High school NIL recruiting market nearly doubles in one year

Jack Gruber-USA TODAY

By Chris Marler

The market for prospects and players in college sports has exploded. As with most things that inflate over time, it feels like the bubble has to burst at some point. That time is not right now.

On3 has released the current market price for every position in the upcoming 2027 class. The numbers in the market for the upcoming recruiting class are staggering and have risen once again.

NIL Market per position for HS Recruits

Quarterback: $750,000 to $1.5 million

Running Back: $200,000 to $850,000

Wide Receiver: $500,000 to $1 million

Offensive Tackle: $300,000 to $1 million

EDGE/Defensive Line: $500,000 to $1.7 million

Defensive Back: $500,000 to $1.2 million

These numbers reflect value for the top tier prospects. While the numbers are eye catching, what’s most surprising is just how much they’ve risen in a few years.

The NIL market for high school recruits has been lower than players from the transfer portal regardless of their position. That makes perfect sense. A player who has developed more physically at the collegiate level and has been a productive college player should generate a higher value than a 17-18 year old’s projection. The amount this upcoming recruiting class will be getting however, is much closer to what some of the initial portal players were garnering.

Take the quarterback position for example. Just three years ago Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said that a starting quarterback from the portal would cost teams up to $1.5 million. Now, that would be considered a steal after seeing multiple quarterbacks land deals over $5 million.

In December, the Athletic reported the average cost for high school quarterbacks from the previous recruiting cycle nestled somewhere between $100,000 to $300,000. That was five months ago. That has risen almost five times from last year.

Are the prospects getting better? Are the recruits at that position five times as talented in 2027 than they were in 2026? I would have to assume no. But, just like the bubble bursting we aren’t going to find out any time soon.