College Football NIL Market: What Each Position Gets (2026)
Updated October 12, 2026
The going rate for a Power 4 starter at every position, from published market surveys and reported deals, so you can quote the market instead of the ask.
| Position | Starter range | Rotation range | Deals (2026) | Board pays | Budget share | Backed by |
|---|
| QBQuarterback | $1.5M to $2.0M to $4.0M | $750K to $1.0Mdepth $96K to $240K | 8 reported | $1.3M | 5.0% | Deals |
| RBRunning back | $700K to $775K to $850K | $250K to $300Kdepth $37K to $93K | 1 reported | $357K | 1.3% | Thin |
| WRWide receiver | $500K to $650K to $3.2M | $300K to $500Kdepth $31K to $78K | 2 reported | $251K | 0.9% | Thin |
| TETight end | $550K to $600K to $650K | $126K to $315Kdepth $200K to $300K | survey only | $222K | 0.9% | Survey |
| OTOffensive tackle | $500K to $750K to $4.0M | $300K to $500Kdepth $36K to $90K | 3 reported | $422K | 1.5% | Thin |
| IOLGuard / center | $550K to $600K to $650K | $126K to $315Kdepth $200K to $300K | survey only | $234K | 0.9% | Survey |
| EDGEEdge rusher | $600K to $800K to $1.0M | $300K to $500Kdepth $38K to $96K | 5 reported | $1.2M | 4.5% | Deals |
| IDLInterior D-line | $1.0M to $1.1M to $1.1M | $250K to $500Kdepth $50K to $126K | survey only | $1.2M | 4.4% | Survey |
| LBLinebacker | $600K to $700K to $700K | $250K to $400Kdepth $150K to $250K | survey only | $315K | 1.2% | Survey |
| CBCornerback | $700K to $775K to $850K | $150K to $350Kdepth $37K to $93K | survey only | $478K | 1.6% | Survey |
| SSafety | $675K to $712K to $750K | $150K to $374Kdepth $200K to $350K | survey only | $595K | 1.9% | Survey |
Starter range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the published market with the median in bold. Board pays is the median price our board gives a paid starter at that position, and budget share is that price against his program's estimated roster budget. Deals: five or more reported 2026 deals behind it. Thin: one to four. Survey: published surveys only.
How to read it
Agents set asks. This table is the observed middle: where published surveys and reported deals put a starter, not the top number anyone has heard. If a linebacker's camp asks for $1.2M, the starter range above is what the market has actually paid, and the top of the range is what a proven starter at a program that values the spot gets.
Schemes move the number. A spread offense pays a wide receiver above the range and a running back below it; a run-heavy program flips that and pays its backs more than the table says. Tackles earn more than guards and centers everywhere. Read a row as the market, then adjust for what your offense or defense actually asks of the position.
Where the numbers come from
6 sources feed the ranges. Public ones link. Private reads are labelled and never linked.
