Player profileIllinois Football
Illinois · Football
James Finley IV
DB · Sophomore · #29 · 6' 2" · 190 lbs · 3★ recruit
From Portage, IN
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Estimated NIL value
$81K
Illinois · Football
James Finley IV
DB · Sophomore · #29 · 6' 2" · 190 lbs · 3★ recruit
From Portage, IN
Loading live player file…
Estimated NIL value
$81K
Illinois · Football
DB · Sophomore · #29 · 6' 2" · 190 lbs
★★★★★3★ RecruitFrom Portage, IN
Estimated NIL value
$81K
Modeled from role, roster, recruiting, current market evidence, and school-pool reconciliation.
Pool-accounting allocation: $79K
Confidence meter
Watchlist confidenceWe have enough context to frame the range, but not enough sourced detail to call it tight.
James Finley IV is a 6' 2" 190 lbs Sophomore Defensive Back for Illinois and is listed by ESPN from Portage, IN. James Finley IV ranks 45th within the current Illinois football roster. The modeled value is $81K, with $79K allocated to reconcile the sport pool.
Pool share by sport
0.5%
Football pool: $16.25M
Pool share of school
0.3%
Illinois roster market: $29.8M
Roster dollars tracked
$16.25M
Illinois Football pool-accounting sum
Recent game logs
8
Latest verified ESPN appearances
Live player file
Last updated Sep 2, 2026
Position
Defensive Back
Class
Sophomore
Jersey
#29
Height
6' 2"
Weight
190 lbs
Hometown
Portage, IN
Roster status
Active
Current listing
Illinois Fighting Illini
Recruit rating
3-star
Transfer history
Northern Illinois to Illinois
2026 portal cycle / Mar 25, 2026 / Immediate
2025 season production
ESPN player feedDefense
21
Total tackles
14
Solo tackles
0
Sacks
2
Interceptions
2
Passes defended
0
Forced fumbles
Career history
| Season | Team | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | PD | FF | AST | YDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Northern Illinois Huskies | 21 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| Career | All teams | 21 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
Latest games
Kent State Golden FlashesNov 28, 2025 · 35-313 TOT · 1 SOLO · 0 SACK · 2 PDL
Western Michigan BroncosNov 19, 2025 · 35-191 TOT · 1 SOLO · 0 SACK · 0 PDL
Toledo RocketsNov 6, 2025 · 42-36 TOT · 4 SOLO · 0 SACK · 0 PDW
Ball State CardinalsOct 25, 2025 · 21-72 TOT · 2 SOLO · 0 SACK · 0 PDL
Ohio BobcatsOct 18, 2025 · 48-216 TOT · 3 SOLO · 0 SACK · 0 PDL
Miami (OH) RedHawksOct 4, 2025 · 25-141 TOT · 1 SOLO · 0 SACK · 0 PDL
San Diego State AztecsSep 27, 2025 · 6-31 TOT · 1 SOLO · 0 SACK · 0 PDL
Mississippi State BulldogsSep 20, 2025 · 38-101 TOT · 1 SOLO · 0 SACK · 0 PDSideline Data Desk
Defensive-back value reflects coverage scarcity, starting role, recruiting demand, and exposure in high-leverage matchups. For James Finley IV, the current roster role, class, recruiting signal, program market, and available market evidence produce a $81K headline case.
The visible base estimate is $81K. The pool-accounting allocation is $79K, equal to about 0.5% of the Illinois football market. The player ranks 45th on that roster.
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Other Illinois DB estimates.
Recent player-specific reporting from school and national college-sports sources, newest first. NIL and endorsement stories are marked when relevant.
