Conference NIL Power
Men’s basketball in the Big Ten Conference is as strong as ever in the 2025-26 season. The Big Ten currently boasts two undefeated teams (Michigan and Nebraska), while Michigan State, USC and Purdue each have one loss, and Iowa and Ohio State each have only two losses.
Of the conference’s 18 teams, only 5-6 Rutgers has a losing record in early-season play. From top to bottom, the conference is loaded with marquee players who hold significant earning potential in the NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) world.
Here’s a look at the Big Ten men’s basketball players with the best NIL deals and the biggest earnings potential:
YAXEL LENDEBORG, MICHIGAN
This 6-foot-9 Dominican-American forward is a prime example of a big-time college star in the era of the transfer portal and NIL. Already 23, Lendeborg is at his third school. He attended Arizona Western (a junior college) and UAB before transferring to Michigan. But Lendeborg almost never made it to Ann Arbor. While in the process of transferring to Michigan, he entered the NBA Draft process and was projected as a late-first-round pick. Michigan reportedly offered him $3 million in guaranteed NIL compensation to pass on the draft and join the Wolverines. It’s all working out nicely for Lendeborg and Michigan. He’s averaging 16.4 points and 7.2 rebounds, and the Wolverines are off to a 10-0 start.
BRADEN SMITH, PURDUE
Believe it or not, one of the nation’s top point guards was lightly recruited out of high school, even though he won the coveted Indiana Mr. Basketball award as a senior. He had several offers from smaller schools, but Purdue was the only major-conference program to offer Smith a scholarship. At Purdue, Smith has had a stellar career. He was a first-team All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year while winning the Bob Cousy Award during the 2024-25 season. This season, Smith is averaging 12.7 points and 9.2 assists. Along the way, he has become enormously popular in Indiana and beyond. At the same time, Smith’s NIL earnings have skyrocketed. He has deals with Stanley and HeyDude Shoes, and replicas of his jersey are among the top-selling items across all college sports at the NIL Store. His estimated NIL valuation is about $2 million.
BENNETT STIRTZ, IOWA
After stops at Northwest Missouri State and Drake, Stirtz joined the Hawkeyes this season. He’s been an instant star, averaging 17.9 points per game while leading Iowa to an 8-2 record. Stirtz hasn’t quite reached the Caitlin Clark level of popularity, but he’s gaining ground. Sales of his jerseys have been spiking at the NIL Store, and his fast-rising NIL valuation currently sits at around $1.7 million.
JEREMY FEARS JR., MICHIGAN STATE
The veteran point guard forever endeared himself to the Michigan State faithful by turning down a reported $4.5 million NIL deal to transfer to rival Michigan after last season. Fears cited loyalty to his teammates and the chance for the Spartans to have a huge 2025-26 season as his reasons for staying in East Lansing. He already had a lucrative deal with his hometown Chicago White Sox, who have been aggressive in landing appearance and autograph deals with top college athletes in the Midwest. Fears has an NIL valuation of around $2 million, and his decision to stay at Michigan State is paying dividends. So far this season, he’s averaging close to a double-double (11.2 points and 9.7 assists per game) as the Spartans are off to a 9-1 start.
MOREZ JOHNSON JR., MICHIGAN
This 19-year-old sophomore forward spent last season at Illinois before becoming part of a spending spree by Michigan. In Lendeborg and Johnson, the Wolverines essentially purchased one of the nation’s top frontcourts. Johnson has been earning solid money through Opendorse by offering appearances and engagements. He’s also producing on the court, averaging 12.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game for the nation’s second-ranked team.
BRUCE THORNTON, OHIO STATE
The senior point guard came up huge with 23 points in Saturday’s 89-88 double-overtime victory against West Virginia. Thornton showed he’s one of the best players in the country by scoring 14 points in the two overtimes and hitting the game-winning shot with three seconds remaining. He’s averaging 21.6 points for the 8-2 Buckeyes. Around Columbus, Thornton may be overshadowed by some of Ohio State’s football players in terms of NIL popularity. But he is, by far, the biggest thing on the basketball team and is making substantial money through The Foundation, Ohio State’s collective.
ANDREJ STOJAKOVIC, ILLINOIS
The son of former NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic, this 6-foot-7 small forward is on his third school and playing in his third conference in three years. Highly recruited out of high school, Stojakovic spent his freshman season at Stanford before transferring to Cal, where he averaged 17.9 points per game last season. At Illinois, he looks comfortable so far, averaging 15.5 points per game. While in the transfer portal before announcing his deal with Illinois, Stojakovic used the “Do Not Contact” tag, streamlining the process and indicating he already had some pre-arranged NIL deals.
RIENK MAST, NEBRASKA
At 24, this native of the Netherlands is one of the oldest players in college basketball. After playing professionally in the Dutch Basketball League, Mast spent a redshirt year before playing three seasons at Bradley. He transferred to Nebraska for the 2023-24 season and has blossomed into a star, averaging 17.9 points per game this season. With an interesting backstory, Mast has seen his jerseys rank among the top NIL Store sellers, and he’s also pulling in money from engagements and interactions on Opendorse.
TREY KAUFMAN-RENN, PURDUE
Like his teammate Braden Smith, Kaufman-Renn also attended high school in Indiana and enjoys enormous popularity within the basketball-crazy state. After averaging 20.1 points per game last season, he entered this year with huge expectations. His early-season production has been hampered by injuries, but he’s still averaging a double-double (13.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game) for a 10-1 team ranked No. 6 in the current Associated Press poll. Most of his earnings come through the Boilermaker Alliance, Purdue’s collective, and he also has a deal with CVS.
DONOVAN DENT, UCLA
The Bruins reportedly offered Dent an NIL deal worth around $3 million to entice him to return to the Los Angeles area, where he was raised. That move made sense, as the point guard was one of the biggest names in the transfer portal prior to this season. He spent the last three seasons at New Mexico, where he was the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year last year. At UCLA, Dent got off to a slow start while dealing with early injuries. He’s healthy now and has thrived in his last three games, averaging 14 points and seven assists.
Learn More About the NIL Landscape
Name, Image, and Likeness plays an increasing role in college sports, and understanding how it works often requires more than individual articles or news updates.
RallyFuel is a platform focused on NIL-related topics across college athletics. It brings together information about athletes, NIL activity, and the broader structure behind modern college sports, helping readers explore the topic in more depth.
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