Colorado QB Julian Lewis inks equity NIL deal with Gym Weed

Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis is adding to his NIL portfolio ahead of his freshman season. The former top-60 recruit in the country has inked an endorsement deal with the energy drink Gym Weed.

As part of the agreement, Lewis becomes an athlete equity partner with the brand. The multi-year deal includes Lewis starring in social media campaigns for the energy drink. Full financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Lewis’ representation at Network negotiated the deal.

Founded in June 2022, the energy drink was developed by Alternative Biologics, whose founders and team created Muscle Milk.

“After I tried Gym Weed and had a chance to meet the team, it just made sense,” Lewis said in a statement. “It’s more than an energy drink. As a student-athlete, I feel like the need to focus all day long is my reality, and that’s what made it a perfect fit for me. In NIL, the biggest thing I’ve learned is you’ve got to work with brands you actually believe in. You can’t just grab every offer — your name’s on it, and you’re building with them for the long run.”

Lewis is also signing a marketing deal with Taco Bell, with the campaign set to launch this weekend. The quarterback will have his collectible player cup as part of the “Buffs Box,” a new NIL campaign launching at Taco Bell locations throughout Colorado.

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Lewis flipped from USC to Colorado last fall, picking the Buffaloes and reclassifying to the 2025 class. The 6-foot-0.5, 180-pound quarterback is now challenging Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter for the Colorado starting job this fall.

He finished his career at Carrollton (Georgia) with a 39-4 record as a three-year starter. He threw for 11,010 yards, finishing seventh all-time in Georgia high school history. He also threw for 144 career passing touchdowns and was the 2024 Gatorade Georgia Football Player of the Year.

Lewis has also built a major NIL brand, boasting more than 280,000 social media followers. He previously signed a six-figure deal with Leaf Trading Cards and has an endorsement deal with the men’s jewelry brand Jaxxon.

Lewis also previously added an agreement with Alo Yoga, becoming the company’s first high school athlete. He boasts a $1.1 million On3 NIL Valuation, which sits in the top 30 of college quarterbacks. The annual projection is sky-high because of the value his social media following provides to brands.

The On3 NIL Valuation is calculated by combining Roster Value and personal NIL. Roster value is the value an athlete has by being a member of his or her team at his or her school, which factors into the role of NIL collectives. NIL in an athlete’s name, image and likeness and the value it could bring to regional and national brands outside of the scope of NIL collectives.

“Despite what some fans and media believe, there is not an unlimited amount of money being deployed to manage rosters,” said Shannon Terry, the founder and CEO of On3. “Any model – whether it’s today’s broken NCAA ‘student-athlete’ construct or media rights sharing through employment, which is almost a certainty in the near future – demands efficiency based on the athlete and school knowing the athlete’s respective market value.”

About On3 NIL Valuation, Brand Value, Roster Value