Nebraska volleyball players capture eight of the top 50 spots in athlete marketing platform Out2Win’s latest college athlete marketability rankings, leading a trend that shows engagement rates often outweighing raw follower counts. The “2025 Out2Win Fall 50,” which evaluates athletes across football, volleyball, soccer, and field hockey, reveals notable patterns in how social media performance translates to brand partnership potential.
This comes as Out2Win reports the college athlete NIL market now exceeds $15 million in tracked spending across major categories, according to their comprehensive industry report released earlier this year.
Football Leads Followers, Volleyball Engagement
Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith tops the college football rankings with an Out2Win Score of 98, bolstered by an Instagram engagement rate of 27.99% across his 594,300 followers. While Alabama’s Ryan Williams claims second place with 756,600 Instagram followers and 485,200 on TikTok, his engagement rates of 3.72% and 2.30% respectively, fall significantly below Smith’s metrics.
Image source: Out2Win
The volleyball rankings show Nebraska’s program as a marketability powerhouse. Harper Murray leads the volleyball list with a 94 rating, supported by strong followings on both Instagram (237,300) and TikTok (546,100). Seven additional Nebraska players appear in the volleyball top 50, with the program claiming the top seven spots.
“It’s not just about athletic performance. These athletes have built strong influence through their presence in sports and on social media, making them ideal partners for brands looking to connect with engaged, loyal fan bases,” the report states.
Image source: Out2Win
Engagement Rates Outpaces Follower Counts
The data shows high engagement rates frequently compensate for smaller follower counts. Washington’s Jonah Coleman, ranked 16th among football players with an 86 score, maintains an Instagram engagement rate of 48.76% across 225,500 followers, the highest in the football rankings.
This pattern extends across sports. In soccer, Ella Luna from Creighton holds an Instagram engagement rate of 32.29% despite having just 3,300 followers, contributing to her 76 rating. Maryland’s Fleur Knopert leads all field hockey players with a 43.55% Instagram engagement rate despite having only 1,300 followers.
Soccer dominates the women’s marketability field, with Mississippi State’s Ava Nucci leading all female athletes with a 94 rating. Nucci commands 597,900 Instagram followers and 1.8 million TikTok followers, with engagement rates of 6.51% and 10.07% respectively.
The soccer rankings feature the most balanced gender representation, with 40 female athletes and 10 male athletes making the top 50. Stetson’s Matty Moore leads male soccer players with a 92 rating, backed by 466,100 Instagram followers and 1.4 million on TikTok.
TikTok vs. Instagram
The data reveals distinct differences between Instagram and TikTok performance. Ole Miss football player Jon Seaton demonstrates this disparity with 502,200 Instagram followers (2.15% engagement) compared to 1.8 million TikTok followers (13.58% engagement).
Similar patterns appear across sports. In volleyball, Nebraska’s Harper Murray shows a strong Instagram presence with 237,300 followers and 13.32% engagement, while teammate Laney Choboy maintains higher TikTok metrics with 375,800 followers and 13.08% engagement.
These engagement patterns are becoming increasingly important as the NIL market matures. “The past year in NIL showed us that this is no longer an experimental channel for brands. It’s become a serious part of the marketing mix,” Jack Adler, founder and CEO of Out2Win, stated in a June report. “We saw more structure, bigger budgets, and smarter athlete selection.”
Field Hockey Shows Lower Marketability
Field hockey athletes generally receive lower Out2Win Scores than other fall sports, with North Carolina’s Ryleigh Heck leading the category at 73 points. This compares to top scores of 98 (football), 94 (volleyball), and 94 (soccer).
The field hockey rankings also show significantly lower follower counts across platforms, with Fairfield’s Alice Pifferi maintaining the highest TikTok following at 48,500, while Cal’s Elizabeth Edmonston leads in Instagram followers with 29,900.
How Out2Win Evaluates Marketability
The Out2Win Score assesses multiple factors beyond raw follower counts:
Social media performance metrics, including followers, engagement rate, and reel plays
Audience credibility and authenticity
Growth trends highlighting rising stars
Sponsorship performance and proven partner results
Additional factors measuring influence and impact
“Making the Fall 50 signals to the sports marketing world that an athlete is a top-tier brand partner,” the report explains. “Honorees are poised to land major sponsorships, grow their personal brands, and expand their influence beyond the field of play.”
Dragomir is a Serbian freelance blog writer and translator. He is passionate about covering insightful stories and exploring topics such as influencer marketing, the creator economy, technology, business, and cyber fraud.
Nebraska volleyball players capture eight of the top 50 spots in athlete marketing platform Out2Win’s latest college athlete marketability rankings, leading a trend that shows engagement rates often outweighing raw follower counts. The “2025 Out2Win Fall 50,” which evaluates athletes across football, volleyball, soccer, and field hockey, reveals notable patterns in how social media performance translates to brand partnership potential.
This comes as Out2Win reports the college athlete NIL market now exceeds $15 million in tracked spending across major categories, according to their comprehensive industry report released earlier this year.
Football Leads Followers, Volleyball Engagement
Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith tops the college football rankings with an Out2Win Score of 98, bolstered by an Instagram engagement rate of 27.99% across his 594,300 followers. While Alabama’s Ryan Williams claims second place with 756,600 Instagram followers and 485,200 on TikTok, his engagement rates of 3.72% and 2.30% respectively, fall significantly below Smith’s metrics.
Image source: Out2Win
The volleyball rankings show Nebraska’s program as a marketability powerhouse. Harper Murray leads the volleyball list with a 94 rating, supported by strong followings on both Instagram (237,300) and TikTok (546,100). Seven additional Nebraska players appear in the volleyball top 50, with the program claiming the top seven spots.
“It’s not just about athletic performance. These athletes have built strong influence through their presence in sports and on social media, making them ideal partners for brands looking to connect with engaged, loyal fan bases,” the report states.
Image source: Out2Win
Engagement Rates Outpaces Follower Counts
The data shows high engagement rates frequently compensate for smaller follower counts. Washington’s Jonah Coleman, ranked 16th among football players with an 86 score, maintains an Instagram engagement rate of 48.76% across 225,500 followers, the highest in the football rankings.
This pattern extends across sports. In soccer, Ella Luna from Creighton holds an Instagram engagement rate of 32.29% despite having just 3,300 followers, contributing to her 76 rating. Maryland’s Fleur Knopert leads all field hockey players with a 43.55% Instagram engagement rate despite having only 1,300 followers.
Soccer Shows Strongest Female Athlete Marketability
Soccer dominates the women’s marketability field, with Mississippi State’s Ava Nucci leading all female athletes with a 94 rating. Nucci commands 597,900 Instagram followers and 1.8 million TikTok followers, with engagement rates of 6.51% and 10.07% respectively.
The soccer rankings feature the most balanced gender representation, with 40 female athletes and 10 male athletes making the top 50. Stetson’s Matty Moore leads male soccer players with a 92 rating, backed by 466,100 Instagram followers and 1.4 million on TikTok.
TikTok vs. Instagram
The data reveals distinct differences between Instagram and TikTok performance. Ole Miss football player Jon Seaton demonstrates this disparity with 502,200 Instagram followers (2.15% engagement) compared to 1.8 million TikTok followers (13.58% engagement).
Similar patterns appear across sports. In volleyball, Nebraska’s Harper Murray shows a strong Instagram presence with 237,300 followers and 13.32% engagement, while teammate Laney Choboy maintains higher TikTok metrics with 375,800 followers and 13.08% engagement.
These engagement patterns are becoming increasingly important as the NIL market matures. “The past year in NIL showed us that this is no longer an experimental channel for brands. It’s become a serious part of the marketing mix,” Jack Adler, founder and CEO of Out2Win, stated in a June report. “We saw more structure, bigger budgets, and smarter athlete selection.”
Field Hockey Shows Lower Marketability
Field hockey athletes generally receive lower Out2Win Scores than other fall sports, with North Carolina’s Ryleigh Heck leading the category at 73 points. This compares to top scores of 98 (football), 94 (volleyball), and 94 (soccer).
The field hockey rankings also show significantly lower follower counts across platforms, with Fairfield’s Alice Pifferi maintaining the highest TikTok following at 48,500, while Cal’s Elizabeth Edmonston leads in Instagram followers with 29,900.
How Out2Win Evaluates Marketability
The Out2Win Score assesses multiple factors beyond raw follower counts:
“Making the Fall 50 signals to the sports marketing world that an athlete is a top-tier brand partner,” the report explains. “Honorees are poised to land major sponsorships, grow their personal brands, and expand their influence beyond the field of play.”
For more information, visit Out2Win’s website.
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