College football’s 10 highest earning NIL newcomers

7. Caleb Downs, $548K

The only defensive player to crack the top 10 of the incoming freshmen group, Downs’ $548,000 NIL valuation comes fresh off his recent recruiting cycle where the Georgia native slotted in as the second-highest defender in his class. As the No. 8 overall prospect from this year’s group, Downs, like his incoming teammate Kadyn Proctor, began their opening into the NIL space with a meet and greet event through the program.

During his time at Mill Creek High School, Downs finished with nearly five interceptions in all four seasons with the varsity team and featured as a two-way star in the Hawks’ journey to a 7A state championship. Downs had three rushing touchdowns on the day and is hoping to bring that same playmaking ability to Alabama come next season.