USC Basketball: Bronny James' NIL Valuation Dips In New Year

This is surprising.

While he's played well, Bronny James isn't USC's best player. 

Despite that, he's the face of the program, and that's been reflected in his NIL valuation. 

James at one point led the nation in NIL valuation, but after his cardiac arrest incident, he slipped down a few spots, losing around $660,000 of value. 

With James returning not too long ago, the expectation was that his value would return to what it was pre-injury, but it's shockingly slipped even further. 

Per On3.com, Bronny has seen his value drop another $2K,  now sitting just under $6 million, versus the $7.2 million valuation he received back in July. 

He remains the top NIL athlete in the country, but the drop-off is certainly noticeable, and in a way, pretty hard to explain. 

Given that he's returned, the fact that his value hasn't increased from what it was after the injury is surprising, as it's far easier to market a player who is actually playing. 

Beyond that, having dealt with the medical issue that he did, it can be assumed that he'd have more possibilities for endorsement deals, as he could easily become one of the faces of combatting heart-related issues as a high-level athlete, aiding in the marketing of medications, healthcare software, and more. 

As James continues to play, it's easy to see a scenario where his value returns to where it was pre-injury, but at the same time, the original value might've been overestimated. 

The Trojans will continue to get more attention entering conference and postseason play, so we'll get an idea pretty soon.