According to a recent article in one of the leading advertising industry publications these college athletes have the highest price-per-post now that NIL deals are ramping up. I can't post the entire article for various reasons. And, I withheld the highly technical analysis of how the price per post was calculated - and keep in mind this was only calculated for Instagram. So, when you consider the other social channels you can quickly see how profitable NIL will be for certain athletes.
This analysis was done for the Top 100 most followed college athletes on Instagram. For the top 10 athletes with the highest price per post on Instagram, six of them are basketball players, and five of the Top 10 are female athletes. When NIL was first implemented, I predicted that female athletes would be one of the major beneficiaries regardless of their sport - that certainly seems to be playing out. I'm somewhat surprised by the male athletes that made the current Top 10, although I expect that this will change quickly and often.
While this report focuses on Instagram followings, brands should also take into account athletes’ TikTok followings, with some athletes boasting even bigger followings on that platform, like Oregon’s Sedona Prince (women's basketball) or UCLA’s Kaila Novak (soccer).
If you take a minute and calculate the number of posts these athletes could be making for multiple brands, you can see how quickly the income potential explodes for just one social channel.
NO. 10 JD DAVISON
352,000 Instagram followers, 6,291 TikTok followers
Price per post: $1,394.58
JD Davison is a freshman guard for the Alabama men's basketball team. He already has NIL deals with PSD (Pants Saggin’ Dezign) Underwear, Moneyball Sportswear, and Traphouse clothing. With his Instagram following, it’s estimated he could stand to make more than $1,300 per post.
NO. 9 SPENCER RATTLER
389,000 Instagram followers, 86,300 TikTok followers
Price per post: $1,532.07
Spencer Rattler is the quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. Rattler has trademarked his own logo for his merch line, and already has a few NIL deals. One is with fast-food chain Raising Cane’s, and he also works with PlantFuel, a protein supplement maker. He was also given two cars by Fowler Automotive, a Norman, Ok. car dealership, to promote. Recently, Rattler posted for Champs athletic wear. Rattler donates a portion of his NIL earnings to “help underserved people and underserved communities” according to his Twitter. The quarterback could be bringing in $1,500 per post.
NO. 8 JAHVON QUINERLY
442,000 Instagram followers
Price per post: $1,777.56
Jahvon Quinerley transferred to Alabama from Villanova and is now a guard on the Alabama men’s basketball team. His brother Jaden also plays on the team. The two have a deal with Mobley and Sons, a local men’s clothing store in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Jahvon has also posted for the Conquer app, which finds local pick-up games. He could be set to pull in $1,700 per post.
NO. 7 JORDAN CHILES
444,000 Instagram followers, 237,700 TikTok followers
Price per post: $1,784.52
Jordan Chiles, the Olympic gymnast who won a silver medal in Tokyo this summer, could make $1,700 per post. Chiles, who is a freshman at UCLA, stepped up when teammate Simon Biles withdrew from the competition, taking her place on the balance beam and uneven bars.
NO. 6 HAILEY VAN LITH
705,000 Instagram followers, 56,500 TikTok followers
Price per post: $2,825.62
Hailey Van Lith is a guard for the University of Louisville women's basketball team. She was also a part of the 2018 U.S youth basketball Olympic team. With over 700,000 Instagram followers, she could receive $2,800 per post.
NO. 5 PAIGE BUECKERS
906,000 Instagram followers, 340,000 TikTok followers
Price per post: $3,632.91
Paige Bueckers is a guard for the University of Connecticut's women's basketball team. She’s also the first freshman in women's college basketball history to win the Wooden Award, which is awarded to the most outstanding basketball player each year. She also won the ESPY this year for best female college athlete. Her nearly 1 million Instagram followers mean she could charge $3,600 per post. She has filed a trademark application for "Paige Buckets."
NO. 4 SHAQIR O’NEAL
971,000 Instagram followers, 3.6 million TikTok followers
Price per post: $3,895.97
Shaqir O’Neal, the son of NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, is committed to play basketball for Texas Southern University, an HBCU. He’s another athlete to watch when it comes to his TikTok following. On Instagram, he could be making $3,000 per post.
NO. 3 OLIVIA DUNNE
1.3 million Instagram followers, 4.5 million TikTok followers
Price per post: $5,208.44
Olivia Dunne is a gymnast at Louisiana State University. While her Instagram following could be earning her $5,200 per post, Dunne has one of the most-followed TikToks among college athletes. She recently signed an exclusive brand deal with active wear brand Vuori, and also has a partnership with and stock in PlantFuel, which makes plant-based protein.
NO. 2 SUNISA (SUNI) LEE
1.6 million Instagram followers, 1.6 million TikTok followers
Price per post: $6,403.32
Suni Lee was a member of the 2020 U.S. women’s gymnastics team this summer in Tokyo, taking home the gold in the all-around, as well as a silver team medal and the bronze in the uneven bars. Lee currently attends Auburn University and is a part of its gymnastics team. Her social media reach could earn her around $6,000 per post. She's partnered with Pearson+, which provides access to thousands of digital textbooks.
NO. 1 SHAREEF O’NEAL
2.6M Instagram followers, 1.5M TikTok followers
Price per post: $10,819.51
Another son of Shaquille O’Neal, Shareef O’Neal is a forward for Louisiana State University's men’s basketball team, after transferring from UCLA. With 2.6 million Instagram followers, O’Neal could be making over $10,000 per post. Shareef is currently on Cameo, and has posted for Zoa energy drinks.
This analysis was done for the Top 100 most followed college athletes on Instagram. For the top 10 athletes with the highest price per post on Instagram, six of them are basketball players, and five of the Top 10 are female athletes. When NIL was first implemented, I predicted that female athletes would be one of the major beneficiaries regardless of their sport - that certainly seems to be playing out. I'm somewhat surprised by the male athletes that made the current Top 10, although I expect that this will change quickly and often.
While this report focuses on Instagram followings, brands should also take into account athletes’ TikTok followings, with some athletes boasting even bigger followings on that platform, like Oregon’s Sedona Prince (women's basketball) or UCLA’s Kaila Novak (soccer).
If you take a minute and calculate the number of posts these athletes could be making for multiple brands, you can see how quickly the income potential explodes for just one social channel.
NO. 10 JD DAVISON
352,000 Instagram followers, 6,291 TikTok followers
Price per post: $1,394.58
JD Davison is a freshman guard for the Alabama men's basketball team. He already has NIL deals with PSD (Pants Saggin’ Dezign) Underwear, Moneyball Sportswear, and Traphouse clothing. With his Instagram following, it’s estimated he could stand to make more than $1,300 per post.
NO. 9 SPENCER RATTLER
389,000 Instagram followers, 86,300 TikTok followers
Price per post: $1,532.07
Spencer Rattler is the quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. Rattler has trademarked his own logo for his merch line, and already has a few NIL deals. One is with fast-food chain Raising Cane’s, and he also works with PlantFuel, a protein supplement maker. He was also given two cars by Fowler Automotive, a Norman, Ok. car dealership, to promote. Recently, Rattler posted for Champs athletic wear. Rattler donates a portion of his NIL earnings to “help underserved people and underserved communities” according to his Twitter. The quarterback could be bringing in $1,500 per post.
NO. 8 JAHVON QUINERLY
442,000 Instagram followers
Price per post: $1,777.56
Jahvon Quinerley transferred to Alabama from Villanova and is now a guard on the Alabama men’s basketball team. His brother Jaden also plays on the team. The two have a deal with Mobley and Sons, a local men’s clothing store in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Jahvon has also posted for the Conquer app, which finds local pick-up games. He could be set to pull in $1,700 per post.
NO. 7 JORDAN CHILES
444,000 Instagram followers, 237,700 TikTok followers
Price per post: $1,784.52
Jordan Chiles, the Olympic gymnast who won a silver medal in Tokyo this summer, could make $1,700 per post. Chiles, who is a freshman at UCLA, stepped up when teammate Simon Biles withdrew from the competition, taking her place on the balance beam and uneven bars.
NO. 6 HAILEY VAN LITH
705,000 Instagram followers, 56,500 TikTok followers
Price per post: $2,825.62
Hailey Van Lith is a guard for the University of Louisville women's basketball team. She was also a part of the 2018 U.S youth basketball Olympic team. With over 700,000 Instagram followers, she could receive $2,800 per post.
NO. 5 PAIGE BUECKERS
906,000 Instagram followers, 340,000 TikTok followers
Price per post: $3,632.91
Paige Bueckers is a guard for the University of Connecticut's women's basketball team. She’s also the first freshman in women's college basketball history to win the Wooden Award, which is awarded to the most outstanding basketball player each year. She also won the ESPY this year for best female college athlete. Her nearly 1 million Instagram followers mean she could charge $3,600 per post. She has filed a trademark application for "Paige Buckets."
NO. 4 SHAQIR O’NEAL
971,000 Instagram followers, 3.6 million TikTok followers
Price per post: $3,895.97
Shaqir O’Neal, the son of NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, is committed to play basketball for Texas Southern University, an HBCU. He’s another athlete to watch when it comes to his TikTok following. On Instagram, he could be making $3,000 per post.
NO. 3 OLIVIA DUNNE
1.3 million Instagram followers, 4.5 million TikTok followers
Price per post: $5,208.44
Olivia Dunne is a gymnast at Louisiana State University. While her Instagram following could be earning her $5,200 per post, Dunne has one of the most-followed TikToks among college athletes. She recently signed an exclusive brand deal with active wear brand Vuori, and also has a partnership with and stock in PlantFuel, which makes plant-based protein.
NO. 2 SUNISA (SUNI) LEE
1.6 million Instagram followers, 1.6 million TikTok followers
Price per post: $6,403.32
Suni Lee was a member of the 2020 U.S. women’s gymnastics team this summer in Tokyo, taking home the gold in the all-around, as well as a silver team medal and the bronze in the uneven bars. Lee currently attends Auburn University and is a part of its gymnastics team. Her social media reach could earn her around $6,000 per post. She's partnered with Pearson+, which provides access to thousands of digital textbooks.
NO. 1 SHAREEF O’NEAL
2.6M Instagram followers, 1.5M TikTok followers
Price per post: $10,819.51
Another son of Shaquille O’Neal, Shareef O’Neal is a forward for Louisiana State University's men’s basketball team, after transferring from UCLA. With 2.6 million Instagram followers, O’Neal could be making over $10,000 per post. Shareef is currently on Cameo, and has posted for Zoa energy drinks.
