The initials NIL now mean something in college football. So which players from the class of 2020 have the most future value based on potential earnings from name, image and likeness? Here’s an educated guess, based on talent and - equally as important - the market they could own.
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RIVALS' NAME, IMAGE & LIKENESS SERIES:
MONDAY: Answers to biggest questions | NIL 101 - Who will make the money?
TUESDAY: Building an athlete's brand
WEDNESDAY: What HS athletes think
THURSDAY: How colleges are handling this
FRIDAY: The most marketable rising freshmen
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1. QB Harrison Bailey, Tennessee
Bailey is a five-star quarterback headed to one of the most rabid college football towns in the country. If he’s successfu,l he could be a star in terms of marketing.
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2. WR Demond Demas, Texas A&M
Hollywood Demas is a flashy kid and an amazing athlete. The Aggies have a great fan base and he could own the market in College Station if he’s as good as I think he will be. He already has over 16,000 Twitter followers and 103,000 Instragram followers, which is more than anyone in the 2021 Rivals100.
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3. WR Zavier Betts, Nebraska
Wait, what? Butts isn’t a five-star, right? Nope, but he’s a top 60 player from the state of Nebraska who stayed home, and if he breaks out, he’ll be a megastar there.
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4. QB Bryce Young, Alabama
The starting quarterback at Alabama should do OK for himself, right? Especially a dynamic talent like Young from California.
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5. QB DJ Uiagalelei, Clemson
DeShaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence have paved the way, and now Uiagalelei can reap the benefits if he follows suit as a Heisman candidate.
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6. RB Bijan Robinson, Texas
The Longhorns are a big deal in Texas, obviously, and if Robinson is as good as expected, he could be the poster child for a program that badly needs a winner.
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7. RB Kendall Milton, Georgia
Running backs at Georgia do pretty well, right? Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb and D’Andre Swift would have wowed the market in Athens. If Milton is next in line, he will cash in.
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8. WR Jordan Johnson, Notre Dame
The quarterback gets all the attention usually, but a five-star Midwest receiver having a huge career at Notre Dame could make him very valuable.
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9. CB Elias Ricks, LSU
LSU defensive backs are marketable as we saw from Tyrann Matthieu and now Derek Stingley Jr., who is just shy of 40,000 Twitter followers as a sophomore. Ricks could really cash in.
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10. OL Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
Offensive linemen are people, too, and Ohio State has a massive national brand and fan base. Think Penei Sewell, but in Columbus. It’s a stretch, I know, but this local could be special.
