NIL Deals of the Week: Angel Reese signs with Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge
Angel Reese continues to rack up NIL partnerships.
The LSU women’s basketball star is celebrating her 21st birthday on Saturday, hosting a party at an Atlanta club. It just goes to show how popular she has become off the basketball court.
Earlier this week, she bought a car through a deal with Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge. While the full terms of the agreement were not disclosed, On3 confirmed part of the car was paid off in an NIL deal and Reese paid for a portion.
It goes to show how the top athletes in college athletics are earning substantial compensation off endorsement deals.
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Let’s get to the deals that highlighted this week in NIL.
Angel Reese signs deal with Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge, lands new car
Angel Reese landed a new set of wheels earlier this week. The LSU basketball star has had no shortage of opportunities thrown her way since winning a national title last month. Growing her brand has not been hard, either, as her social media following has grown to more than four million.
She won’t have any problem getting around Baton Rouge now. Reese signed a new endorsement deal with Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge with the help of the LSU-focused Bayou Collective. The deal was executed through the MatchPoint Connection marketplace.
She announced the partnership Monday night on Instagram. Reese will be driving a new EQS580 around town.
The LSU basketball star is represented in NIL dealings by her agent, Jeanine Ogbonnaya.
“Why not get a new car when it’s your 21st birthday week,” Reese wrote on Instagram. “Thank you Mercedes-Benz Baton Rouge for helping me purchase my new car! This is a gift to myself for everything that I’ve accomplished in 1 YEAR but I wouldn’t be the Bayou Barbie without Bayou Traditions and MatchPoint Connection.”
A first-team All-American this past season, she finished the year averaging a double-double with 23 points and 15.4 rebounds. One of just 22 college student-athletes to have a valuation in the seven figures. The rise in her profile is a mix of the LSU star’s persona and established brand.
Entering March Madness, the former Maryland transfer had a $371,000 On3 NIL Valuation. Her valuation now is $1.4 million, which is the top-ranked women’s basketball valuation.
Aneesah Morrow commits to LSU in NIL deal with Caktus AI
Aneesah Morrow made sure to truly monetize her transfer portal commitment.
The newest member of the LSU women’s basketball team announced her transfer decision Friday afternoon. The DePaul transfer made the decision in an Instagram video as part of an NIL deal with Caktus AI.
It’s one of the few times an athlete has used the hype surrounding their commitment as a chance to also ink an endorsement deal. Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter leveraged his transfer decision in December by saying he would announce his move reaching 100,000 YouTube followers.
Morrow has followed a similar path, promoting a company in her commitment video. The 6-foot-1 sophomore is seen throughout the video on her phone, using the artificial intelligence software to help make a choice.
“What factors are important for a basketball player to consider where to transfer,” she types into the app.
“The player should consider schools with a track record of success, amazing fans, and a roster they want to play with,” the Caktus AI chatbot responds.
After exchanging a few more messages, Morrow asks the blunt question: “I want to win championships and build a dynasty. Where is the best place for me to achieve my goals?”
“The answer is clear, you belong in Baton Rouge, go be great!” the AI software says.
Caktus has quickly become one of the biggest spenders in NIL, previously working with LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne and basketball star Angel Reese, Miami‘s Cavinder twins and San Diego State‘s Matt Bradley.
Started by former Notre Dame kicker Harrison Leonard and Michigan engineering grad Tao Zhang, the brand provides a variety of options to students. Tools include a writing assistant for papers, math equation assistance and a code converter. As Morrow showed off in the video, Caktus also provides a chat section of its app.
“This is another significant milestone for Generative AI and its role in education,” Leonard told On3 in a statement. “We are honored to partner with such an elite team of female college athletes who excel in both sports and academics. Aneesah will be a fantastic addition to this larger movement.”
Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy latest to sign with Alo Yoga
The body of work J.J. McCarthy has accomplished in NIL speaks to his on-field success. The Michigan quarterback has notable partnerships with Bose, Dunkin’, Essentia Water and The M Den. Outside of the endorsement deals, he has used NIL to establish his JJ For the Kids foundation, which has worked with a number of children’s hospitals throughout the country.
He signed an agreement with his largest brand to date this week. McCarthy announced a partnership with Alo Yoga on his Instagram on Sunday night. The fashion brand creates clothing for the yoga studio, along with streetwear.
He’s not the first college football player to align with the company. USC‘s Caleb Williams was the honorary starter for NASCAR’s Clash at the Coliseum back in February. The quarterback was on the red carpet before starting the event at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. His outfit for the race was all from Alo, including his bandana.
McCarthy now has become the second quarterback to work with the sportswear brand. Jared Wangler of Valiant Management helped facilitate the agreement. Terms of the agreement were not shared, but Wangler said the quarterback will promote the brand and shoot content at the company’s headquarters.
“More importantly, it aligns with J.J.’s personality,” he said. “His holistic approach to life matches Alo’s mission.”
McCarthy has an $879,000 On3 NIL Valuation, sitting at No. 21 in the college football NIL rankings. The Valuation also ranks No. 32 in the On3 NIL 100, which is the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation.
Drake Maye to host Chapel Hill youth football camp
Drake Maye has quietly entered the NIL space over the past eight months. The North Carolina star quarterback signed with CAA for NIL representation in September. He partnered with Bose at the end of October, gifting his entire offensive line headphones.
A favorite to contend for the Heisman Trophy this coming fall, his name is already popping up on 2024 NFL mock draft boards. There is little doubt he could be one of college football’s top NIL earners if it was a priority. It just hasn’t been. Football has instead been the focus, with marketing opportunities mixed in as he goes.
But Maye has announced plans for his first youth football camp through an NIL partnership with Next Gen Camps. The rising junior at North Carolina will be host a camp in Chapel Hill on Saturday, May 20.
Open to kids from the ages of six to 18, the event will last from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Held at the University of North Carolina’s Hooker Fields, the cost to register is $150. Camp participants will be able to grab autographs and pictures with Maye, receive a camp T-shirt, go through position group training and participate in a seven-on-seven tournament.
The quarterback wrapped up his rookie campaign throwing for 4,321 yards with 38 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Touting a 66.2% completion percentage, he led the Tar Heels to an ACC title game appearance.
The North Carolina quarterback has a $1.5 million On3 NIL Valuation, which ranks No. 5 in college football.
Honorable Mention
- Boogie Ellis decided to return to USC for a final season last month. He executed a deal with the Trojan-focused House of Victory collective this week.
- Juice Wells and his dog are starring in a commercial thanks to NIL. The South Carolina wide receiver and his pup, Sosa, have signed an endorsement deal with The Farmer’s Dog.
- Hailey Van Lith will not be rocking the adidas logo on the court at LSU. Yet she still plans to work with the brand off the court. Van Lith will wear Nike in all LSU team activities but will still promote adidas through social media campaigns and initiatives, her Octagon Sports agent Alyssa Romano confirmed to On3.
- Florida State quarterback Brock Glenn signed with the Battle’s End NIL collective.