For their Week 6 bout, conference rivals Colorado Buffaloes and Kansas State Wildcats faced off this Saturday, with star QBs Shedeur Sanders and Avery Johnson at the forefront.
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Colorado’s Shedeur has come a long way since his Jackson State stint, both in terms of his QB play and his NIL valuation. Entering his fourth season, he has already made quite a bit of dough, whereas 19-year-old Avery is just entering his second year in college and first as a starter.
According to ON3, the Buffs quarterback boasts an NIL valuation of $5.8 million, making him the highest-paid athlete in college sports. Avery, meanwhile, has a valuation of a mere $410k.
So, how has Shedeur been able to build such a strong NIL for himself? Playing for Coach Prime and having the last name Sanders certainly helps, but his major valuation comes from deals he’s signed with various brands. His 2024 deal with sports apparel giant Nike made him the first college player to sign an NIL deal with the footwear company.
Shedeur was also signed by Beats by Dre as part of its “Beats Elite” campaign. Additionally, he signed an NIL deal with Gatorade in 2022, becoming the first HBCU player to do so.
Tom Brady’s apparel company also inked a deal with the 22-year-old college athlete. The remainder of his NIL earnings comes from the Buffs4Life NIL Collective and the 5430 Foundation, the latter created specifically for Buffs football players.
Conversely, while Avery is only in his second season in college, he has already caught many eyes. His $410k NIL valuation comes from deals with local brands like Robbins Motor Company, Long McArthur Luxury, 2 Elite Apparel, WTC Fiber, and Onward Reserve, among others.
However, most of his earnings come from Wildcat NIL and The Cat Family Club, a local NIL collective focused on rewarding athletes and attracting top talent.
The Wildcats quarterback also launched new merchandise, including new branded T-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, and sweatshirts. Prices start at $42.99 as he plans to capitalize on his popularity among the fanbase.
Clearly, Avery has a lot of ground to cover before catching up to Shedeur in NIL valuation. But how does he fare on the field compared to the Buffs QB?
Shedeur edges out Avery once again
The Colorado QB has taken his game to the next level since following his father, Deion Sanders, to the Buffaloes. Even when the team is underperforming, he puts up impressive numbers. Let’s also not forget he’s playing behind a below-average offensive line.
This season, in just five outings, he has thrown for 1630 yards on 138 passes with a completion percentage of 70.1%. Additionally, Shedeur added a total of 15 touchdowns but has already thrown three interceptions, the same as the whole of last season.
According to ESPN, Avery, on the other hand, has only passed for 879 yards this season with merely 61.1% accuracy. He has, however, attempted just 126 passes, completing 77. The Wildcats QB has also added a total of 11 touchdowns, turning the ball over 4 times.
Unlike Sanders, who has merely 25 rushing yards, Johnson has shown his talents as a dual-threat QB, adding 371 yards on the ground.
However, stats don’t mean much when you are losing, which is what happened to Colorado. With Travis Hunter injured, the team barely held the lead until the fourth quarter. However, Avery regained the lead with his 50-yard touchdown pass to Jayce Brown, winning the game 31-28.
