Highest-paid college athletes

With the recent changes in NCAA rules about student-athletes' rights to their own NIL, I'm wondering, who is the most financially successful college athlete to date? And how have they leveraged their college experiences to increase their earnings?

Since the NCAA's changes to its name, likeness, and image (NIL) policies in 2021, college athletes have newfound opportunities to monetize their personal brands. However, it's important to note that specific earnings figures usually aren't disclosed publicly, making it somewhat difficult to determine the "highest-paid" college athlete based on NIL deals.

A prominent example is Spencer Rattler, the former quarterback for the University of Oklahoma, who has signed numerous endorsement deals since the NIL changes, including with Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers and a local car dealership. Given his high visibility position and status as a star player, his endorsement deals likely to yield significant earnings.

Another example is Paige Bueckers, a basketball player at the University of Connecticut, who reached a deal with StockX, a popular online resale marketplace. Bueckers' deal was particularly significant as it marked one of the first times a female college athlete leveraged their NIL in such a major way, highlighting the opportunities these changes bring to athletes of all genders and sports.

Perhaps the most interesting NIL journey belongs to twin sisters Hanna and Haley Cavinder of Fresno State’s women's basketball team. They've used their large social media following to secure multiple endorsement deals, including with Boost Mobile and Six Star Pro Nutrition. The twins also signed with NIL representation agency, Playbooked.

It seems the extent to which college athletes can leverage their experiences to increase their earnings depends largely on their visibility, both in their respective sports and on social media. As the NIL landscape continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how college athletes navigate these opportunities and how colleges support their athletes in this endeavor.