Miami Hurricanes quarterback D’Eriq King has the potential to utilize his one season in Coral Gables to earn money utilizing his name, image and likeness before he begins playing in the NFL in 2021.
The ability for college athletes to utilize their own name, image and likeness to earn money is a game-changer in collegiate athletics and recruiting. The Miami Hurricanes should have the advantage of being in a major market as a global city. Quarterback D’Eriq King should be able to capitalize before he goes to the NFL.
Opendorse published an article on Thursday listing what Heisman Trophy contenders could hope to make using their own name, image and likeness to make money. According to Opendorse via Bovada, the Heisman Odds for King are plus 1100, he can expect his Instagram Post Value at $453 and his Twitter Post Value at $161.
The estimated annual earning potential for King according to Opendose is $40,540. That is not much compared to the actual value that King has as the starting QB for the Miami Hurricanes, but it is a lot of money to make per year as a college student and athlete. King has 17,400 followers on Twitter and 24,000 on Instagram.
Those numbers should increase transferring from Houston who plays in the American Athletic Conference to Miami in the Atlantic Coast Conference. King is moving on from Houston which is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the country to Miami which is seventh. Houston has over seven million people, Miami six million.
The following King has on social media pales in comparison to Tate Martell who is expected to be the third-string QB for Miami in 2020. Martell built his following in high school while part of the Netflix show QB1: Beyond the Lights. Martell has 247,000 followers on Instagram and 147,000 on Twitter.
The ability for athletes to monetize their own name, image and likeness in the future gives them more control over their own earnings before they get to the NFL. Athletes have the ability to connect with other social media influences and build their own brand. Martell is connected with his girlfriend, model Kiki Passo.
Passo has 1,200,000 followers on Instagram and 7,402 on Twitter. As star athletes build their brand, their followings will continue to grow. Heisman Trophy favorites Justin Fields of Ohio State and Trevor Lawrence of Clemson annual earning potential was projected as $1,348,688 and 1,230,653 per year via Opendorse.