Washington's Top NIL Players Entering College Football Playoff
The Washington Huskies are the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff and will take on the No. 3 seed Texas Longhorns in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.
The other CFP matchup will pit the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide against the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines in the Rose Bowl.
The Huskies earned their way into the playoff with a 13-0 season and a Pac-12 Championship.
While the game is the draw, this is also a chance for Washington players to boost their value in Name, Image and Likeness, especially if they expect to return to college football in 2024.
With NIL, these games and the attention they provide offer each of them a chance to benefit financially — especially those are in the Top 5 in valuation among Huskies players, per On3.com.
Not surprisingly, the top valuation belongs to Huskies quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist, Michael Penix Jr.
Penix, playing his sixth year of college football, was the Pac-12 Championship Game MVP and finished the season with 4,218 yards passing and 33 touchdowns, while tossing just nine interceptions.
The redshirt senior — who should be off to the NFL after this season — has a valuation of $1.8 million. He’s the only Husky over $1 million in valuation.
Penix has an NIL deal with adidas, Celsius and apparel company Simply Seattle, among others.
One of his wide receivers, Rome Odunze, is next at $644,000 in valuation. Odunze was one of the most productive wide receivers in the country in his fourth college season, as he caught 81 passes for 1,428 yards and 13 touchdowns. It was his second straight season with at least 75 receptions and more than 1,000 yards receiving. He is eligible for the NFL Draft.
Odunze and Penix were the first two college football players to enter into an NIL deal with adidas.
Third for the Huskies is their talented offensive tackle, Roger Rosengarten. The redshirt sophomore has a value of $568,000. He’s part of a talented offensive line that has kept Penix well-protected all season.
Like most Huskies, he partners with the school's NIL partner, Montlake Futures.
Bralen Trice, one of the Huskies’ best edge rushers, is fourth with a valuation of $395,000. As a redshirt junior, he could go to the NFL after this season. He had 41 tackles this season, with five sacks and a fumble recovery. He figures to have a big impact on the Sugar Bowl.
Rounding out the Top 5 in valuation is another wide receiver in Ja’Lynn Polk, who has a value of $386,000. Like Odunze, he’s had a tremendous season on the field, with 60 catches for 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns entering the Sugar Bowl. Polk also has his own clothing deal with Simply Seattle.
