USC legend Keyshawn Johnson draws bold comparisons between him and $6.6M NIL-valued Arch Manning

Keyshawn Johnson had an eventful college football career at USC marked by a meteoric rise, elite production and a lasting impact on the storied program. Starting at West Los Angeles College, he transferred to USC in 1994 and had a dominant two seasons with the Trojans.

The retired wide receiver appeared on a recent “Games with Names” podcast, where he discussed a series of things that led to talks on NIL in college football. Johnson expressed what he feels his value would have been if NIL had been present during his days with the Trojans.

“I was having this conversation not too long ago,” Johnson said 50:00 onwards). “Based on what all these Arch Mannings and sh*t are getting. I probably was a $10 million guy a year… If I had to equate that … It was different. Got a certain look. I'm from LA. Kind of got a nice look to me and shit.”

According to On3, Arch Manning currently has an NIL value worth $6.6 million heading into his first season as a starter at Texas. Keyshawn Johnson believes he should be worth more than that, considering the level he was during the two seasons he spent at USC.

Johnson was a two-time First-team All-Pac-10 and a Unanimous All-American during his time with the Trojans. He was the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and the Pop Warner Trophy in 1995. He was selected as the No. 1 pick in the 1996 NFL draft.

Keyshawn Johnson showcases his loyalty to USC amid an NIL hypothesis

The NIL conversation when Keyshawn Johnson was asked if he would have left USC during his college days if he had had a better offer from another school. The former wide receiver maintained his loyalty to the Trojans in his reply to the question.

“I’m staying at SC," Johnson said. "The reason is because we can pay. I'm a loyal person. I'm not a bouncing-around guy. I'm not going to leave just because somebody offered me four million versus two and a half. I'm not going to jump and run because I'm a loyal guy.”

“Plus, I value education. USC is educated. We run the state of California. So it's a little bit different dynamic and we'll pay, but it would have been very expensive… Leave the USC to go where? Where am I going? To Alabama? I'm not going to f*cking Alabama.”

Keyshawn Johnson played 22 games during his time at USC, recording 148 receptions for 2,358 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was also named the Most Valuable Player in the two bowl games he played at USC: the Cotton Bowl in 1995 and the Rose Bowl in 1996.