Julian Lewis, a high school junior in Georgia, drives to school in a Tesla Cyber truck, priced at $79,000, a Lamborghini Urus, priced at $241,843, and a Dodge Ram TRX, priced at $98, 335. How was he able to do this? The answer is simple; he used his talents as an athlete to earn large quantities of money by the NIL. Julian Lewis, referred to as “Juju”, was ranked as the second football athlete on the 2025 ESPN 300 list of the top recruits in the country. 

Due to recent federal and state legislation, high school and college athletes can be recruited for NIL to make money. NIL is an acronym for Name, Image, and Likeness.  It refers to a person's legal right to control how their image is used, in any way, shape, or form. NIL was created for the main purpose of people to buy more of a certain brand, while using a well-known person to bring more interest. NIL also pays the person used for branding, so they are more likely to use them as a type of sponsor. Moreover, NIL is an excellent way for athletes to earn money from using their appearance or name in branding. 

This system for getting paid has changed from college to high school. Depending on the state laws, NIL can have no limit on the age of the sponsor. Many opportunities to gain financial benefits for student athletes have been created by the NIL. Students can profit these attributes through brand sponsorships, social media endorsements, public appearances, selling merchandise, and other activities, allowing them to earn money while still in school. public appearances, selling merchandise, and other activities.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association regulates NIL, which approved the interim policy in 2021, and provides guidelines for NIL. The new rule, effective on August 1, 2024, due to a settlement with the NCAA, allows universities to directly pay athletes for NIL activities, transforming athletes into potentially university employees. This had an impact on the previous rules, where schools couldn’t pay athletes directly from the NIL, and instead, athletes monetized their brands through private companies. 

The highest-paid NIL player is Arch Manning, a quarterback for the University of Texas with an estimated NIL valuation of $6.8 million as of August 2025. He has established partnerships with major brands such as EA Sports, Red Bull, Uber, and Vuori. Second among college football players with a $4.3 million NIL valuation is Carson Beck (Miami QB). The highest-paid women’s athlete is Livvy Dune (LSU Gymnast), with a value of $4.1 million. The highest-paid BYU College Basketball player is AJ Dybantsa, with a value of $4.1 million, including a $7 million deal with the BYU NIL collective. The NIL allows high school athletes to be financially compensated for their personal brand(s), ending a long history of the NCAA’s rules. Kendrick Law, a graduate from Captain Shreve, received NIL from On3 and likely has other deals given the rule changes that allowed college athletes to profit from their NIL, though the specific terms are not public. His value was listed at $94.53 on On3. While On3 does not disclose the financial terms of deals, the fact that he is listed on their tracker confirms that he has benefited from NIL opportunities. 

Furthermore, the earnings from NIL are taxable, which helps students responsibly manage their finances. If a student considers going pro in sports, they should pursue NIL because it offers real-world business experience, financial security beyond an athletic scholarship, and a platform for building a personal board.