Cooper Flagg hasn’t played a single game for the Duke Blue Devils yet, and already he has the highest NIL valuation of any college basketball player in the world.
Since a June 2021 Supreme Court ruling, the NCAA has allowed college athletes and recruits to financially benefit from their name, image and likeness (NIL), through endorsement deals, personal appearances and the sale of memorabilia.
According to On3.com, a college sports media outlet formed in August 2021 by the founder of 247 Sports and Rivals.com, Flagg’s total NIL valuation stands at approximately $1.4 million — seventh highest among all college athletes regardless of class, sport or gender.
Furthermore, the 17-year-old Newport native is the highest-valued college freshman across all sports and has seen a $300,000 increase to his NIL valuation since late April.
On3 says it accounts for an athlete’s social media exposure, verified deal data, performance and school among other factors when compiling its overall NIL valuation. Ahead of Flagg are five college football stars plus Louisiana State gymnast Olivia Dunne.
Leading the pack is Shedeur Sanders ($4.9 million), Colorado senior quarterback and son of head coach Deion Sanders, a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Sanders is followed by Dunne ($3.9 million), Texas quarterbacks Arch Manning ($3.1 million) and Quinn Ewers ($1.7 million), Sanders’ teammate Travis Hunter ($2.6 million) and Alabama junior quarterback Jalen Milroe ($1.7 million).
Flagg currently has more than 776,000 followers on Instagram, which is more than Manning (nephew of Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning), Milroe and Ewers combined (651,000). Dunne has 5.3 million Instagram followers, and Sanders has 1.8 million.
Among men’s college basketball players, the next-highest valuation is owned by junior guard Hansel Emmanuel ($1.2 million; 16th overall), who plays for Austin Peay State University and has 1.6 million followers on Instagram. He gained social media fame in high school for excelling without his left arm, having lost it at the age of six.
Flagg’s valuation is expected to increase in the wake of his highlight-filled scrimmages with USA Olympians, and once again when the basketball season begins. Duke’s first game will be at home against the University of Maine, on Nov. 4.
Last week, Flagg became the first basketball player since Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors All-Star) in 2013 to win Mr. Basketball USA, the Naismith High School Player of the Year Award and the Gatorade Male Player of the Year Award.
