Unexpected Name Tops Oregon Ducks' NIL Player Valuations

When it comes to Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals, the Oregon Ducks have an edge in creative deals for their athletes.

oregon ducks nil deals evan stewart dante moore dan lanning makhi hughes dillon gabriel dillon thieneman theran johnson sadiq — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field ahead of the game as the Oregon Ducks host the Boise State Broncos Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

A new list of college football NIL valuations ranked the top Oregon football players’ valuations. The rankings were topped by an unexpected name.

Evan Stewart Tops List

It’s Ducks’ wideout Evan Stewart who leads the team in NIL valuation. The senior’s valuation sits at $1.7 million. Stewart also has 280,000 followers on Instagram, 2.1 million followers on TikTok and 29,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter).

Stewart is the only returning player from Oregon’s 2024 season to rank in the top five, with the other four all transferring in. He captured the attention of Ducks fans in his 12 starts on Oregon’s offense last fall. The wideout caught 48 passes for 613 yards and five touchdowns in 2024.

While Stewart starred on the Ducks’ offense last season, a timeline for his return to the field is unknown. The wide receiver is currently out to start the season with a torn patellar injury.

Dante Moore Ranks Outside Of Top Five

Meanwhile, former five-star quarterback Dante Moore didn’t even crack the top five. Dan Lanning and Oregon haven’t named a starting quarterback for 2025, but many fans anticipate Moore getting the nod.

Moore is set to enter his redshirt sophomore season with the Ducks. After Oregon rostered Heisman Trophy finalist quarterbacks, the past two seasons, Moore could make it three years in a row. The quarterback’s NIL ranking may come as a surprise given his large social media following and notable NIL deals.

Following a recent Oregon practice, Moore gifted his teammates with Beats by Dre headphones. The Ducks’ 2024 quarterback, Cleveland Browns’ Dillon Gabriel, was a part of Beats by Dre’s 2024 class. Moore made the nine-player list in the third annual class.

“Just understand, like a kid from Detroit, I think I would never, ever do a deal with Beats,” Moore said. “Of course, growing up, I always had the wired headphones. I always wanted to wear Beats and wear that, but understand that I can give back to my team and make sure that we have headphones for the year. It's pretty dope. So, like a lot of deals come through Oregon for a reason, and I'm blessed to have them.”

Moore's NIL valuation is currently $640,000, according to On3’s NIL tracker. Other members of the Beats Elite class have valuations north of $2 million, which was close to where Gabriel was valued by the end of last season.

Earning a starting quarterback gig for a program like the Ducks is a quick way to secure NIL deals. If Moore ends up as Oregon’s starter and helps the program to another successful season in the Big Ten while having personal success, there’s good chance that he’ll leapfrog several teammates in NIL valuation by the end of the season.

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