Top College Athletes on Instagram

Since 2021, college athlete influencers have been able to make a profit off of their incredible talents and that has only continued on over the last few years. After the NCAA changed its ruling to allow college athletes to earn money off their name, image and likeness (NIL), college athletes quickly began scooping up endorsements and sponsorships. Today many college athletes work with major brands to showcase their favorite products and set trends for social media users that can relate. Follow along as we share the top college athletes on Instagram sharing their talent and passions for sports.

Top 14 college athletes on Instagram

Olivia Dunne

Livvy Dunne is one of the most-followed college athletes in the country, with 7.9 million followers on TikTok and more than 5.1 million followers on Instagram. Her posts combine her competitive athletic accomplishments and her personal side, which shows her interest in fashion with a little bit of dancing.

Paige Bueckers

This guard at the University of Connecticut had a standout, award-winning freshman year on the court, including taking home the Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award, and has only continued her success over the last few years. Although she underwent surgery after tearing her ACL in 2022, her growing Instagram following of more than 1.1 milion puts her in an enviable position to enjoy significant partnerships. Her team won the national championship and she’s returning to UConn in the fall.

Haley Cavinder 

As one of the most well-known social media personalities in women’s college basketball, Haley has been apart of the Fresno State, TCU, and Miami University squads. She plays alongside her talented twin sister and has gained the attention of over 852K followers on Instagram today.

Mackenzie Steele

Talented distance runner for the University of Clemson, Mackenzie is a prime example of a successful college athlete on Instagram, with more than 42.7K followers. The athletic influencer has partnered with brands like Under Armour, Under Armour Running, and Athletiverse.

Khoi Young

Incredibly gifted gymnast and member of the national men’s gymnastics team, Khoi takes to Instagram to share his talent and accomplishments with more than 43.7K followers. He fills his feed with clips of his athletic experiences at Stanford University and his success on the United States national team.

Emily Cole

Previously named as the USTFCCCA All-American Second Team and 2022 All-ACC First Team for the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Emily is one of the most accomplished college athletes on Instagram. The University of Duke track star shares her love for running and all of her success with more than 197K followers on Instagram. The gifted athlete has also written her own book to help inspire other fellow athletes on their journey to success. She plans to use her last year of eligibility to continue racing for Duke.

Anna Camden

Anna was previously a women’s basketball star on the 2022 Penn State team but has since moved on to the University of Richmond. The all-star college athlete and influencer hosts her own popular podcast and shares her experiences with more than 111K followers on Instagram and over 278.2K followers on TikTok. She also shares her road to recovery after tearing her ACL.

Grace McCallum

Olympic silver medalist, two-time World Gold medalist and star of the University of Utah gymnastics team, Grace has landed more than 227K followers. The star gymnast uses her platform to share her success at meets and her trendy styles outside of the gym.

Shedeur Sanders

Not only is he known for being the son of the former professional football star Deion Sanders, but Shedeur is now known for his football success of his own. After his first college football season at Jackson State University, the star quarterback moved to the University of Colorado where he now plays under the guidance of his father/coach. His success and family fame has left him with more than 1.8 million Instagram followers.

Angel Reese

Known as the “Bayou Barbie”, Angel, has become one of the most well-known women’s basketball stars who plays at LSU. After winning the NCAA Women’s National Championship in 2023, Angel and the LSU team made a grand appearance at this year’s tournament, making it to the Elite Eight. Today the star athlete has over 2.7M followers on Instagram with whom she shares her passions for basketball and fashion. Angel was drafted into the WNBA by the Chicago Sky.

Caitlyn Clark

Arguably one of the greatest college women’s basketball players of all time, Caitlyn is the star of the Iowa basketball team. Caitlyn is the all-time leading scorer and one of the greatest players who has helped her team make it to the Final Four of this year’s tournament. Estimated to make $3.1M in NIL deals during the tournament, Caitlyn has a large following of 1.3M. She was drafted into the WNBA by the Indiana Fever.

Bronny James

Not only is he known as LeBron James’s son, but Bronny is one of the most accomplished college basketball stars in the league. Bronny plays for the University of Southern California’s team and has become one of the highest-paid college athletes of all time. His Instagram feed captures his love for the sport as well as his creativity representing popular brands for his 7.5M followers.

Carson Beck

Carson is a quarterback for the Georgia University where he has succeeded on and off the field. Carson has opted out of joining the NFL this year and plans to return to Georgia for another season. Over 82.3K Instagram followers are ready to see his next season with the Bulldogs.

Quinn Ewers

Rather than pursue a career in the NFL this season, Quinn has recently announced that he will continue his athletic success as the quarterback at Texas. The starter has gained the attention of more than 202K Instagram followers who keep up with his latest practices prepping for the upcoming season.