USC WR Mario Williams signs NIL rep deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports
Mario Williams — a sophomore receiver that grabbed national attention this offseason when he transferred from Oklahoma to USC — has signed with Roc Nation Sports to represent him in his search for NIL deals.
Roc Nation Sports is a subdivision of Roc Nation, which was launched in 2013 by founder Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. Roc Nation Sports says it “focuses on elevating athletes’ careers on a global scale both on and off the field.” The deal was announced in a social media post from Roc Nation Sports. The terms of the deal were not released.
Mario Williams currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $76,000. The On3 NIL Valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time. Williams ranks No. 219 in the On3 College Football NIL Rankings. Williams also has an On3 Per Post Value of $590 on his Instagram account. But one NIL insider believes value is about to “explode” now that he’s with Roc Nation Sports.
Roc Nation Sports’ roster includes premiere athletes such as LaMelo Ball, Robinson Cano, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Saquon Barkley, Dez Bryant, Leonard Fournette, Danny Green, Rudy Gay, Todd Gurley, Jaire Alexander and Ronnie Stanley. On the entertainment side, Roc Nation represents world-known artists like Rihanna and Shakira.
It’s the second major NIL Roc Nation Sports has announced in the past couple of days. On Tuesday, Alabama Crimson Tide cornerback signee Earl Little Jr. — the No. 39 prospect in the Class of 2022 On300 — announced he was joining the Roc Nation Sports family.
Mario Williams expected to make impact at USC
As a true freshman this past season at Oklahoma, Mario Williams caught 35 passes for 380 yards and four touchdowns. He had his best game of the season in a win over Texas Tech in late December, hauling in five receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown.
In high school, Mario Williams was a four-star prospect and the No. 35 player in the country, according to the On3 Consensus. When he originally signed with the Sooners out of Plant City (Fla.) High, he also had offers from top programs like Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia and Clemson. Furthermore, he expects to play a major role in the USC offense in 2022.
Mario Williams was one of three players that followed Trojans’ coach Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to USC. Quarterback Caleb Williams is the highest-profile name, and cornerback Latrell McCutchin was the first of the three to make the switch, teaming back up with defensive coordinator Alex Grinch.
Caleb Williams is one of the most valuable college athletes in the NIL market. He has an On3 NIL Valuation of $403,000, and he also ranks as the No. 25 player in the On3 NIL 100. The On3 NIL 100 is the first of its kind and the defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by market valuation.