College football has never been bigger. With the expanded playoff format, a deeper pool of elite talent, and a wave of household names already breaking through, the sport is drawing unprecedented attention from fans and brands alike. Add in the evolution of Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) rules, and today’s athletes are not only competing for championships, they’re building multi-million-dollar personal brands in real time.

This fall, the athletes driving the conversation on and off the field will be central to shaping the business of college sports. From Arch Manning’s generational legacy to Jeremiah Smith’s rise as the best wide receiver in the country to Bryce Underwood’s potential as the face of a new quarterback era, these players represent both the future of the NFL and the present-day marketing opportunity in NIL.

This report spotlights ten of the most marketable stars in college football, each paired with a distinctive monickers capturing their brand. By weighing media visibility, on-field performance and projections, endorsement portfolios, NIL momentum, and positional diversity, this report offers in-depth profiles of the sport’s most marketable athletes—highlighting where attention currently lies, where it’s building, and how brands can align partnerships with the players set to define the season.