Wholesale changes around Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) have been a game-changer for student-athletes.
Superstar athletes and influencers, from Livvy Dunne to Sheduer Sanders and Arch Manning, can now make millions from their associated brands and endorsements for the very first time in NCAA history.
As such, NIL payouts are reaching dizzying new heights, and potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft AJ Dybantsa could be the next big beneficiary.
The consensus No. 1 overall men’s basketball prospect in the class of 2025 could reportedly receive an NIL package of up to $7 million from BYU now that he’s officially committed to the BYU Cougars.
“AJ Dybantsa – the top-ranked prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft class – has committed to Brigham Young University, he announces on ESPN’s First Take. Landmark day for the BYU Cougars,” NBA Insider Shams Charania posted.
The 17-year-old would likely spend just one year at the Division 1 program before declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft.
Dybantsa is a 6ft 9in, 210-pound small forward who attends Utah Prep in Hurricane, Utah.
Over the last few months, Dybantsa has officially visited five programs: Alabama, BYU, Kansas, Kansas State and UNC, but it’s the Cougars who are reportedly best positioned to put together a mouth-watering seven-figure NIL package.
Dybantsa is in his senior year in high school and is represented by Leonard Armato, who previously represented NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and boxing royalty Oscar De La Hoya.
Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports describes the prodigious talent as follows: “A 6-foot-9 jumbo wing with a wingspan exceeding 7 feet, an emerging 200-plus-pound frame and an advanced understanding of how to score from his spots (even in a half-court game), AJ Dybantsa is the best prospect in high school basketball,
He added that Dybantsa “possesses a lethal pull-up game with a high release and a smooth ball rotation.
“He’s been a celebrated prospect since before he entered high school. Yet he has avoided the pitfalls of early stardom by consistently improving his game at each level. He was the leading scorer in the 2023 Peach Jam as an underclassman and shows flashes of untapped potential on defense thanks to his size and movement skills.”
“The bottom line is this: Dybantsa controls his own future. If he continues on his current path, then there’s no one in high school basketball with more potential than him.”
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Dybantsa has suited up for Team USA during the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup and is already well known in NBA circles.
He spent time working out with Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George during the offseason, and recently appeared on the nine-time NBA All-Star’s ‘Podcast P’.
PG asked the youngster where he’d rank himself in the upcoming class, set to be drafted in the 2025 NBA Draft.
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The upcoming 2025 NBA Draft class is loaded with blue chip prospects, most notably Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey.
Dybantsa won’t be among the players considered until 2026 but would still back himself to be the top pick next year.
“Yeah I bet on myself,” Dybantsa told George. “Always bet on yourself.”
For now, though, the teenager still has his final year of high school to play before what’s likely to be a one and done year in college.
If BYU’s $7.1 million NIL package is accurate, it would make him one of the best paid student-athletes in the country.
Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders, a potential No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has the highest NIL valuation at $6.2 million per On3.
LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne, who has just announced a collaboration with Jake Paul, is second with a $4 million valuation.
Sanders’ Buffs teammate Travis Hunter is third at $3.4 million and Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning — a member of the iconic Manning family — is fourth with a $3.1m NIL valuation.
Cooper Flagg, a member of the Duke Blue Devils, is fifth with a $2.6 million NIL valuation ahead of next year’s NBA Draft.