Ohio State's Cade Stover, Oklahoma's Danny Stutsman ink NIL deals with Snickers
Cade Stover and Danny Stutsman are arguably two of the most beloved players in their respective fanbases.
A tight end at Ohio State, Stover has won over Buckeyes fans with his do-it-all personality. An in-state recruit, he enrolled in Columbus as a linebacker. He’s since made the switch to tight end, thriving on the field and is now in the mix as a top contender for the John Mackey Award. He’s built an NIL portfolio off the field centered around agriculture, a nod to his family’s farm in Mansfield, Ohio.
Oklahoma’s defensive leader, Stutsman has grown into his own this season. The linebacker is known for being a jokester inside the locker room but currently is tied for No. 10 in the nation averaging 10 total tackles per game. His celebrity status in the Sooner fanbase has rocketed this year, following his pregame speech and postgame photo at the Red River Rivalry.
It’s no surprise Snickers has tabbed the two as leading faces in its first NIL campaign.
Promoting the candy bar on their social media pages, the athletes will be marketing the Rookie Mistake of the Year campaign.
The Snickers giveaway includes prizes all season for fans along with a chance to win tickets to Super Bowl LVIII. The campaign ends on Dec. 31 and fans can sign up now to participate in monthly giveaways. For fans to participate, they must send in an example of their “Rookie Mistake,” defined as an embarrassing mistake such as getting lost en route to a stadium or getting wing sauce on a T-shirt at the tailgate.
Or as the candy bar brand puts it, “Mistakes that could’ve been avoided if you just had a Snickers.”
Cade Stover, Danny Stutsman create unique ads
Stover and Stutsman have both come up with unique ways to market the giveaway on their social media channels. The Ohio State tight end posted a picture of him in his truck, holding a Snickers with the caption saying fans can never leave behind their snack on game day.
Stutsman played it up even more, releasing a video on Instagram of him watching tape without his teammates. At the beginning of the video, he has no idea what he’s watching on film. But with a Snickers bar, the Oklahoma linebacker easily deciphers his duties on the play.
The duo are not the first to market Snickers’ Rookie Mistake of the Year campaign. South Carolina‘s DK Joyner signed on earlier this month, facilitated by Park Avenue Sports.
Snickers tabs Ohio State, OU stars with major NIL brands
Since the inception of NIL in 2021, Stover has signed NIL deals with multiple companies. An ambassador for Rocky Boots, he inked a partnership with the John Deere equipment dealer Ag-Pro Companies last fall. He was also named to Land O’Lakes All-Ag Team back in October 2022. He has promoted the Central Ohio Farmers Co-op, Inc., too. Stover Farms raises cattle and produces beef. And back in August, he added a partnership with Wrangler.
The tight end has 27 catches for 429 yards and three touchdowns for No. 3 Ohio State. His On3 NIL Valuation of $614,000 is No. 61 in college football. The valuation is No. 79 in the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation. When asked at Big Ten Media Days how much he’s made off NIL deals, he deflected but gave an honest response.
“Money-wise? I don’t know,” Stover said. “I’d rather be paid in tractors, to be honest with you.”
Stutsman has found similar success. The Oklahoma linebacker is working with the NIL collective Crimson and Cream. And after his memorable game against Texas, he launched a T-shirt with the Oklahoma City-based company Opolis Clothing. Featuring an illustration of his famed photo and the line from his pregame speech on the back, it’s the perfect way for Oklahoma fans to celebrate the win. And of course, the price had to be $34 – the same amount of points the Sooners scored Saturday. According to his agent, Brian Bradtke, Opolis has cut a royalty deal with Stutsman that is “more than the usual royalty percentage.”
The linebacker has a $307,000 On3 NIL Valuation with 62,000 social media followers.