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Ex-Ohio State Coach Delivers Verdict on Arch Manning’s Reported $6.5 Million NIL Valuation

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt De Lima | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 5:36 PM ET

The NIL deals being signed by college athletes continue to climb, and in most cases, it's not about raw talent, but rather about players with high visibility who have built up a brand.

One such example is Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, who hasn't yet made a significant impact on the field, but with his family's pedigree, everyone already knows his name and expects a lot from this 21-year-old.

During a recent episode of the "Bobby Carpenter Show," Anthony Schlegel, who has had two stints with the Ohio State Buckeyes, his alma mater, as an assistant strength and conditioning coach, predicted Manning would have to lead the nation in NIL valuations.

"People that were returning that would require the dollar amount, Arch Manning would be that guy," said Carpenter as he was trying to recall the best players in the sport.

Some of the notable leaders in College Football NIL

Arch Manning $6.5 Million
Carson Beck $4.3 Million
Jeremiah Smith $4 Million

"People that were returning that would require the dollar amount, Arch Manning would be that guy."

-@schlegelvellie when guessing the top spot pic.twitter.com/IPSn4yiJ0W
— Bobby Carpenter Show (@BobbyCarpShow) June 2, 2025

Schlegel and Carpenter were reviewing a top 10 list of college football players and discussing how Manning was ranked at No. 1 with a $6.5 million valuation. Carpenter, another Ohio State alumnus who played for the Buckeyes from 2002 to 2005, pointed out Manning's NIL total comes from endorsements only, not from Texas' boosters.

Top 10 On3 NIL Valuation Rankings

(Note: This list features only college football players.)

Texas QB Arch Manning: $6.6 million
Miami QB Carson Beck: $4.3 million
Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith: $4 million
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier: $3.7 million
South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers: $3.7 million
Florida QB DJ Lagway: $3.7 million
Clemson QB Cade Klubnik: $3.3 million
Penn State QB Drew Allar: $3.1 million
Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt: $3 million
Michigan QB Bryce Underwood: $2.9 million

Manning has established partnerships with Red Bull, Panini America, Uber and EA Sports.

In April, Manning and clothing brand Vuori agreed to a deal that sent his valuation to its current estimate.

Texas is projected to have spent somewhere between $35 and $40 million on NIL deals, according to Kirk Bohls of the Houston Chronicle.

In his report, Bohls quoted a source that believes these years of big spending won't last, even among the nation's best programs.

“It’s just unsustainable,” the source said via Bohls. “The next season after this year, the whole world will be back to reality.”

Texas begins its 2025 college football season against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Aug. 30, in what will be a College Football Playoff rematch from last season. OSU beat Texas in the CFP semifinal, 28-14.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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