With players being able to profit off of their Name, Image and Likeness in 2021, the future of college athletics changed for ever.What started off as an idea where players would partner with a local taco joint or coffee shop to earn some cash has since transformed into athletes earning millions of dollars. In fact, the money in college sports has been so lucrative that the number of underclassmen declaring for the NFL draft has decreased dramatically.While numbers are often hard to verify because these dealings happen in the shadows, On3 has been at the forefront of assigning values to the athletes. After modifying their model, there is a new No. 1 athlete in college in terms of NIL Valuation.No. 1 ranked NIL Valuation in college sportsMiami Hurricanes cheerleader runs across the field with a 'U" flag during the first half against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect"As of July 1, 2026, the On3 NIL Valuation moved from an algorithm-based model to a deal-based valuation model, "Pete Nakos of On3 wrote. "Today, the On3 NIL Valuation reflects the current player contract value."Leading the way at a whopping $6.5 million is Miami Hurricanes quarterback Darian Mensah. The San Luis Obispo, California, native started his career as an overlooked recruit at Tulane. He then transcended into one of the most talented gunslingers in the country, making millions to transfer to Duke, before receiving even more money to leave for Miami.This past season for the Blue Devils, Mensah threw for 3,973 yards with 34 touchdowns to six interceptions. He also led Duke to its first outright ACC title since 1962.Here is how the rest of the list shakes out in the top 10.NEW: Top 10 On3 NIL Valuations in College Sports💰https://t.co/UvYa8usnp8 pic.twitter.com/G9rXzBKGTq— On3 (@On3) July 14, 2026Surprisingly, 60% of the top 10 is comprised of basketball players, with Kentucky's Milan Momcilovic coming in as the No. 2 athlete. Had he declared for the 2026 NBA Draft after his junior year at Iowa State, there was a high probability that Momcilovic would be a second-round pick or even go undrafted. Instead, he is making millions and has a chance to boost his draft stock in a big way.Another notable observation about the new NIL Valuations rankings is the fact that just four of the top 30 athletes are transfers, with Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith coming in as the highest-ranked non-transfer at No. 4. Only time will tell when it comes to knowing if these investments pay off, but the biggest spenders often have more than enough money to take big swings.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow