I'll go with Ricky Lindo as the first player.  Really just a guess.

The most money...Yuta by a mile.

Bishop, if he ever settles on a single look, will be the marketable brand on the current roster. 
Pops, thanks to his noteriety on ESPN and friendly personality, would have cashed in big time in the past (Yinka got out in part to cash in on his image while he could, as his NBA stats prove). Shawnta, SirShootsAlot, Danilo and Yegor were all too niche to have a national profile.

GW Alum Abroad wrote:

Shawnta, SirShootsAlot, Danilo and Yegor were all too niche to have a national profile.

The thing about NIL is I don't think it necessarily requires a national profile. A niche profile probably brings bigger $$$.  Schools like Dayton/Davidson/VCU, whose towns support the basketball team like a pro team, will probably be able to attract more opportunities for their players than schools like Mason/GW that are competing with the Football Team and Wizards.  Someone like Jack Gibbs would probably have been swimming in offers for car dealer endorsements in Davidson, NC.

Thomas wrote:

MG14 wrote:

First Dayton player earns NIL deal:

https://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/dayton-mens-basketball-players-earn-first-nil-deal/IP2OEIMCIVA3DPDIXH72RHN7VM/

This is actually a Dayton business(Flyer Faithful LLC) led by former Dayton star Brian Roberts setting up endorsements for Dayton players. This is an even better deal because anyone on Dayton's team can get these endorsements, not necessarily the star players. I assume that we have some "fat cats" who post on here, a few of you need to set something like this up for GW's players!! LOL  But seriously, this is a very good development for players from non BCS schools who may not have many opportunities to get endorsements. The downside for competing A-10 schools is that Dayton could have an even bigger recruiting advantage with something like this.  VCU and Rhode Island are probably the only other A10 schools that who have the local community support to pull off something similar.

This Brian Roberts deal is pretty clearly just a way to pay recruits.  Hopefully there’s someone, somewhere with deep pockets who wants to do the same for us.

GW0509 wrote:

So which current player do you think signs the first NIL deal?

Alternatively, who do you think would’ve made the most money had they had the ability to sign a deal while at GW? Yinka? Shawnta? Pops?

I was actually having the same thoughts, GW509.   Great topic to start.  Not sure who would be the first today, so I will go with Bishop, as high scorer.  But all time, for me this was easy...Yuta, followed by Yinka, Pops and Shawnta (not necessarily in that order).   

On a local note, Maryland appears to be the first school to have players sign publicly as WR's Dontay Demus Jr and Rakim Jarrett have agreed to NIL deals. Demus signed with the Sports & Entertainment Group, an agency that represents a couple of former Maryland players who are in the NFL. R.Jarrett signed with Jimmy's Famous Seafood. I expect both of them will be in the NFL in a few years, so I'm not surprised that companies would reach out to them for deals.

 https://247sports.com/college/maryland/Article/Maryland-football-Rakim-Jarrett-lands-NLI-deal-with-popular-local-brand-167762063/    

 

Perhaps Randy Levine will convince Baltimore natives James Bishop and Brendan Adams to turn their backs on the O's and help sell Yankee tickets in paid commercials.  Or maybe Russ Ramsey might arrange for Ricky Lindo to become a paid endorser on behalf of the Greater Washington Partnership.  

GW & NIL?  I'd love to see it but I just don't.

Here's what's happened so far at Dayton.  A former star player, Brian Roberts, hired several basketball players to go on social media and promote some area apartments that Robert's company was trying to rent.  The women's team struck a new apparel deal for which they will be compensated.

Dayton.  The place with a 14,000 seat arena which always seems to come close to selling out.
Dayton.  A city, not a small town, with zero major professional sports teams and for that matter, without any real college sports competition.
Dayton.  With an active and vibrant fan base.

There will be athletes, at major programs, who earn hundreds of thousands of dollars in NIL income.  They are not our competition.

Dayton is our competition.  So is St. Louis.  And Richmond (albeit split between 2 schools).  And Kingston.  And Amherst.  And perhaps there is now enough of a following in Olean to join this club.  These are places where our A10 brethren represent the only basketball game in town.   

On the NIL train, we are behind Maryland.  And Georgetown.  And perhaps one can make the case for George Mason given their alumni.  Our alumni, by and large, moved away.  Or, they are still here but don't attend very many games.

Playing in a major city will not help GW, St. Joe's, La Salle or Fordham when it comes to NIL.  I wouldn't think.  

I sincerely hope I am wrong about this.  If you're in a position to step up, please do so.  If you know someone in a position to do so, please talk to them.  

What will recruits be looking for in a school?  You're kidding yourself if you don't think NIL opportunities will be a consideration.  A major one among families who can really use the money.

NIL is great for the players and long overdue.  Just not sure it's great for our program.

Perhaps Randy Levine will convince Baltimore natives James Bishop and Brendan Adams to turn their backs on the O's and help sell Yankee tickets in paid commercials.  Or maybe Russ Ramsey might arrange for Ricky Lindo to become a paid endorser on behalf of the Greater Washington Partnership.  

GW & NIL?  I'd love to see it but I just don't.

Here's what's happened so far at Dayton.  A former star player, Brian Roberts, hired several basketball players to go on social media and promote some area apartments that Robert's company was trying to rent.  The women's team struck a new apparel deal for which they will be compensated.

Dayton.  The place with a 14,000 seat arena which always seems to come close to selling out.
Dayton.  A city, not a small town, with zero major professional sports teams and for that matter, without any real college sports competition.
Dayton.  With an active and vibrant fan base.

There will be athletes, at major programs, who earn hundreds of thousands of dollars in NIL income.  They are not our competition.

Dayton is our competition.  So is St. Louis.  And Richmond (albeit split between 2 schools).  And Kingston.  And Amherst.  And perhaps there is now enough of a following in Olean to join this club.  These are places where our A10 brethren represent the only basketball game in town.   

On the NIL train, we are behind Maryland.  And Georgetown.  And perhaps one can make the case for George Mason given their alumni.  Our alumni, by and large, moved away.  Or, they are still here but don't attend very many games.

Playing in a major city will not help GW, St. Joe's, La Salle or Fordham when it comes to NIL.  I wouldn't think.  

I sincerely hope I am wrong about this.  If you're in a position to step up, please do so.  If you know someone in a position to do so, please talk to them.  

What will recruits be looking for in a school?  You're kidding yourself if you don't think NIL opportunities will be a consideration.  A major one among families who can really use the money.

NIL is great for the players and long overdue.  Just not sure it's great for our program.

Of course the HUGE problem is the NCAA and it’s member institutions are not distributing some of their revenue, their funds.
(To me the scholarship debate is irrelevant here.) . It’s the NCAA not putting any of it’s money in play. Al’s pizza is doing it, ABC Real Estate is jumping into the fray.

And as the poster points out it is situation where GW has little leverage

I definitely see the point here and think it's valid. I am wondering though, if once things settle out, the NIL money drivers aren't more universal and distributed across multiple channel types. Sure our guys aren't going to be getting that local car dealership money, but I'm wondering if college BB video games are really going to distribute things, and other digital channels like eSports, NFTs, and just general influencer brand building will make the backdrop of a city more valuable than the local endorsement. Maybe the "Most Powerful City In The World" branding will pay off a bit here, even though it is kind of dumb.