Most people think NIL is only for the top Division I athletes, but this is not true. Any college athlete can get an NIL deal! To prove it, here are the top Division II and Division III NIL athletes of 2023:

1. Jack Betts

Jack Betts is a senior on the football team at Amherst College. Betts has been named the “King of NIL,” as he has accumulated over 35 NIL deals. He has had deals with companies such as Allbirds, Bodyarmour, and PBfit and has made over $10,000.

2. Connor Printz

Connor Printz is a senior basketball player at Claremont McKenna College. Printz has almost 1 million total social media followers and has done over 80 NIL deals with companies like Reebok, Powerade, and CVS. Printz recently announced that he would be retiring from college basketball and would be working on social media full-time. However, what he did with NIL in the short amount of time he had was certainly impressive.

3. Dieunerst Collin

You might know him as the “Popeyes Kid” from the meme. Dieunerst Collin is now all grown up and is a sophomore football player at Lake Erie College. The Division II athlete took advantage of his childhood stardom by signing an NIL deal with Popeyes, where the original meme took place. You can now see billboards and other advertisements with Collin's face! Collin was also nominated for the Breakthrough Athlete of the Year at the 2023 NIL Summit.

4. Kaylee Murphy

Kaylee Murphy graduated in 2023, but in the few months she had with NIL deals, she still made a big impact. Murphy played basketball at Division III UC Santa Cruz. Murphy signed an NIL deal with Walkaway Sports and has a t-shirt up for sale. 

5. Jada Byers

Jada Byers is a football player at Virginia Union University. In June, Byers signed a deal with 4th Quarter Performance. The 2022 DII National Offensive Player of the Year was one of the first athletes to sign with 4th Quarter and has made the Division II community proud.

6. Jayden Beloti

Jayden Beloti is a junior on the basketball team at Elizabeth City State University. Beloti started posting TikTok videos with his older brother Brandon and now has over 1 million followers. He has had recent NIL deals with Hulu, Raising Canes, and Amazon Fashion.

Image Credit: Lake Erie College / Amherst College Athletics / UC Santa Cruz Athletics