Top 3 NIL Deals Of 2022
Over 450,000 college athletes signed endorsement deals last year. Which ones proved to be most impressive?
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Top 3 NIL Deals Of 2022
Hey friends,
With the offseason in full swing, I wanted to explore a different side of college football’s vast dominion — the NIL stratosphere.
So far, approximately 450,000 collegiate athletes have earned NIL payments by partnering with businesses in promotional endeavors.
But, since NIL grounds broke in July 2021, no sport has dominated the creative side of the new monetization structure more than college football.
Last August, former Nebraska wide receiver Decoldest Crawford (yes, that’s his birth name) inked an incredible deal with a local, HVAC company in Lincoln.
Through the deal, Crawford appeared in a series of commercials for SOS Heating and Cooling, coining the tagline, “Take it from Decoldest. We’ll keep you cool this summer.”
Crawford’s deal helped the locally owned company gain national recognition courtesy of the NIL endeavor, which benefited both parties equally.
While Crawford’s cameo certainly impressed me, it failed to stack up amongst my top three NIL deals across the 2022 “fiscal” cycle in college football.
Let’s take a look at the three NIL signings I appreciated the most across the latest campaign.
While cars, merchandise, and brand deals are certainly interesting, striking unique bargains with entrepreneurial ingenuity holds substantial weight in my personal power rankings.
3.) Bijan Mustardson — The Official Dijon of Bijan
Former Texas running back and current NFL Combine entrant Bijan Robinson exposed Big 12 foes for 1,580 yards on the ground and 18 touchdowns across 6.1 yards per carry in 2022, but the Doak Walker Award winner’s on-field prowess pales in comparison to his marketing game off the gridiron.
Through Robinson and Callen, an entrepreneurial creative lab based in Austin, Texas, Robinson and local chef Joe Gentempo engineered Bijan Mustardson — a gourmet dijon mustard dressing.
The product’s tagline relates to Robinson’s ability to find paydirt, stating “It’s like a touchdown in your mouth!” According to reviews, the nine-ounce value jar lives up to the hype, too.
“I’m a football player whose only mission is to score touchdowns,” Robinson said upon releasing the product. “But, there was one defense I couldn’t score on: my tastebuds. So, I kidnapped a bunch of chefs and forced them to throw away the playbook and make a dijon mustard that’s smooth, rich, with a Texas kick.”
Additionally, Robinson struck more deals with an Austin-based Lamborghini dealership, Rhoback, and C4 Energy. The hard-nosed bruiser’s ability to market himself and capitalize on his sky-high brand value was truly second-to-none during his senior campaign with Steve Sarkisian’s crew.
2.) Beats By Dre — Caleb Williams
Beats, the world-famous headphone empire, was founded by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Lovine in 2006. Since then, the renowned brand picked up athletes among the likes of LeBron James, Michael Phelps, and Conor McGregor to represent its product line, who all reign supreme in their respective fields.
But, Beats entered the college football business structure in early September when the tech giant decided to feature USC gunslinger Caleb Williams in a 91-second commercial through its Twitter account.
“I’m Caleb Williams, quarterback for the USC Trojans,” he proclaimed in the advertisement. “Music is obviously one of my ways that kind of helps me get through things. We get to rep 10 or 12, you know, music kind of can give you a certain juice, a certain vibe, a certain energy to keep going.”
While Williams’ boasts a ridiculous NIL valuation figure at $2.4 million according to On3, the Heisman Trophy recipient has morphed into quite the gift giver during his year-long stint in Hollywood by way of Oklahoma.
Last spring, the Trojans’ signal caller gifted TWO SETS of Beats’ newest headphones model to EVERY member of the school’s men’s and women’s basketball team and to each one of his teammates on Lincoln Riley’s squad.
The customizable package included two pairs of burgundy and gold-distinguishable earbuds and a note from Williams himself. Each care bundle was valued around $350, according to Beats’ product catalog.
As the fourth-most valuable college athlete, Williams has signed additional deal endorsements with Celsius, Alo Yoga, and Beverly Hills-based real estate private equity fund Hawkins Way Capital.
His ability to capitalize on his squeaky-clean off-field image has allowed him to become a poster child for NIL monetization success.
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1.) Hooters — “Celebration” of Offensive Linemen
While skill position players have typically received all the love from an NIL opportunistic standpoint, the historic bar chain, Hooters, decided it was time to change that sentiment.
Last August, Hooters decided to ink endorsements with 51 offensive linemen from LSU, Oklahoma, Auburn, Texas A&M, and other big-name squads. In all, the restaurant chain signed just over four dozen hog mollies from 10 different schools to spotlight each athlete’s “blue-collar” mindset in the trenches, according to Hooters’ Chief Marketing Officer Bruce Skala.
“For decades, the physical play, blue-collar mentality and on-field leadership of the offensive lineman has shined, but national praise and attention for these crucial players has all-too-often been sidelined,” Skala told ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren last summer. "We want to change the narrative and celebrate these elite student-athletes who play a pivotal role in making college football so thrilling and give them their fair share of the spotlight."
The unique group signing even picked up head waves on business journals including Business Insider and Business Wire. Through the deal, each of the offensive line ambassadors visited various Hooters locations in proximity to their respective campuses to star in various social media “acting” roles.
Through the campaign, the trench-setters encouraged fans to make Hoosiers their exclusive gameday destination for wings, tailgating necessities, and viewing parties.
“It is an honor to have Hooters promote the big guys up front and advocate for the work, dedication, and spirit of offensive linemen throughout college football,” Georgia Tech’s Pierce Quick said. “Like an offensive line, Hooters is all about camaraderie and having a good time, and I think I speak for all linemen by saying we are extremely excited to partner with a restaurant we already love and throw down some wings.”
I don’t know about you, but I would’ve LOVED to have been paid to throw down some chicken wings back in the day.
Shoutout to the big guys up front for securing the coolest, and most unique, NIL venture of any group of athletes last fall!
If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me by email at adam@brenemanmedia.com.
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Shoutout to Connor Krause for helping to write this newsletter and putting the whole thing together!