Texas Longhorns, Colorado Buffaloes Dominant in Latest NIL Rankings

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AUSTIN -- The Texas Longhorns have unsurprisingly been one of the leaders in the world of NIL for college athletes, and it's hard to argue this has played a major role in the program's recruiting pull over the past two seasons.
Texas' NIL dominance is likely here to stay next season thanks to some big-time names on the roster, but the Colorado Buffaloes and celebrity head coach Deion Sanders are continuing to show why Boulder is turning into the Hollywood of college football.
On3 revealed its latest NIL rankings on Tuesday. Texas and Colorado were in exclusive company in the top four.
Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders topped the list with $4.7 million in estimated NIL valuation while Texas backup signal-caller Arch Manning was in a distant second at $2.8 million. Colorado star receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter was third at $2.3 million followed by Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers in fourth at $1.9 million.
Here are the full rankings:
1 - Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders - $4.7 million
2 - Texas QB Arch Manning - $2.8 million
3 - Colorado WR/DB Travis Hunter - $2.3 million
4 - Texas QB Quinn Ewers - $1.9 million
5 - Alabama QB Jalen Milroe - $1.6 million
6 - Georgia QB Carson Beck - $1.5 million
7 - Oregon WR Evan Stewart - $1.4 million
8 - Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart - $1.4 million
9 - Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel - $1.3 million
10 - Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava - $1.2 million
Manning is the only backup quarterback in the top 10 yet slides in at No. 2 behind Sanders. It's crazy what being a part of a Hall-of-Fame family can do in the world of NIL.
Texas AD Chris Del Conte Lays Out Future Of Longhorn Facilities
The Longhorns will still be led by Ewers next season, but Manning is officially the backup after Maalik Murphy transferred to Duke this offseason. During his first year on the Forty Acres, Manning appeared in two games and went 2 of 5 passing for 30 yards.
Texas will kickoff the 2024 season against Colorado State on Saturday, Aug. 31.
Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7
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