USC's Juju Watkins, Boogie Ellis ink NIL deals with Morgan & Morgan
Two of USC’s biggest stars are joining forces with the largest injury law firm in the country.
Trojans women’s basketball sensation Juju Watkins and men’s basketball star Boogie Ellis have both signed NIL deals with Morgan & Morgan. They will be featured on billboards and other “out-of-home media advertisements” as part of the partnership.
Watkins also announced the deal in an Instagram video, which included Morgan & Morgan partner Dan Morgan.
“We are honored to partner with JuJu, Boogie and the entire USC community,” Morgan said in a statement. “JuJu and Boogie are some of the most elite athletes in their sport, and their determination to succeed aligns well with Morgan & Morgan’s values.
“We look forward to working with USC and the surrounding areas, and hope to continue to create additional partnership opportunities with Los Angeles athletes and organizations in the future.”
Morgan & Morgan has been a key player in the NIL space, notably securing deals with the Kentucky men’s basketball team last month and former Georgia tight end Brock Bowers in October 2022. All told, the firm has signed more than 50 athletes – and two of the most notable names at USC are now on board.
Juju Watkins and Boogie Ellis are having big years at USC
Watkins played a critical role in USC’s success this year, leading the Trojans to a 26-5 record and a Pac-12 women’s basketball tournament title earlier this week. Her 27 points per game ranks second in the nation only to Iowa standout Caitlin Clark, and she also leads USC with 2.4 steals on average.
Watkins also has some notable deals in her NIL portfolio, most recently partnering with Celsius in January along with other young stars in college basketball. She was also part of Nike’s first major move in the NIL game in October 2022 along with Clark and Bronny James, a fellow Sierra Canyon product who also went on to play at USC.
ESPN’s Charlie Creme projected the Trojans to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in his latest Bracketology. They’ll find out their fate during Sunday’s Selection Show.
As for Ellis, he sits tied for first on the USC roster with 16.6 points per game while shooting a team-leading 41.9% from three-point territory. It’s been a rough year for the Trojans, though. They take a 14-17 overall record and an 8-12 record in Pac-12 play into Wednesday’s conference tournament opener against Washington.
The deal with Morgan & Morgan is one of Ellis’ first major forays into the NIL world. He also has a deal with the USC-focused NIL collective, House of Victory, and announced a deal with Hart House in June.