{"id":61153,"date":"2026-01-16T22:52:39","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T03:52:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=61153"},"modified":"2026-01-16T22:52:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T03:52:44","slug":"get-rich-in-college-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2026\/01\/16\/get-rich-in-college-sports\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Rich In College Sports?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Dr. Glenn Mollette\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"http:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/glenn-mollette.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/glenn-mollette.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/glenn-mollette-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/glenn-mollette-250x250.jpg 250w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The top 25 highest-paid college athletes by NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) valuation for the 2025-26 season include&nbsp;<strong>Arch Manning<\/strong>&nbsp;with a leading valuation of&nbsp;<strong>$6.8 million<\/strong>, and&nbsp;<strong>Fernando Mendoza<\/strong>, who ranks within the top 25 with a valuation of approximately&nbsp;<strong>$2.6 million<\/strong>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<strong>$2.2 million<\/strong>, depending on the source.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Top 25 Highest Paid College Athletes (2025-26 NIL Valuations)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The following table lists the top 25 athletes based on recent NIL valuations:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Rank&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Athlete<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>School<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sport\/Position<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Estimated NIL Valuation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">1<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Arch Manning<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Texas<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Quarterback<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$5.3M<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;<strong>$6.8M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carson Beck<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Miami (FL)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Quarterback<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$4.3M<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;<strong>$4.9M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">3<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jeremiah Smith<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ohio State<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Wide Receiver<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$4.2M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">4<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AJ Dybantsa<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">BYU<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Basketball \u2013 Forward<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$4.1M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">5<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Garrett Nussmeier<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LSU<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Quarterback<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$3.7M<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;<strong>$3.8M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">6<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LaNorris Sellers<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">South Carolina<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Quarterback<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$3.7M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">7<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DJ Lagway<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Florida<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Quarterback<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$3.7M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">8<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Darian Mensah<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Duke<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Quarterback<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$3.3M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">9<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bryce Underwood<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michigan<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Quarterback<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$3.0M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">10<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">JT Toppin<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Texas Tech<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Basketball \u2013 Forward<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$2.8M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">11<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">John Mateer<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Oklahoma<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Quarterback<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$2.6M<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;<strong>$2.7M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">12<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ryan Williams<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alabama<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Wide Receiver<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$2.6M<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;<strong>$2.7M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">13<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Josh Hoover<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TCU<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Quarterback<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$2.4M<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;<strong>$2.5M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">14<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jayden Maiava<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">USC<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Quarterback<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$2.4M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">15<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Caleb Downs<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ohio State<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Safety<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$2.4M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">16<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ty Simpson<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alabama<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Quarterback<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$2.3M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">17<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yaxel Lendeborg<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michigan<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Basketball \u2013 Forward<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$2.3M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">18<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cade Klubnik<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Clemson<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Quarterback<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$2.2M<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;<strong>$3.4M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">19<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fernando Mendoza<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Indiana<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Quarterback<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$2.2M<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;<strong>$2.6M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">20<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Boogie Fland<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Florida<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Basketball \u2013 Guard<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$2.1M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">21<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dylan Raiola<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nebraska<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Quarterback<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$2.1M<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;<strong>$2.3M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">22<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Taylen Green<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Arkansas<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Quarterback<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$2.1M<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;<strong>$2.6M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">23<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Donovan Dent<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">UCLA<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Basketball \u2013 Guard<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$2.0M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">24<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CJ Bailey<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NC State<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Quarterback<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$2.0M<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;<strong>$2.3M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">25<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sam Leavitt<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Arizona State<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football \u2013 Quarterback<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>$2.0M<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;<strong>$3.1M<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fernando Mendoza \u2013 not the highest paid but doing well.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Major Endorsement Portfolio:<\/strong>\u00a0Fernando Mendoza\u00a0has secured partnerships with major brands, including Adidas, Dr Pepper, T-Mobile, Keurig, Epic Games, and Royal Canin.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Heisman Recognition:<\/strong>\u00a0He recently won the Heisman Trophy, an achievement that significantly boosts an athlete&#8217;s market value and earning potential.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Authentic Persona:<\/strong>\u00a0Mendoza is known for his dedication, leadership, and open discussions about his faith and his mother&#8217;s battle with MS, which contribute to a positive public image and brand appeal beyond just his on-field performance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Projected NFL Future:<\/strong>\u00a0As a projected first overall pick in the NFL Draft, his current high NIL valuation is seen as a way to &#8220;layer leverage&#8221; on his future professional contract negotiations.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>General NIL Trends<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Quarterback Premium:<\/strong>\u00a0Elite quarterbacks dominate the highest NIL valuations, becoming the primary &#8220;luxury assets&#8221; for top programs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Transfer Portal as Free Agency:<\/strong>\u00a0The transfer portal has amplified the role of NIL, with top players often receiving multi-million dollar offers from NIL collectives when they transfer to new schools. This essentially functions as a form of free agency within college sports.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Direct School Payments:<\/strong>\u00a0A significant new development for the 2025-26 season is that some schools can now directly pay athletes through a revenue-sharing model (up to approximately\u00a0<strong>$20.5 million<\/strong>\u00a0per year), in addition to third-party NIL deals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Valuation Factors:<\/strong>\u00a0An athlete&#8217;s NIL valuation is not a fixed salary but an estimated projection based on performance, social media following (specifically Instagram is a major determinant), media exposure, and family legacy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Compliance Challenges:<\/strong>\u00a0The rapid growth of the market and the new rules have led to concerns about non-compliance, as the value of reported deals appears to be a fraction of the actual money changing hands.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>However, the majority of college athletes will have to settle for a scholarship or even a partial scholarship.<\/strong>&nbsp;In 2026, the landscape of college athlete compensation is divided between direct payments from schools and external marketing deals. While high-profile athletes earn millions, a vast majority of the&nbsp;approximate&nbsp;<strong>200,000&nbsp;NCAA student-athletes<\/strong>&nbsp;do not receive direct pay for their participation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Dr. Glenn Mollette\u00a0 The top 25 highest-paid college athletes by NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) valuation for the 2025-26 season include&nbsp;Arch Manning&nbsp;with a leading valuation of&nbsp;$6.8 million, and&nbsp;Fernando Mendoza,&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":214,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"wpai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":true,"token":"eyJpbWciOiJodHRwczpcL1wvaTAud3AuY29tXC9sYWtlbGFuZGdhemV0dGUuaW5mb1wvbmV3c1wvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAxOVwvMDZcL2dsZW5uLW1vbGxldHRlLmpwZz9maXQ9MzAwJTJDMzAwJnNzbD0xIiwidHh0IjoiR2V0IFJpY2ggSW4gQ29sbGVnZSBTcG9ydHM_XHUwMGEwIiwidGVtcGxhdGUiOiJoaWdod2F5IiwiZm9udCI6IiIsImJsb2dfaWQiOjE2MzA0MDY2MX0.Pc1kV2uxj4Z9GqcNxzSnZK8it6GiD-iWRJWLcfZtKbQMQ"},"version":2,"attached_media":[{"id":214,"url":"http:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/glenn-mollette.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}]},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[9],"tags":[13240],"class_list":["post-61153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-get-rich-in-college-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61153"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61154,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61153\/revisions\/61154"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}