Jimmy Horn Jr. made a name for himself last week by delivering a visual treat for the home fans during the Colorado Buffaloes’ season opener win against NSDU. By the end of the game, Horn Jr. had amassed 198 receiving yards on 7 receptions and scored a touchdown, quickly becoming a fan favorite. As it turns out, this surge in popularity led to his NIL valuation skyrocketing by more than double.
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Before entering Week 1, the 21-year-old wide receiver was valued at $212,000—an impressive amount given that he didn’t see much of the spotlight in his first season as a Buffalo. However, he wasn’t about to let his second chance with the program go to waste this year. He became one of the most impactful factors for the Buffs in last week’s win, leading to a 119 percent increase in his NIL valuation.
Currently, the young receiver is valued at $454,000, which is a stark rise of $247,000 in just the first week. However, this sudden rise in his valuation is not just a result of his performance but also because of the popularity he gained from it.
After Horn Jr. emerged victorious against NDSU, he rapidly gained 50,000 new followers on his Instagram. His current IG following stands at 176,000, which makes him a sensational figure on a sensational team under a bold head coach like Deion Sanders.
With that being said, Horn Jr. wasn’t obviously the only one to gain significantly from last week’s victory.
The surge in NIL valuations for Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders
It would be an easy guess to name Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter as the two highest-valued NIL players on the CU roster. As expected, their valuations continue to grow with every game they play, and their Week 1 matchup against NDSU was no exception.
Hunter gained a meager $85,000 in his valuation, accounting for just a 3 percent rise in his NIL portfolio. He currently ranks as the fourth highest-valued NIL player in the NCAA with a valuation of $2.7 million, just behind Arch Manning ($3.1 million), who is still a backup to Quinn Ewers. Travis has also established himself as a standout two-way player, raking in snaps like no other college player.
Meanwhile, Shedeur, who is the highest-valued athlete in college, gained a remarkable $751,000 in his NIL money since last week. This translates to a whopping 16 percent hike. He is currently valued at $5.4 million, significantly ahead of the second most valued athlete, LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne ($3.9 million).
Other CU superstars like Shilo Sanders and Jordan Seaton are high up on the valuation list as well. Where Shilo is valued at $1 million after just a 1 percent hike from week 1, freshman OT Seaton is enjoying a $835,000 portfolio.
Now, with a tough rival game against Nebraska looming large, the CU players have to pull through to keep their stocks bullish.
