It’s no surprise to see former five-star recruit Travis Hunter among the top names in the NIL space. Boardroom breaks down his portfolio.
Travis Hunter was bound to dominate the name, image, & likeness (NIL) industry no matter where he committed to play college football.
You see, Hunter was considered by many to be one of — if not the — top players in the Class of 2022. He was coveted by some of the biggest programs in the country, but the longtime Deion Sanders fan and top-rated cornerback followed Coach Prime to Jackson State. It was an unprecedented move for a player of his caliber, but thanks to his talent and skill, he was still able to agree to numerous NIL deals.
Then, Sanders decided to leave the HBCU for a big-time coaching gig at Colorado. Having entered his name into the transfer portal following the 2022 campaign, Hunter followed his coach again and committed to the Buffaloes despite hefty offers from other programs. Since then, he’s doubled his number of NIL deals. With the 2023 season now here, you can bet he’s not done yet.
Boardroom breaks down the NIL portfolio for Travis Hunter, including his valuation and the deals he’s signed to this point.
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Travis Hunter NIL Market Value
All data via On3.com’s NIL rankings as of Sept. 20, 2023.
- College Football NIL rank: 4
- Overall NIL 100 rank: 6
- Annual Valuation: $2.2 million
- 10-week high: $2.2 million
- 10-week low: $1.5 million
- Total social media followers: 1.8 million (997K on IG, 713K on TikTok, 56K on Twitter)
The above monetary figures are via On3’s NIL Valuation, a proprietary algorithm that “establishes the overall NIL market and projected 12-month growth rate by measuring two categories, Brand Value Index and Roster Value Index.”
“While the algorithm includes deal data, it does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals athletes have completed to date, nor does it set an athlete’s NIL valuation for their entire career.”
Hunter has been one of the big risers in the NIL world since last season. When he signed on with the Michael Strahan Brand (more on that soon), it was just his third NIL deal, according to On3’s deal tracker. At the time, his annual valuation sat at $605,000 — good enough for a top-60 spot in the rankings but a far cry from the top-10, where he currently resides.
So, in the spirit of being extremely clear (and for those who aren’t the biggest fans of math), the star cornerback has more than doubled his valuation in less than a year. If he can continue to show out on a Power 5 level, Hunter’s profile will continue to grow, so it’s a near-certainty that his NIL portfolio will as well.
Notable Travis Hunter NIL Deals
Michael Strahan Brand
Just weeks into his freshman campaign at Jackson State, Hunter teamed up with Michael Strahan on an NIL deal with his lifestyle brand. The Colorado CB was the first NIL athlete under Michael Strahan Brand, and he’ll be featured in multiple brand efforts and advertisements across the company’s platforms through the duration of the deal.
“It means a lot,” Hunter told Forbes. “It really inspires me to do more of the things he’s doing for his brand and his community. … He’s really at the top of what he does. He’s one of the top people you want to work with. He can teach you a lot about what he does.”
NXTRND
When it comes to a deal most related to what Hunter actually does as a football player, his one with NXTRND (Next Trend) probably takes the cake.
More popular among high schoolers, the company is signing Hunter to help promote its football equipment — everything from gloves to sleeves and back plates to visors.
Phil Long Ford
A popular NIL path that many athletes have taken is striking a deal with a local car dealership — that’s what we have here with Hunter and Phil Long Ford.
A sweet ride for Hunter — a Florida native who played high school ball in Georgia — to be able to navigate the Rockies and all.
Other deals: SoHoodie, Actively Black, Celsius Drink, Greenwood
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