NIL Deals of the Week: Arch Manning partners with Panini for first endorsement deal

Arch Manning was not expected to sign his first NIL deal until he was named the Texas starting quarterback.

That changed this past week. He agreed to terms on a multi-year agreement with Panini America on Tuesday. The partnership calls for Panini to create trading cards featuring Manning, along with exclusive autographs from the quarterback.

The grandson of Archie, son of Cooper, and nephew of Peyton and Eli was the top-ranked prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. His first card was auctioned off for $102,500, with all proceeds going to charity.

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Let’s get to the deals that highlighted this week in NIL.

Texas quarterback Arch Manning inks first NIL deal

Arch Manning inked his first NIL deal this past week. The Texas quarterback and former Five-Star Plus+ recruit signed a multi-year agreement with Panini America.

The deal comes before Manning has started his first game for the Longhorns. The partnership calls for Panini to create trading cards featuring Manning, along with exclusive autographs from the quarterback. The No. 1 quarterback in the 2022 cycle will be included in future NIL trading cards from Panini, while also working with the brand to create his own cards.

The first card is a one-of-one Prizm black autographed card that was auctioned on Panini’s website and ran until Saturday. In total, the card received 36 bids and went for $102,500. All proceeds from the sale will go to a Central Texas nonprofit with the help of St. David’s HealthCare and St. David’s Foundation. The auction winner will get a meet and greet with Manning, while also catching passes from the quarterback. Plus, they can participate in the check presentation to the nonprofits.

“Getting my first Panini trading card is something I couldn’t have imagined growing up,” Manning said in a statement. “Working with Panini to have my first trading card benefit the larger community is special. Helping children live healthy and fulfilling lives is something that has always been important to my family.”

The trading card company is already a partner of the Manning Passing Academy. And Arch Manning joins a list of Panini American athletes which includes Charles Barkley, David Beckham, Christian Pulisic and Ewers.

The quarterback has a $2.8 million On3 NIL Valuation, which ranks No. 3 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. It is also the top-ranked On3 NIL Valuation in college football.

USC quarterback Caleb Williams signs with United Airlines

Caleb Williams has quickly become the most recognized name in college football. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner has parlayed his on-field success into a national NIL brand. On Friday, he arguably inked his most notable partnership to date.

The USC quarterback signed with United Airlines for a season-long campaign. As part of the marketing strategy from the airline company, Williams will be promoting the addition of 127 new, nonstop flights for college football season.

He will be featured in advertising and social media spots for United throughout the year, along with promotion from his own accounts. The airline has added flights to more than 15 destinations for the season, including Columbus, Fayetteville and South Bend. Smith & Company facilitated the deal.

“There’s nothing like the energy you get from seeing the fans in stands and hearing them cheer you on during a big rivalry game, whether that’s at home or on the road,” Williams said in a statement. “I’m excited to collaborate with United Airlines to help spread the news of these special college football flights so fans from all over the country can experience that energy first-hand.”

United moving to partner with Williams does not come as a surprise. The airline and USC signed a partnership in 2019 for the field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to be named United Airlines Field. Former USC wide receiver Jordan Addison promoted the brand last year, too.

In the promotional material released Friday, Williams is wearing his USC jersey in front of a United airplane. Wearing the cardinal and gold colors means United secured intellectual property usage, allowing the quarterback to represent USC in an NIL deal. It has become a popular move for brands. IP only helps United, as most athletes are more recognizable in their uniform or college environment.

The USC quarterback saw what winning the Heisman in the NIL Era can mean for an athlete. He’s back in Los Angeles for at least one more season, too. In his first year on the West Coast, he threw for 4,537 yards with a 66.6% completion percentage. He was picked off just five times in 2022 while passing for 42 touchdowns.

His $2.6 million On3 NIL Valuation ranks No. 2 in college football, trailing only Arch Manning’s $2.8 million valuation. Williams also sits at No. 4 in the On3 NIL 100. Williams has become inked NIL agreements with Athletic Brewing Company, Fanatics, Neutrogena, AT&T, Beats by Dre, PlayStation and AC+ION Water. Since December, his social media has soared to nearly 300,000 followers. The quarterback has embraced his love for fashion, too. He wore a Gucci suit to the Heisman ceremony. Plus, Williams was in the Hugo Boss show during his spring break in March.

