Nike expands NIL focus through deals with high school stars AJ Dybantsa, Jerzy Robinson
Nike and the Klutch Sports Group continue to showcase why they’re among the best of the best in NIL.
Nike revealed that it signed NIL deals with the 2025 No. 1 recruit and Five-Star Plus+ forward AJ Dybantsa out of Napa (California) Prolific Prep and Jerzy Robinson, widely considered the top girl’s basketball recruit in the 2026 class out of Los Angeles Sierra Canyon.
Boardroom first reported the deals.
Both Dybantsa and Robinson are represented by Klutch Sports. Founded by LeBron James and his close friend, Rich Paul, the sports agency is headquartered in Los Angeles. The agency works with a handful of NFL and NBA stars, including Trae Young and DeVonta Smith. It’s also been a major player in the NIL Era signing deals with numerous future NBA, WNBA and NFL stars.
But partnering Nike with what appears to be two sure-fire future stars is about as big as it gets, brand experts agree.
“When you think about basketball Nike is the first name you immediately think about,” an agent involved in the NIL space told On3. “And to work a deal that positions themselves with the two next big things is significant. This puts Jerzy and AJ in the same conversation with Bronny, Caitlin, Juju and Paige and that’s no small thing.
“It’s an outstanding deal for everybody involved, especially Nike.”
Chris Aumueller, CEO of FanWord, an NIL storytelling and brand development solution, agreed the deal is significant.
“It’s great to see high-profile brands ink partnerships with athletes in the early stages of their careers,” Aumueller told On3. “In my opinion, some of the best partnerships are when brands are invested long-term and start to build that relationship right from the get-go.
“It instantly builds mutual trust and a more authentic partnership.”
Nike’s NIL roster continues to grow
As the agent indicated, AJ Dybantsa and Jerzy Robinson join a roster of Nike athletes in college and at the high school level that’s among the best of the best in basketball.
Dybantsa and Robinson join a remarkable lineup, including USC’s Bronny James, Kentucky’s DJ Wagner Jr., Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, USC’s Juju Watkins, and UConn’s Paige Bueckers. Not only are those players standouts on the court, but they’re also big winners in NIL. All but Watkins are ranked 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.
Wagner and Watkins appeared in a new Nike commercial before the start of the season. Titled “Only Basketball,” the two appear in the 60-second video with a list of stars including rapper Travis Scott, WNBA two-time MVP A’ja Wilson, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and LeBron.
Clark signed with Nike this past October as an obvious long-term play for the sportswear brand. The brand launched name and number tees and sweatshirts for the Iowa guard ahead of the NCAA tourney, one of the first moves by Nike to monetize her NIL outside of social media posts. She recently appeared in promotional material for the brand’s Nike Tech merchandise. Nike is also a sponsor of the WNBA.
AJ Dybantsa, Jerzy Robinson stars of tomorrow today
AJ Dybantsa, a 6-foot-8 forward, is the consensus No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class.
He earned the 2022-23 Gatorade Massachusetts Boys Basketball Player of the Year award following a freshman campaign at St. Sebastian’s School. He averaged 19.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.5 blocks per game. Dybantsa transferred to Prolific Prep after his freshman year. He also announced in October that he was reclassifying to the 2025 class.
Many experts have him projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft.
“Joining the Nike basketball family is huge,” Dybantsa told Boardroom. “When I was asked, it was a no-brainer… Growing up, watching people that inspired me to wear Nike – to now being part of the same team is an opportunity I don’t take for granted. I can’t wait to see what we can mix up on and off the court.”
Jerzy Robinson is regarded as the best women’s basketball recruit regardless of classification. An all-state selection and Arizona Player of the Year led Team USA to a gold medal at the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. At just 14 years old, she became the youngest player to ever win MVP at the tournament.
Robinson played her freshman year of high school basketball at Phoenix Desert Vista. She made the move to Sierra for her sophomore year. That’s the same school where James and Watkins played high school basketball at.
Both can participate in NIL deals
Since both play high school sports in California, both Dybantsa and Robinson can profit from their NIL rights. The Arizona Interscholastic Association prohibits athletes from engaging in NIL activities, with the penalty of losing eligibility.
Dybantsa has an On3 NIL Valuation of $336,000, which ranks 16th in high school basketball. He’s already amassed 133,000 followers on social media. He’s been widely linked with Kentucky, Auburn, USC and North Carolina through the recruiting process.
Robinson has a long list of scholarship offers already. She has offers from from Ohio State, Texas A&M, USC, Alabama, Georgia, UCLA, Mississippi State, Arizona and Arizona State.