On3's Top 15 NIL Collectives

SEC Teams On The List

2. Spyre Sports Group (Tennessee)
Spyre Sports Group has emerged as one of the most aggressive fundraising NIL entities in college football. They set the bar early in college football recruiting, signing five-star recruit Nico Iamaleava to a deal that could pay him $8 million by his junior year. The quarterback is now set to start this season as a sophomore.

The fundraising efforts haven’t slowed down. Tennessee touts the No. 6 recruiting class in the country according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings and recently picked up the nation’s top-ranked offensive tackle, David Sanders Jr.

“They run a good operation,” an NIL collective executive director told On3. “They’re established and have a lot of money to spend on recruiting in football.”

Led by co-founders Hunter Baddour and James Clawson, The Volunteer Club has grown to 4,191 members, adding more than 1,400 in the last year. Spyre also told On3 it has now procured $30 million in NIL deals for Tennessee athletes since July 2021.

3. Texas One Fund (Texas)
Since bringing together five separate NIL entities to form the Texas One Fund in November 2022, the Texas Longhorns have given Steve Sarkisian every resource to compete. Viewed by peers as one of the wealthiest NIL collectives in the nation, sources tell On3 that it has roughly 60 football players under contract. That number doesn’t include deals it procures for athletes in the local business community. The Texas One Fund also has a working partnership with WME Sports, with a sales team based in Austin working hand-in-hand with the collective ???to support athletes.

With Patrick “Wheels” Smith running day-to-day operations, the collective secured a private jet agreement for Quinn Ewers with Nicholas Air. And the NIL collective recently announced a partnership with the Longhorn Foundation opening up loyalty points to supporters. Donations to Texas One Fund will earn donors five loyalty points per $100.

“They’re ready to adapt to whatever,” a source told On3. “They feel really comfortable where they’re at and already in conversations about what the House settlement could mean.”


6. The Grove Collective (Ole Miss)
In just two years, Walker Jones and The Grove Collective changed the tenor of NIL conversations around the Ole Miss campus. The NIL entity was playing major catch-up when Jones arrived in the fall of 2022.

Since then, Jones has emerged as a leader in the space. He was a Congressional witness last fall. He’s led the Grove Collection Week over the last two years, raising millions in a matter of days while working hand-in-hand with Ole Miss. Jones told On3 the collective now has more than 6,000 members.

“I hate to admit it, but Ole Miss’ marketing strategy is impressive,” a fellow SEC NIL collective said.

The Grove Collective is beginning to take steps to move from a booster-funded collective to a school-financed third-party agency ahead of revenue sharing. With the beginning of the 12-team College Football Playoff, Ole Miss heavily invested in this year’s roster, landing top transfer defensive tackle Walter Nolen and wide receiver Juice Wells, among others.

The Grove Collective currently has 320 athletes under contract along with 85 corporate sponsors.

“Ole Miss and The Grove Collective are moving in the same direction,” a source told On3. “That’s in large part because of Walker. From the jump, I’ve been impressed how they’ve maximized the portal.”


10. Every True Tiger (Missouri)
Missouri and Every True Tiger have set the standard for how NIL collectives will operate in the post-House settlement world. Most donor-funded collectives have opted to raise the majority of their dollars from boosters, but thanks to Missouri’s state law, Every True Tiger has been able to think outside the box.

Specifically, the state law allows the NIL collective to receive institutional funds for distribution to athletes. So Every True Tiger shifted from working as a donor-driven collective to a marketing agency, partnering with Missouri to have athletes promote the Tiger Scholarship Fund.

The structure is viewed as the next possible trend in the NIL collective world when revenue is paid to athletes. Every True Tiger has allowed Missouri to be aggressive this offseason, headlined by Oklahoma offensive lineman Cayden Green.

“Because of the leniency with the state law, the school and NIL collective have been aggressive,” a fellow SEC NIL collective leader said.

11. Texas Aggies United (Texas A&M)
Texas A&M’s NIL market has undergone major change in the last two years. One part hasn’t changed, though: The Aggies have deep pockets.

A large reason behind the early success was The Fund. Operating under the radar since the early days of NIL, no website was listed. Investors in The Fund told The Athletic in April 2022 they didn’t understand why boosters would want to advertise collectives. The Fund supposedly generated tens of millions of dollars.

The Fund officially became public in September 2022, operating under a new name: Texas Aggies United. The collective has over 50 football players and athletes from numerous varsity sports.

12. Yea Alabama (Alabama)
Yea Alabama has served as the primary NIL collective for the Crimson Tide since February 2023 when it launched. But the entity has only ramped up since Kalen DeBoer arrived in Tuscaloosa, with the former Washington head coach embracing the need to offer top NIL opportunities. Alabama cannot operate on the “Nick Saban discount” anymore, an often-used saying to describe why top recruits previously picked the school over other NIL packages.

The collective has focused on creating authentic NIL opportunities for athletes while ensuring it has the budget to retain and attract top talent. Entering Week One, Alabama has the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class in the 2025 cycle.

“I think I’ve been able to do a good job with that,” DeBoer said on a podcast this spring. “I think our staff will have the type of personalities and type of want to just continue to keep the main thing the main thing, and that’s coach these guys up. Understanding, also, that NIL is a part of it.”

15. Arkansas Edge (Arkansas)
Raising NIL dollars remains a challenge for Arkansas when it comes to football, but donors stepped up this offseason to land John Calipari. Part of the came with opening up their pockets to ensure the former Kentucky coach has the NIL dollars to spend on a roster.

Multiple sources have told On3 Calipari is working with an “open checkbook” and will have “at least” $5 million annually in NIL funds to disperse. That number could grow to $8 million, sources have told On3


On3's Top 15 NIL Collectives