RallyFuel introduces NIL Trophy Case, a unique feature for tracking athlete visibility during major award seasons—currently focusing on the Heisman Trophy, the Naismith Award, the Wooden Award, and the Hobey Baker Award.
The Heisman recognizes college football’s top player. The Naismith and Wooden Awards go to the top men’s and women’s basketball players. The Hobey Baker Award honors the top college hockey player.
The NIL Trophy Case will track the NIL visibility of top contenders for the major awards at various points throughout the year. For instance, the Heisman Trophy tracker will begin in August with a list of candidates for the Heisman race. In November, it will feature key upcoming games for the top contenders. Another key time period for the Heisman is early December, when voting begins, finalists are announced, and the trophy is presented in mid-December. The NIL Trophy Case also provides leaderboards for schools and fans, as well as predictions for each award.
Winning a major award instantly boosts an athlete’s NIL value by raising their profile, attracting brand attention, and creating new endorsement opportunities. This effect is not limited to football—it applies across all major college sports. RallyFuel built the NIL Trophy Case so fans can spot rising stars early and back them before their visibility—and NIL value—skyrockets.
When the 2025 college football season started, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was something of an unknown. He’d been a better-than-average starter for a 6-5 California team. His transfer to Indiana netted him around $1 million from the Hoosiers’ collective. But Mendoza didn’t have a high NIL profile at the start of his first season in Bloomington. Fuel Fernando Mendoza on RallyFuel.
That changed rapidly as Mendoza led the Hoosiers to their first national title and a historic 16-0 NCAA season. By December, he won the Heisman Trophy, becoming one of the most recognizable faces in college football. His NIL valuation soared from $1 million to $2.6 million within months and continues to grow. Fuel Fernando Mendoza on RallyFuel. Mendoza, along with the other 2025 winners, was Duke’s Cooper Flagg, South Carolina’s Juju Watkins (Naismith Award and Wooden Award), and Michigan’s Isaac Howard (Hobey Baker Award). Flagg’s 2025 NIL valuation was $4.8 million, and Watkins’ was around $800,000. Howard used his NIL potential for another season at Michigan to leverage a three-year, $2.85 million deal with the National Hockey League’s Edmonton Oilers.
Experience the full NIL Trophy Case—join RallyFuel today and back your favorite rising stars. Explore the full NIL Trophy Case here.
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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