College football’s landscape has changed dramatically with Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals. Players can now earn real money while still in school—sometimes a lot of it.
Barstool Sports recently ranked the top 25 college football NIL earners for the 2025 season. The list gives us a peek at the wild world of college football finances and asks: did these players really earn their massive paychecks?
Top NIL Earners: A Mixed Bag of Results
Looking through the top earners, it’s clear not every investment paid off. Some players shined, but others, well, not so much.
Let’s check out a few of the biggest names—both the standouts and the ones who left fans scratching their heads.
Arch Manning, QB, Texas – $6.5M
Arch Manning topped the list, but his season was rocky. At first, folks doubted his performance, though he did manage to finish strong.
Maybe he didn’t quite justify that $6.5M just yet, but if Texas makes a championship run next year, all bets are off.
Carson Beck, QB, Miami – $4.2M
Carson Beck’s year with Miami was solid. The Hurricanes missed the conference title game on a tiebreaker, but Beck still led them to the playoff.
That $4.2M? It doesn’t seem wasted.
Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State – $4.0M
Jeremiah Smith might be the best player in college football right now. He looked every bit worth his $4M deal.
Still, if Ohio State doesn’t win it all, the season will feel like a letdown.
D.J. Lagway, QB, Florida – $3.8M
D.J. Lagway’s year at Florida? Pretty disappointing. With Jon Sumrall taking over as coach, maybe next season will be better and that $3.8M won’t look so questionable.
Lanoris Sellers, QB, South Carolina – $3.7M
Lanoris Sellers didn’t come close to matching last season’s performance. Honestly, his $3.7M deal is hard to defend after this year.
Mid-Tier Earners: Hits and Misses
The middle of the pack was all over the place. Some guys delivered, others not so much.
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU – $3.6M
Garrett Nussmeier’s time at LSU was rough. The team even fired their head coach mid-season, and his $3.6M deal didn’t look like money well spent.
Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson – $3.3M
Cade Klubnik couldn’t recapture his earlier form. Clemson missed the conference championship, which stings in a down year for the ACC.
Drew Aller, QB, Penn State – $3.2M
Drew Aller took plenty of heat as Penn State’s season unraveled. The coach got fired, and the $3.2M spent on Aller raised eyebrows among fans.
Nico Iamaleava, QB, Tennessee/UCLA – $3.1M
Nico Iamaleava’s season was a rollercoaster. He ended up transferring to UCLA, and his $3.1M didn’t translate to steady success.
Sam Leavitt, QB, Arizona State – $3.0M
Sam Leavitt’s year was cut short by injury. He’s now in the transfer portal, so that $3M investment looks pretty risky in hindsight.
Lower-Tier Earners: Varied Outcomes
Even the lower-tier earners pulled in some serious cash. Some made it count, others… not really.
Darian Mensah, QB, Duke – $2.8M
Darian Mensah led Duke to an ACC championship, which is no small feat. Still, Duke as a whole left fans wanting more.
John Mateer, QB, Oklahoma – $2.7M
John Mateer didn’t move the needle much for Oklahoma. The defense did most of the heavy lifting.
Ryan Williams, WR, Alabama – $2.7M
Ryan Williams slipped behind other Alabama receivers this year. At $2.7M, that’s not what the school had in mind.
Josh Hoover, QB, TCU – $2.6M
Josh Hoover’s season was just okay. Too many interceptions, and TCU never looked like real contenders.
Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State – $2.4M
Caleb Downs was a bright spot on defense for Ohio State. He probably earned his $2.4M, but again, the team’s season will be judged by championships.
Additional Notable Earners
There were a few more names worth mentioning, each with a big NIL deal and a season that drew plenty of attention.
C.J. Bailey, QB, NC State – $2.3M
C.J. Bailey was fun to watch, but he couldn’t fix all of NC State’s problems. His $2.3M deal? Kind of a toss-up.
Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas – $2.1M
Taylen Green had a decent season. But he couldn’t quite lift Arkansas to a higher level, which makes his $2.1M price tag a bit questionable.
Dylan Raiola, QB, Nebraska – $2.0M
Dylan Raiola’s time at Nebraska was tough. The $2M deal didn’t really move the needle for the team.
Jackson Arnold, QB, Auburn – $1.9M
Jackson Arnold couldn’t live up to his high school hype at Auburn. That $1.9M deal? It’s hard to see it as a win.
Nick Singleton, RB, Penn State – $1.8M
Nick Singleton wasn’t even Penn State’s best running back this year. Fans weren’t thrilled with how he was used, considering his $1.8M deal.
Conclusion: The Gamble of NIL Deals
The top 25 college football NIL earners for the 2025 season show just how unpredictable these investments can be. Some players lived up to the hype and their price tags.
Others, well, they didn’t quite deliver, which probably left a few teams scratching their heads. The NIL landscape keeps shifting, and honestly, who’s to say where it’s headed next?
If you want the full breakdown of the top 25 college football NIL earners, check out Barstool Sports.
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