USC's JuJu Watkins, UNC's RJ Davis Lead All College Athletes in NIL Deals, Report Says

Many college athletes are benefiting from some kind of NIL deal these days, but a handful of athletes have been more successful in the NIL world than others.

Per ESPN's Michele Steele, USC star JuJu Watkins and North Carolina's RJ Davis lead all male and female athletes in NIL endorsements over the past 12 months. According to Steele, Davis has 25 NIL deals while Watkins has 20.

Steele noted that Arizona punter Cash Peterman has 21 NIL deals, Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter has 19 and Texas star quarterback Quinn Ewers and LSU basketball's Trace Young each have 17 deals.

Just behind Watkins on the women's side are UConn's Paige Bueckers and Oregon's Deja Kelly, who have 16 each, followed by LSU's Flau'jae Johnson. Twin sisters Haley and Hanna Cavinder of Miami have 18 deals combined.

While college football is the most popular college sport by far, basketball players have managed to capitalize on NIL deals. According to SponsorUnited CEO Bob Lynch, several factors lead to basketball controlling the NIL market.

"Basketball consistently dominates NIL deals because it perfectly combines visibility, personality and cultural impact," Lynch said, per Steele.

Lynch added that the rise of players like Watkins and Caitlin Clark has helped the marketability of women's basketball. Female athletes have also outperformed male athletes on social media in recent years.

While Watkins and Davis led the nation in NIL deals, they might not be earning as much as other athletes. According to On3's NIL valuations, Texas quarterback Arch Manning has the highest NIL valuation at $6.5 million, followed by Duke basketball's Cooper Flagg and Miami quarterback Carson Beck, both of whom are in between $4 and $5 million.