College Football QB NIL Rankings Missing One Prominent Name

This 22-year-old signal-caller is missing from College Front Office top 10 SEC quarterback NIL valuations for the 2026 season.

Georgia Bulldogs' Gunner Stockton (14) did not appear on a recent NIL valuation list ranking the top 10 valuations among SEC quarterbacks. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

College Front Office published its 2026 ranking of the top 10 SEC quarterbacks by estimated NIL value last week, and the list reads like a who's who of the conference's most discussed passers heading into fall camp.

Texas star Arch Manning leads the way at $6.80 million, followed by LSU transfer Sam Leavitt and Ole Miss returner Trinidad Chambliss at $6.00 million apiece.

One returning starter from the reigning SEC champion is nowhere to be found. Georgia's Gunner Stockton, the quarterback who steered the Bulldogs to a conference title and a College Football Playoff appearance in 2025, did not make the cut.

Why Stockton was left off the list

Stockton's absence isn't a snub of his play. It's a snapshot of the model.

On3 currently pegs Stockton's NIL valuation at $1.4 million, which places him just below the $2.00 million floor needed to crack the CFO top 10. Vanderbilt's Jared Curtis and Auburn's Byrum Brown both came in at that figure to round out the rankings.

The Top 10 SEC quarterbacks for 2026, ranked by estimated NIL value → https://t.co/zmRvCjnZhI pic.twitter.com/jeT58JVtcJ

— College Front Office (@CollegeFrontOfc) May 9, 2026

The gap also reflects a choice Stockton made in February. His representative, Faryn Healy of ESM, told On3, "He did not feel an announcement was necessary as he is a player who would never consider transferring. He could have earned two to three times more by entering the portal, but Gunner bleeds red and black."

That decision left real money on the table while quarterbacks like Leavitt and Chambliss cashed in through the transfer market.

Stockton 2026 outlook and Georgia expectations

The valuation gap is striking when you stack it against production. Stockton threw for 2,894 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions in his first year as the full-time starter, earning third-team All-SEC honors and outperforming several quarterbacks ranked ahead of him on the CFO board.

His brand portfolio is also building quietly. Stockton has secured partnerships with PruittHealth, eBay, CAVA, HEYDUDE Shoes and Onward Reserve, with the PruittHealth deal landing in late April.

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) could have cashed in to boost his earnings by entering the transfer portal this offseason, instead opting to return to the Bulldogs. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Stockton should factor into the Heisman Trophy conversation in 2026 after finishing seventh last year with three first-place votes, six second-place votes and 22 third-place votes.

Assuming the Bulldogs make a deep playoff run, such a result would almost certainly push his market value closer to the conference's top tier, regardless of which model does the math.