Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1480138
1 2 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M The first football-specific name, im- age and likeness initiative is active at Penn State. Spearheaded by several former Nit- tany Lion players, the Lions Legacy Club will "specifically support stu- dent-athletes in the Penn State Football program," according to a news release. Former Penn State quarterback Chris Ganter is the general manager, work- ing alongside PSU greats Ki-Jana Carter and Michael Mauti. "I am honored to lead the Lions Leg- acy Club and give back to the football program that has given me so much throughout my life," Ganter said in a re- leased statement. "Knowing how com- petitive the college football landscape can be, our goal is to create top-notch opportunities for these student-ath- letes and make a significant impact to ensure a sustainable future for the pro- gram." The goal of the Lions Legacy Club is to help facilitate marketing campaigns, speaking engagements, autograph ses- sions and other endeavors. It listed 28 current Penn State football players in its athlete directory as of mid-September. Mauti was an All-America linebacker who bridged the Joe Paterno and Bill O'Brien coaching eras. He was one of the key members of the 2012 team that finished 8-4 despite the NCAA's im- position of major sanctions against the program the previous summer. "The heart of Penn State football lives strong in all of us," he said, "and we hope to share this passion with the fans, families, and alumni that we will engage with, to grow the organization." The biggest current collective at Penn State is Success With Honor. It supports student-athletes in all sports, however. That is what distinguishes it from the Lions Legacy Club. Carter, an All-America tailback on Penn State's unbeaten 1994 team, said the Lions Legacy Club is "truly a special group with the expertise and passion to take Penn State football to new heights and help student-athletes earn the compensation they deserve for working hard on and off the field." Coach James Franklin said he appre- ciates the efforts that the Lions Legacy Club is making on the program's behalf, adding that he's hopeful the various Penn State-focused NIL initiatives that have been launched in the past year are complementing each other. "We want to make sure those groups are working together, doing what's best for Penn State and Penn State athlet- ics as a whole," he said. "But obviously, certain people are going to have a con- nection with certain sports that they're more passionate about. We appreciate what they're doing. There's a lot of pas- sion and hard work that's going to go into it. "I also want to say we've got a ton of respect and appreciation for Success With Honor and what they're doing. I think [athletics director] Pat [Kraft] has really come in and I think has worked really well with these groups outside of the athletic department, making sure everyone is on the same page, that we're all pulling the rope in the same direc- tion." ■ Joey Porter Jr. Tops Penn State's NIL Leaderboard The NCAA's relaxation of longstanding name, image and likeness restric- tions has changed the face of college football. On3.com has been tracking NIL valuations for college athletes, using a formula that incorporates on-field performance, social media influence and overall media exposure. The for- mula projects a player's earning potential over the next 12 months. Quarterbacks dominate On3's NIL rankings for college football. Of the top 25 players nationally, nine are signal-callers, including four of the top five. Alabama's Bryce Young leads the way with an NIL valuation of $3.3 million. Quarterbacks are overrepresented on Penn State's list, too, with all four scholarship QBs ranking in the Nittany Lions' top 10. The Lions' highest-rated player in On3's rankings is redshirt junior corner- back Joey Porter Jr. at No. 18 with an NIL valuation of $834,000. Porter is projected as a likely first-round NFL Draft pick next spring. Here's a look at PSU's current top 10: RK NAME POS CLASS VALUATION 1. Joey Porter Jr. CB R-Jr. $834,000 2. Mitchell Tinsley WR Sr.+ $310,000 3. Olu Fashanu OT So. $289,000 4. Sean Clifford QB Sr.+ $138,000 5. Cristian Driver CB Fr. $138,000 6. Drew Allar QB Fr. $128,000 7. KeAndre Lambert-Smith WR So. $110,000 8. Christian Veilleux QB R-Fr. $78,000 9. Beau Pribula QB Fr. $68,000 10. Nick Singleton RB Fr. $68,000 New NIL Initiative Focused On Helping Penn State Football G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G. P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M Michael Mauti (right), the Big Ten Linebacker of the Year in 2012, is one of several prominent Penn Staters behind the Lions Legacy Club, a venture aimed at helping foot- ball players land NIL deals. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL