The NIL era has given student-athletes the opportunity to benefit financially from the juggernaut that is college athletics. But not long ago, even the smallest endorsement deal was prohibited.

Looking back through college football history, some memorable stars would have cleaned up in today's NIL landscape based on a combination of their on-field success, the market they played in and their personality.

Deion Sanders is a perfect example of a player who was ahead of his time in building his personal brand. Tim Tebow later spent four seasons at the University of Florida as one of the most recognizable athletes in all of sports.

Here, we've highlighted 10 former college football stars who would be millionaires before starting their pro careers if they were still on campus today.

LB Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma

Years: 1984-86

Brian Bosworth was decades ahead of his time when it came to cultivating a personal brand.

A fearsome presence in the middle of Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer's defense, he remains the only player who won the Butkus Award for college football's best linebacker twice. He was also a cultural phenomenon thanks to his signature bleached-blonde mullet, bad-boy persona and crushing hits on the field.

Bosworth was barred from playing in the 1987 Orange Bowl after testing positive for steroids. Switzer dismissed him from the team days after he appeared on the sidelines wearing a T-shirt that referred to the NCAA as "National Communists Against Athletes."

That didn't stop the Seattle Seahawks from taking him No. 1 overall in the 1987 NFL supplemental draft. He signed a then-record 10-year, $11 million rookie deal, although shoulder issues cut his NFL career short.

CB/PR Deion Sanders, Florida State

Years: 1985-88

An All-American cornerback and standout punt returner, Deion Sanders also had a larger-than-life personality dating back to his days at Florida State.

Beyond his All-American play on the gridiron, he also started for the FSU baseball team and was on the track team. He famously played a doubleheader and ran a leg on the relay team on the same day.

Sanders brought a level of showmanship and swagger to college football that was not as commonplace at the time, and he consistently backed it up with his shutdown ability on defense and dynamic impact in the return game.

His "Prime Time" persona was well-established during his college days, and he carried it into his pro career, showing up to the NFL combine in a limo before reportedly running a 4.27-second 40-yard dash.

There might not be a player featured here better built for the NIL era than the man who's now coaching at the University of Colorado.

QB Michael Vick, Virginia Tech

Years: 1999-00

The numbers don't tell the full story of just how significant Michael Vick's redshirt freshman season was at Virginia Tech in 1999.

He had 1,840 passing yards, 585 rushing yards and 20 total touchdowns, but he was more than just a dual-threat quarterback. His elite 180.4 passer rating and 12.1 yards per attempt were a newfound level of impact from a passer built to scramble.

Vick led the Hokies to an 11-0 regular season and a Sugar Bowl meeting with Florida State for the national championship, but they ultimately lost to quarterback Chris Weinke and the Seminoles.

However, he returned for another season in 2000, and no one was more exciting in college football during his two-year run before he went No. 1 overall in the 2001 NFL draft to the Atlanta Falcons.

Much like the Fab Five at Michigan revolutionized college basketball in the 1990s, Vick's performance and success helped usher in an era of dual-threat quarterbacks. His constant presence on highlight reels made him a marketing dream, too.

RB Reggie Bush, USC

Years: 2003-05

Could USC have put together the NIL deals needed to keep both Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart on the roster in 2005?

Both had just finished in the top five in Heisman Trophy balloting for a team that went 13-0, with Leinart taking home the hardware, and they returned to chase a third national championship.

That proven production, combined with their Hollywood market, made them the faces of college football during their time on campus. Bush's ability to dominate the SportsCenter highlight reel puts him front and center.

He had 1,740 rushing yards and 478 receiving yards during the 2005 season, and he also returned kicks and punts on his way to 19 total touchdowns. He would have been the first choice for national marketing campaigns.

QB Vince Young, Texas

Years: 2003-05

Multiple players do it each year in today's game, but Vince Young was just the eighth quarterback in college football history with 1,500 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in the same season in 2004.

His 59.2 percent completion rate and 12 touchdowns against 11 interceptions left him out of the top-tier quarterback conversation entering his junior season at the University of Texas, but his unique dual-threat talents had just led the Longhorns to an 11-1 season.

