🏅Retro NIL Valuation: Reggie Bush

Hey there,

How much would USC running back Reggie Bush be worth in today’s NIL landscape? That’s what we’re exploring today with a retro NIL valuation. If you want to see more of these, check out our breakdowns of Joe Burrow, JJ Redick, and the 2001 Miami Hurricanes.

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— Cole and Collin

Reggie Bush was a human highlight reel. Whether it was spinning through defenders, returning punts like a video game character, or effortlessly breaking a 60-yard touchdown run, Bush essentially defined mid-2000s college football flash. Growing up during this period myself, I’m not sure there was ever a player that quite captured my imagination like Bush and the USC Trojans.

But all that flair came just a few years too early, at least to be profitable in any legal way. NIL didn’t come around until 2021, and Bush’s historic 2005 season came at the absolute peak of the NCAA’s zero-tolerance stance on athlete compensation. That’s why, in 2010, the NCAA revoked his Heisman Trophy for violating compensation rules.

Last year, the NCAA reinstated the trophy to Bush in part because of NIL changes –  that was a huge win in terms of his legacy.

But while the trophy is nice, we’re looking to answer a bigger question here: If Bush were to enter college football right now… how much money would he be making with NIL?

Let’s break it down across our four valuation categories: Team Hype, Brand & Personality, USC’s National Platform, and Historical Comparison. After that, we’ll give our take on how much we think he’d be worth in NIL dollars. 

Ready? Let’s dive in. 

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