Ole Miss' Keith Carter believes Rebels have done a great job in NIL compared to SEC peers
OXFORD — Playing football in the SEC is an enormous task alone. But competing with those same programs in the NIL world is a newly formed skill that Ole Miss is adapting.
Athletic director Keith Carter said the job the Rebels have done with NIL is one to be noticed.
"I think our collective is doing a fantastic job," Carter told reports Tuesday at a media event for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. "I think our athletics foundation is doing a great job in collaboration with the collectors as well."
Indeed, they have.
A collective method Ole Miss introduced was The Grove Collection, an exclusive NIL program where fans can help benefit student-athletes, which was ranked in the top 10 of On3's most ambitious collectives in the country. It reached $10 million in total collections and became a staple in Ole Miss, rising in NIL competition.
The collective stared by Walker Jones, has reached up to 165 student-athletes, one from each varsity-level sport.
"But as we all know, it's a changing landscape," Carter said. "And I think some of the standards and kind of where we were last year is totally different than where we are this year and it will be different next year. So you just have to make sure you're staying proactive in space."
In its third year of being in action, NIL has amassed $1 billion in revenue and rising.
For players, according to On3, Ole Miss has only three ranked in the top 100 − Jaxson Dart, Quinshon Judkins and Tre Harris − for their NIL valuation, which rates on-field success and social media engagement.
While NIL doesn't impact a player's performance much, it does provide an opportunity to attract big-name recruits from high schools and, potentially, the transfer portal, which coach Lane Kiffin utilizes much more. It's an area that has seen Ole Miss become the top football program in the SEC with the number of transfer portal additions at 23 for the 2023 season.
MUST READ: Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss football look for best available players in transfer portal
While Ole Miss ranks in the middle of the SEC regarding total NIL revenue and exposure, Carter said Kiffin's ability to make an impact in the transfer portal leads to his unique way of thinking.
"And as Coach Kiffin has said many, many times, you know, not to just think outside of the box but to create a new box and I feel like here at Ole Miss we've done that," said Carter.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion-Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss' Keith Carter believes Rebels have enough in NIL compared to SEC
