Purdue Guard Braden Smith Among Top Sellers at NIL Store in August
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Even outside of basketball season, Purdue guard Braden Smith is one of the most popular figures in college sports. He was among the top-selling male athletes at the NIL Store for August.
This week, the NIL Store revealed its list of the top-10-selling male athletes of August. Smith ranked No. 4 on the list and was the only college basketball player to make the list. The other nine athletes are all football players.
👀 Our Top-Selling Male Athletes 👀
— The NIL Store (@nil_store) September 11, 2025
- Jeremiah Smith: Best WR, Top Seller
- Noah Knigga makes his debut in the rankings
- Big Ten leads all conferences with six athletes pic.twitter.com/3aqsETBjgN
The NIL Store did not release the total sales numbers for the month; however, Smith's ranking is just further proof that he's one of the most popular figures in college athletics.
Here's the social media post from the NIL Store, which shows the complete top 10 for the month.
If Smith ranks fourth in August, he'll likely catapult up the rankings when the college basketball season officially tips off in November.
Smith receives mention from ESPN's Dick Vitale
In late August, ESPN college basketball analyst and broadcaster Dick Vitale gave plenty of props to Smith, who is entering his senior year in West Lafayette. He labeled the 6-foot guard as a first-team "All-Rolls-Royce" player ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
"The maestro, the conductor, the Diaper Dandy-turned-veteran PTPer. The Bob Cousy Award winner led the entire nation last season in assists," Vitale wrote. "He's the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, a first-team All-American, and when you're breaking conference records for dimes, you're the Rolls-Royce of point guards. He's Purdue's straw that stirs the drink."
Smith is coming off a 2024-25 campaign in which he was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, the Bob Cousy Award winner (top point guard), and was a first-team All-American. The point guard averaged 15.8 points, 8.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game.
Entering his senior season, Smith will be one of the top candidates to win the National Player of the Year award.
Related stories on Purdue basketball
PURDUE OFFERS RALPH SCOTT: Purdue has extended an offer to another prospect in the 2026 recruiting class. The Boilermakers have shown interest in 6-foot-7 forward Ralph Scott. CLICK HERE
SMITH'S RIDICULOUS STAT LINE: In just three seasons, Purdue guard Braden Smith has already accomplished something that no other Big Ten basketball player has done. CLICK HERE
PAIR OF BOILERS NAMED TO 'ALL-ROLLS-ROYCE' TEAM: College basketball guru Dick Vitale recently released his preseason "All-Rolls-Royce Team" for the 2025-26 season. Which Purdue players made the cut? CLICK HERE
Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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