $5 million. He signed an NIL deal pinch Nike successful 2025.
7. Tounde Yessoufou — $5 million
St. John's University helping Tounde Yessoufou is preparing for his first play pinch the Red Storm, having withdrawn from the 2026 NBA draft aft transferring from the Baylor Bears.
"He's a typical talent, and we're excited to person him successful a Johnnies uniform," said caput coach Rick Pitino in a property release announcing Yessoufou's transfer.
Yessoufou has an NIL valuation of $5 million. He signed a woody pinch Reebok successful June. In an Instagram post, the institution wrote that Yessoufou is "one of the game's astir breathtaking rising talents."
5. Jeremiah Smith — $5 million
The Ohio State University wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is preparing for his 3rd play pinch the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Smith has besides been awarded the Ohio State Iron Buckeye for 3 consecutive years.
"He's a gentleman, a precocious characteristic feline who does everything right," Ohio State caput shot coach Ryan Day said during Big Ten media days successful July. "We're very fortunate he's a Buckeye. He's done truthful galore awesome things for us. But he wants this twelvemonth to beryllium his best."
Smith, who has complete 815,000 followers connected Instagram and useful pinch brands for illustration Red Bull and Adidas, has an NIL valuation of $5 million. Most recently, Adidas made Smith the look of the Virginia Adistar Jellyfish sneaker.
4. Dante Moore — $5 million
University of Oregon backmost Dante Moore decided not to participate the 2026 NFL Draft and will alternatively return to schoolhouse for his 3rd play pinch the Oregon Ducks.
Some of the redshirt junior's recent accolades see winning violative MVP astatine the 2025 Capital One Orange Bowl and being a finalist for the 2025 Manning Award. This year, he's connected the Maxwell Award watch database and earned Big Ten Preseason Honors.
"This offseason, maine and my teammates person made tremendous changes to our body, speed," Moore told reporters in an interview astatine the 2026 Big Ten Media Days up of the season.
"Coach Wilson Love, our caput spot coach, has done a awesome occupation conscionable pushing maine successful the weight room, pushing the team, and I benignant of consciousness for illustration there's nary looking backmost now," he added.
Moore has NIL partnerships pinch brands specified arsenic Nike, Beats by Dre, and Panini America. His NIL valuation is $5 million.
3. Flory Bidunga — $6 million
University of Louisville guardant Flory Bidunga will play his first play pinch the Louisville Cardinals aft transferring from Kansas.
On3 and 247Sports classed him No.1 successful the 2026 College Basketball Transfer Portal.
Originally from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Bidunga was named the 2025—26 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12 All-Defensive Team honors. He was besides 1 of 5 finalists for the 2026 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award.
"Flory is simply a crippled changer," said Cardinals caput coach Pat Kelsey, successful a press release announcing Bidunga's signing. "He has an elite expertise to alteration the crippled connected the protect extremity pinch his rim protection and physicality successful the paint."
Bidunga has an NIL valuation of $6 million. Under Armour selected him for its 2025 NIL Collegiate Basketball Class.
2. Milan Momcilovic — $6 million
University of Kentucky guardant Milan Momcilovic is preparing to play his first play pinch the Wildcats, transferring from Iowa State, wherever he played 3 seasons. He withdrew from the 2026 NBA Draft earlier transferring to Kentucky.
Momcilovic, who is 6-foot-8, earned the NABC All-Central District first-team and All-Big 12 second-team honors.
"I do deliberation Milan is simply a really important portion for us. Not because he was early aliases late, because he fits me," Wildcats caput coach Mark Pope said in a July interview pinch Kentucky Sports Radio. "He fits what I attraction about. He fits really we play. He's a veteran, seasoned guy."
Momcilovic has an NIL valuation of $6 million. He landed an NIL woody pinch Paul Miller Ford, a Lexington-based Ford dealer.
1. Darian Mensah — $6.5 million
University of Miami backmost Darian Mensah is preparing for his first play pinch the Hurricanes aft transferring from Duke. The redshirt inferior antecedently spent 2 seasons astatine Tulane and 1 play astatine Duke.
Mensah earned second-team All-ACC and Academic All-ACC honors successful 2025. He was besides a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award, which recognizes the country's apical quarterback.
"A complete professional," Miami caput coach Mario Cristobal said of Mensah successful April. "Ownership of the system, awesome command, personality, limb talent, escapability, pouch presence, accurate, knowledge [and] a awesome power astir him arsenic well. People gravitate to him, and group are attracted to that benignant of energy."
At $6.5 million, Mensah tops On3's NIL 100. Mensah signed an NIL business with luxury-watch trader Derby Watch Supply successful July. Under the agreement, he will beforehand a Rolex Datejust.
Editor's note: This communicative was first published successful August 2024 and was astir precocious updated successful August 2026.
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Roya is simply a newsman connected Business Insider's Editorial Partnerships team. She is based successful London. Before joining Business Insider, she worked arsenic a newsman astatine financial newswire Alliance News and was an intern astatine The Wall Street Journal. Roya graduated from City St George's, University of London pinch an MA successful International Journalism. You tin interaction her via email astatine [email protected].
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