SEC Scouts NIL Weekly: SEC Locks In Uniform NIL Contracts While Texas Tops a $53.5 Million Roster Market

The biggest NIL development in the SEC this month didn't involve a single player — it involved all of them. SEC presidents voted to adopt a standardized NIL and revenue-share contract, effective immediately, making the SEC the second power conference to move to uniform athlete agreements, according to CBS Sports. Per On3's Pete Nakos, the contract template includes adjustable components that let each school customize sections while keeping the core terms consistent across the league. The presidents also tabled a vote on reinstating an intra-conference transfer policy that would have required athletes moving between SEC schools to sit out a season.

The move lands against a shifting national backdrop. The Big Ten followed its own uniform-contract adoption with a new rule this week capping institutional spending on athletes at $49 million per school, with penalties for programs that exceed it. Meanwhile, administrators across college sports are waiting on a House vote on the Protect College Sports Act, expected after the November midterm elections. Whether the SEC follows the Big Ten toward a hard spending cap is now the question hanging over every collective in the conference.

Biggest Deals

Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss — The highest-valued football player in the SEC by On3's deal-based model at $5 million, Chambliss is expected to earn between $5 million and $6 million in NIL money this season at Ole Miss, per The Athletic's David Ubben. His portfolio keeps growing: according to On3, Chambliss signed an NIL deal with Mama Justice Law Firm that includes launching a scholarship program, adding a local anchor to a national slate that already includes a Nike roster spot and an AT&T commercial.

Milan Momcilovic, F, Kentucky — The headline number in SEC basketball. Veteran reporter Adam Zagoria reported Momcilovic's agreed-upon NIL deal with Kentucky is north of $6 million, with other reports placing it in the $6 million to $6.5 million range — up from roughly $2 million last season. The investment looks sound: SEC coaches named the 6-9 senior to the preseason All-SEC second team on October 29, and he projects as the first option in the Kentucky offense.

Kamario Taylor, QB, Mississippi State — The retention story of the month. Per Sports Illustrated, Taylor turned down a reported $4 million offer to enter the transfer portal and will remain with the Mississippi State Bulldogs. In a market where quarterbacks command the biggest checks, a player declining a seven-figure raise to stay put says as much about Mississippi State's own NIL commitment as it does about Taylor.

SeatGeek's 2026 class — The ticketing platform signed seven college football players to NIL deals, including two SEC defensive backs: Alabama cornerback Dijon Lee and LSU cornerback PJ Woodland. Terms were not disclosed, but the deal continues the trend of national consumer brands building multi-player college portfolios rather than betting on one star.

Rising Stock

Model Price's deal-informed valuations, updated October 16, show where performance is moving the market. South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart sits near $4.8 million, among the highest defensive valuations in the country. Oklahoma defensive lineman David Stone ($3.6 million) and Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop ($3.3 million) both rank among the SEC's most valuable non-quarterbacks. In basketball, Florida's Thomas Haugh carries a $5 million estimated market value per The Sideline, and Kentucky's Malachi Moreno joined Momcilovic with preseason All-SEC recognition from the league's coaches, a visibility bump that typically precedes valuation growth.

School Spotlight

Texas is winning the NIL game by the numbers. Model Price ranks Texas quarterback Arch Manning first among all college football players at $6.7 million and puts the Longhorns' roster payroll at $53.5 million, the highest in the sport. Oklahoma, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and LSU all join Texas among the nation's top-10 roster payrolls — six SEC programs in the top ten. Zoom out and the scale is staggering: The Sideline estimates the 16 SEC programs hold approximately $837.8 million in aggregate NIL roster market value. No other conference approaches that figure.

Market Trends

Three patterns defined the month. First, quarterbacks still own the top of the market — Manning, Chambliss, and LSU's Sam Leavitt ($4.5 million per Legion Report) occupy the highest football valuations in the league. Second, the valuation business itself matured: On3 moved on July 1 to a deal-based model that reflects actual contract value rather than projected marketing potential, narrowing the gap between published numbers and real money. Third, retention deals are the new battleground. Taylor's declined $4 million offer and Chambliss's season-long Ole Miss agreement show SEC programs now spend as aggressively to keep players as to acquire them, and the new standardized contracts are built to make those retention terms enforceable.

Looking Ahead

The transfer portal opens January 4, and the tampering accusations have already started. Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea re-signed with the Huskers for 2027 after Nebraska's staff publicly accused multiple SEC programs of pursuing him before the portal window, per CBS Sports — a preview of the quarterback bidding wars coming this winter. On the recruiting front, ESPN reports Florida surged into the top five of the 2027 class rankings after a five-star flip, and an AP analysis projects only 53 percent of top recruits from SEC-state territory will stay home for 2027, down from 72 percent in 2022. Expect SEC collectives to spend heavily to reverse that leak, with the league's new uniform contracts as the vehicle.

Sources: CBS Sports, On3, Saturday Down South, On3 — Chambliss/Mama Justice, Sports Illustrated — Kamario Taylor, On3 — SeatGeek, A Sea of Blue — Momcilovic NIL, UK Athletics — All-SEC, Model Price NIL Rankings, The Sideline NIL Tracker, Legion Report, CBS Sports — Colandrea, ESPN — 2027 class rankings