CBS Sports22 ranges
CBS Sports
- QB starter, $1.5M to $2.5M: Dec 2025 GM/agent survey for Jan 2026 portal window; average P4 starter range; high end >$3.5M (Sorsby tier)
- QB rotation, $750K to $1.0M: Low-end/bridge starter QB range, Dec 2025 survey
- RB starter, $400K to $700K: High end >$1M; agent quote: 'If you're spending a million on a running back, you need a new GM'
- RB rotation, $250K to $300K: Low end Dec 2025; good backs still available $300K-$500K
- WR starter, $500K to $800K: High end $1M-$2M (Coleman tier); big-bodied WRs $600K-$700K without production
- WR rotation, $300K to $500K: Low end Dec 2025 survey
- TE starter, $300K to $500K: High end $600K-$800K for elite; scheme-dependent position
- TE depth, $200K to $300K: Low end Dec 2025 survey
- OT starter, $500K to $1.0M: High end >$1M; agent: teams shying away from $1M, lots of $700K-$900K offers; Seaton outlier >$4M
- OT rotation, $300K to $500K: Low end Dec 2025 survey
- IOL starter, $300K to $500K: High end $600K-$800K; centers ~$500K with good experience, slightly above guards
- IOL depth, $200K to $300K: Low end Dec 2025 survey
- EDGE starter, $600K to $1.0M: High end $1M-$1.7M; premium position after QB and OT; unproven players commanding 'eyebrow-raising money'
- EDGE rotation, $300K to $500K: Low end Dec 2025 survey
- DT starter, $500K to $700K: High end $800K->$1.5M; SEC GM: decent DT $400K-$500K, really good $700K+, great $1M+
- DT rotation, $250K to $500K: Low end Dec 2025 survey
- LB starter, $250K to $500K: High end >$700K; generally the cheapest starting position; good starters ~$300K
- LB depth, $150K to $250K: Low end Dec 2025 survey
- CB starter, $400K to $700K: High end $800K->$1M; elite CBs in Big Ten/SEC command $1M+; widest variance by program need
- CB rotation, $150K to $350K: Low end Dec 2025; 'good player for reasonable number' under $400K
- S starter, $350K to $500K: High end $700K-$1M; one GM: safety 'isn't an impact position' for most programs
- S depth, $200K to $350K: Low end Dec 2025 survey
ESPN4 ranges
ESPN
- QB starter, $1.0M to $2.0M: May 2025 vintage (one cycle earlier, shows market growth): typical starter $1M-$2M, elite $3M-$4M, low $800K
- WR starter, $400K to $800K: May 2025: true No.1 WR $700K-$1M; No.2/3 starters $300K-$500K
- OT starter, $500K to $1.0M: May 2025: left tackle specialists up to $1.2M+; G5-to-P4 linemen offered close to $1M
- EDGE starter, $500K to $1.0M: May 2025: elite edge can reach $2M+ (Bailey >$2M at the time)
ESPN1 range
ESPN
- QB starter, $3.0M to $5.0M: Jan 2026: price tag for TOP returning/proven QBs moved to $3M-$5M per industry sources; The Athletic (Mandel) had proven QBs starting at $4M, reaching $5M-$6M
Deseret News (Opendorse report)1 range
Deseret News (Opendorse report)
- QB starter, $821K to $1.3M: Opendorse: top-25 program starting QB expected $821K (2024) growing to ~$1.31M net in 2025 incl. ~$990K rev share; all-in with scholarship/benefits
FootballScoop11 ranges
FootballScoop
- QB starter, $3.5M to $3.5M: June 2026 chart of P4 ELITE (top-of-market) reported salaries, estimated from media reporting of deals, not official documents; single-point elite anchor
- WR starter, $2.0M to $2.0M: P4 elite WR reported salary anchor, June 2026 chart
- EDGE starter, $1.7M to $1.7M: P4 elite edge/DE reported salary anchor, June 2026 chart
- DT starter, $1.5M to $1.5M: P4 elite DT reported salary anchor, June 2026 chart
- OT starter, $1.0M to $1.0M: P4 elite OT reported salary anchor, June 2026 chart
- RB starter, $1.0M to $1.0M: P4 elite RB reported salary anchor, June 2026 chart; RBs valued relatively higher in college than NFL
- CB starter, $1.0M to $1.0M: P4 elite CB reported salary anchor, June 2026 chart
- S starter, $1.0M to $1.0M: P4 elite safety reported salary anchor, June 2026 chart
- TE starter, $800K to $800K: P4 elite TE reported salary anchor, June 2026 chart
- IOL starter, $800K to $800K: P4 elite interior OL reported salary anchor, June 2026 chart
- LB starter, $700K to $700K: P4 elite LB reported salary anchor, June 2026 chart; off-ball LB devalued in college market
P4 personnel staff, private, Oct 20262 ranges
P4 personnel staff, private, Oct 2026
- LB starter, $600K to $800K: Told Jack 2026-10-12: starting LB market around $700K, asks heard up to $1.2M; private conversation, no URL
- LB rotation, $250K to $400K: Rotation band set below the same conversation's starter read (market around $700K, asks heard up to $1.2M); private, no URL