College football is a big business these days, and quarterbacks are among the biggest beneficiaries in the system. Just look at the numbers.
On3’s Pete Nakos released a list on Thursday of their site’s valuations for how much money each quarterback in college football could be making. They have Arch Manning as the runaway leader with a valuation of $6.8M. Carson Beck, who was enticed to leave Georgia and transfer to Miami, is second at $4.3M.
No other quarterback on the list has a valuation greater than $4M, though everyone else in the top 10 has a valuation above $3M. Those are estimated figures about a quarterback’s NIL value based on their popularity, name recognition, demand as a transfer and social media following.
There is plenty of money to be made in college football, which is why many quarterbacks who have questionable futures as a professional try to extend their eligibility. Some have even taken a legal route to stay in school longer, which is a concept that would have been unheard of years ago.
Manning having the highest valuation at nearly double many of the other top quarterbacks is not a surprise. He is going to be the starting quarterback at one of the most premium-brand schools in Texas. He also has more name recognition than anyone in college football since he is carrying on the Manning family quarterback legacy.
Manning does not take full advantage of his ability to make money and instead is more selective about what endorsement deals he signs. He was even able to negotiate with EA Sports separately to appear in their video game. The real trick for Manning will be to live up to the hype. Texas has made the College Football Playoff two years in a row, including the national championship game last season. The only way to exceed that is by winning it all this season.
