$4 million price tag projected if college football WR makes transfer portal decision

The finances of the transfer portal are constantly shifting and adjusting. Before the institution of the revenue sharing cap, some massive numbers circulated: Darian Mensah's $4 million per year deal at Duke was one of the more notable deals. But even in the current portal cycle, there are potential game changers.

A pair of CBS Sports writers, Chris Hummer and John Talty, surveyed the portal world and tried to define the financial grind of acquiring new players. While Hummer and Talty ultimately defined the wide receiver position, one of the higher priced groups, at a high end value of $1 million to $2 million for a top player, they did not include one potential contingency.

Ohio State star Jeremiah Smith is widely considered the top player in college football heading into the 2026 season. For that matter, Smith was arguably the best player in 2025. Hummer and Talty spoke with one Big Ten general manager who said that Smith, were he in the portal, "could command up to $4 million for one year of his services should he transfer."

Before any Buckeye backers lose sanity, Hummer and Talty were careful to note that the issue is hypothetical-- there has been no indication that Smith is even considering entering the portal. The writers noted that the gap of approximately $2 million between Smith and the top value for a portal receiver (at this point, Auburn transfer Cam Coleman). "Smith is a cut above the rest of the sport," they wrote.

Even in CFP defeat to Miami, Smith was indeed standing alone atop college football. After a brilliant 2024 season as a freshman, he ends 2025 with 87 receptions for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns. He finished the year with his sixth 100+ yard game, with a season-best 157 yards on seven catches. He will likely finish re-writing the Ohio State record book in 2026.

On3Sports ranks Smith third in college sports with a $4.2 million estimated NIL valuation. That's more than $1 million ahead of fourth-place Carson Beck (the two players ahead of Smith are Texas QB Arch Manning and college hoops star AJ Dybantsa). On3 ranks Cam Coleman as the second-leading wide receiver in its valuation rankings at $1.8 million.

Among the massive entities that Smith has NIL deals with are Nintendo, adidas, American Eagle, and 7-Eleven. He would likely be the projected top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but he's still a year young to be able to enter the Draft. Accordingly, he's the presumptive 2027 top pick and will have a banner NIL year in college-- although perhaps not as big of a year as he might have on the open market as the potential biggest transfer star ever.