Two College Basketball Players Dominate NIL Market in Latest Rankings

Over the course of 12 months, the name, image and likeness market has been led by two college basketball players. University of Southern California's Juju Watkins is joined by North Carolina's RJ Davis as the leading female and male student-athletes in the NIL business.

According to data from SponsorUnited as reported by ESPN's Michele Steele, the two basketball players have the highest number of endorsements than any other student-athletes during the past year.

Watkins' sophomore campaign came to an abrupt end in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, but her mark on the season went beyond the court. In terms of endorsements, Watkins remains No. 1 among all female collegiate athletes, having 20 NIL deals tied to her name.

Regardless of monetary value, Watkins holds as many endorsements as she does because her personaility is just as top notch as her game. Fans and businesses alike, recognize the value in Watkins both on and off the court.

With Watkins nearing her senior year, it could be interesting to see which female athlete will take her place as the leading woman in NIL deals.

It was further reported by Steele that the data may have "underscored" the marketability of women's sports in general, leaving out the fact that social media following plays a major role. Steele set her assessment in the context of follower counts and engagement, stating that the women "outpace" the men.

Many female college athletes are the perfect example for this. Although Watkins has the most endorsements, fellow competetors are making their rise on socials. UConn's standout guard Paige Bueckers has demonstrated the role that social media plays in the NIL market just during the NCAA Tournament, alone.

Social media following may not be a strong point for the male student-athletes, but the senior Tar Heel guard has demonstrated amazing professionalism in the NIL world. Davis is joined by only two other athletes that started for their teams that hold top endorsement spots.

Davis currently holds the No. 1 spot among male collegiate athletes with 25 NIL deals. He finished his collegiate career with North Carolina as the Tar Heels pushed, unsuccessfully, for a second-round berth in the NCAA Men's Tournament.

As NIL becomes more prominent in the relm of college sports, it seems that basketball players will continue to occupy the top spots in endorsement rankings. Brands such as Raising Cane's, Adidas and EA Sports are just a few of the brands that carry the most deals across all collegiate sports.