All of that would have made him an NIL dream entering what would be an epic junior year where he had 3,036 passing yards, 1,050 rushing yards and 38 total touchdowns on his way to leading Texas to a national championship over USC's vaunted roster.

He would have been battling for the spotlight with Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart, but in one of college football's most memorable seasons, there would have been plenty of attention to go around.

QB Tim Tebow, Florida

Years: 2006-09

The wholesome image that defined Tim Tebow throughout his four-year run at the University of Florida would have attracted an entirely different set of NIL sponsors than those drawn to some of the other players on this list.

After filling a supporting role on Florida's 2006 championship team, he spent three years as one of the most impactful players in the history of college football, starting with his 2007 Heisman Trophy season when he had 32 passing touchdowns, 23 rushing touchdowns and 4,181 total yards.

Tebow remains the only player to play two full collegiate seasons after winning the Heisman Trophy, which helped make him a household name by the time his four-year run at Florida ended.

It's hard to imagine a player having more NIL opportunities than Tebow would have over the course of his collegiate career, especially considering the impact he made as a freshman before ever taking over the starting job.

DB Tyrann Mathieu, LSU

Years: 2010-11

Another player who was ahead of his time when it came to building a personal brand, Tyrann Mathieu was a do-it-all defensive back who became a household name thanks to his "Honey Badger" nickname.

With 76 tackles, six forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, two interceptions and 1.5 sacks during the 2011 season, he filled up the stat sheet and served as the defensive centerpiece for an LSU defense that allowed just 11.3 points per game and played in the BCS championship game.

Mathieu finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting that season and fully embraced his nickname, which was rooted in a viral video about the actual animal. He even incorporated it into his look, dyeing the top of his hair blonde.

His college career ended before the 2012 season when LSU dismissed him following repeated violations of its substance-abuse policy, according to ESPN. In today's NIL era, it's worth considering whether those violations would have carried the same consequences for his college career.

QB Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M

Years: 2012-13

The first freshman in history to win the Heisman Trophy, Johnny Manziel racked up 3,706 passing yards, 1,410 rushing yards and 47 total touchdowns in 2012 while leading a Texas A&M team that went 7-6 the year before to an 11-2 record.

Adding to the storyline of his historic freshman season was Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin's strict policy of not letting freshmen speak to the media, which cultivated an air of mystery around the phenom.

While Manziel came out of nowhere for his record-setting freshman season, he was undeniably the face of college football at the start of his sophomore campaign. His NIL price tag would have been astronomical in today's game.

Manziel later said he earned at least $33,000 signing autographs at Texas A&M in 2013. With NIL opportunities, his earning potential could have been far greater.

QB Jameis Winston, Florida State

Years: 2013-14

Even during his days at Florida State, Jameis Winston had the personality to match his arm talent. Making him the de facto face of college football would have been a no-brainer for NIL purposes.

He threw for 4,057 yards and 40 touchdowns to win the Heisman Trophy and lead Florida State to a national championship as a redshirt freshman in 2013, which established him as the top passer in the country heading into the 2014 campaign.

In April 2014, Winston received a civil citation following an incident involving unpaid seafood at a grocery store and subsequently completed community service. He later said a store employee had given him the seafood, an account Publix said its investigation did not corroborate.

In today's NIL landscape, a player of Winston's stature could earn thousands of dollars through endorsements—opportunities unavailable to college athletes at the time.

QB Joe Burrow, LSU

Years: 2018-19

After attempting just 39 passes across two seasons at Ohio State, Joe Burrow transferred to LSU in 2018 and replaced Danny Etling as the team's starting quarterback.

Burrow threw for 2,894 yards and 16 touchdowns in his first season in Baton Rouge for an LSU squad that leaned heavily on the running game and finished 10-3.

There undoubtedly would have been NIL opportunities for a returning SEC starting quarterback heading into the 2019 season, but his marketability exploded as his senior year unfolded.

Burrow finished with 5,671 passing yards and 60 touchdowns throwing to Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase while leading LSU to a perfect 15-0 record and a national championship. His looks and personality would have made him the most marketable player in the country during the 2019 campaign.