Flordia State's Keon Coleman partners with Raising Cane's in latest NIL deal
Keon Coleman has proved his worth through the first month of the college football season.
The former Michigan State wide receiver hit the transfer portal this spring, making the decision in May to transfer to Florida State. The commitment came after a heavily followed transfer process, with Ole Miss receiving a visit from Coleman.
He picked Tallahassee, however, and the move has paid off for the Seminoles and Coleman. Florida State is off to a 4-0 start and No. 5 in the AP rankings. It’s the fifth consecutive week FSU has been ranked in the top five, the program’s longest streak since the 2013-14 season. The Seminoles are also in the thick of the College Football Playoff conversation.
Coleman is now being mentioned as a first-round pick in many NFL circles. His marketability has taken off, too, capped off by the receiver inking a NIL deal with Raising Cane’s. The partnership was announced on his Instagram.
The fast-food chicken finger chain has become a popular brand in the NIL Era, inking notable agreements with Stetson Bennett, Trey Benson, Jayden Daniels, the Cavinder Twins and Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson.
With more than 700 Raising Cane’s locations across the country, the brand has become an NIL mainstay. Coleman will now promote the brand throughout the remainder of the season.
The former four-star recruit has emerged as Jordan Travis’ top target this season. He has 17 receptions for 256 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 15.1 yards per catch. He arguably had his best game of the season at Clemson last month, catching two touchdowns, including the overtime game-winner. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder finished with five catches for 86 yards against the Tigers.
“It was really just great play-calling by coach [Mike] Norvell and coach [Alex] Atkins,” Coleman said of his game-winning touchdown. “They trust to get me the ball. We were trying to get it to me at the end of regulation, but we didn’t get the flag that we should’ve got.
“They said, ‘Trust it, we’re coming back to you.’ And they just let me do what I do best. J-Trav threw it and we ended the game.”
Keon Coleman’s growing NIL portfolio
Along with his on-field success, Coleman has amassed a major social media following. The receiver has more than 120,000 followers, with 29K on TikTok and 77K on Instagram. Having a large social media brand will only create more NIL opportunities.
Repped by Just Win Management for exclusive marketing representation, he recently inked an NIL deal with the Florida State-driven NIL collective The Battle’s End. He’s also released apparel. Playing in Leon County, where Florida State is located, he dropped T-shirts and long-sleeve shirts featuring the phrase “Keon County” in garnet and gold.
The receiver inked a season-long contract with Hotel Indigo last month. The IHG boutique hotel in Tallahassee will be the “official hotel” of Keon Coleman for the remainder of the year. He joins Benson and Travis as ambassadors for Indigo.