LSU’s Angel Reese enters into agreement with Airbnb

Angel Reese spent time in her native Baltimore area recently. Her new charitable foundation held two events, including a youth basketball skills clinic at her alma mater, St. Frances Academy. She threw out the first pitch at the Orioles game on Tuesday.

She also cashed in on a new NIL deal, partnering with Airbnb for a weekend with her friends in the DMV. The LSU basketball star announced the endorsement deal on her Instagram this past Monday morning.

After delivering the Tigers their first national title in program history this past spring, Reese has become a coveted name for brands to work within the NIL realm. The online marketplace for short- and long-term stays is the latest to partner with the first-team All-American.

Founded in 2008 by Brian Chesky, Nathan Blecharczyk and Joe Gebbia, Airbnb stands for “AirBedandBreakfast.” Reese is one of the first known college athletes to sign an NIL agreement with the Fortune 500 company. The Oregon-driven NIL collective Division Street announced plans in November 2021 for an Airbnb concept which allowed Oregon athletes to earn NIL money by serving as Airbnb hosts.

“Airbnb set me and my friends up REAL GOOD for a weekend in the DMV,” she wrote in her Instagram post. “Thank you!”

Growing up in Baltimore, she spent the first two years of her college career at Maryland, earning third-team AP All-American in the 2021-22 season. Her celebrity status took off in her first year at LSU. Averaging a double-double, she earned the nickname “Bayou Barbie” for her on-court demeanor and eyelash extensions and long pink nails. She filed to trademark the nickname and has been openly campaigning for a partnership with the Mattel toy company.

Entering March Madness, Angel Reese had a $371,000 On3 NIL Valuation. Her valuation now sits at $1.6 million, which is the top-ranked women’s basketball NIL valuation. Reese ranks No. 5 in the On3 NIL 100.

Top NBA Draft prospects sign multi-year deals with Panini

The trading card and collectibles company Panini America announced Friday it signed exclusive, multi-year NIL agreements with five men’s college basketball players, including a reigning national champion and four freshmen who were top-20 recruits in the 2023 recruiting class.

The players involved in the NIL deals include Baylor‘s Ja’Kobe Walter, UConn‘s Donovan Clingan, Duke‘s Jared McCain, Iowa State‘s Omaha Biliew and Oregon‘s Kwame Evans Jr. Each player will attended the National Sports Collectors Convention in Rosemont, Illinois, this weekend, according to a release.

Matas Buzelis, who agreed to play for the G League Ignite, was also a member of the signing class. McCain leads the group with an On3 NIL Valuation of $1.1 million. Biliew has an On3 NIL Valuation of $439,000, Walter has an On3 NIL Valuation of $426,000 and Evans has an On3 NIL Valuation of $219,000. Clingan’s On3 NIL Valuation is $88,000.

Honorable Mention

• Nyck Harbor inked his first trading card deal. The South Carolina receiver and former five-star has signed an NIL deal with TruSport, a branch of the trading card brand TruCreator. The rising freshman has signed a non-exclusive deal and has been given creative control over his trading cards. As part of the NIL agreement, Harbor receives a fee per autograph and a 50% royalty on unsigned cards, Everett Sports Marketing’s Dan Everett told On3. 
• Mass St. Collective partnered with BeONE Sports to feature 11 of KU’s top stars in football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball on JD Motorsports driver Brennan Poole’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race car.
• Florida State running back Trey Benson has added an NIL deal with Raising Cane’s. The nationwide chicken fingers joint has been a key NIL player through the first two years of college athletics’ new era. Benson joins a list of Raising Cane’s NIL ambassadors that includes Angel Reese, Flau’jae Johnson, Stetson Bennett, the Cavinder twins and Spencer Rattler.
• Isaiah Collier has brought on CAA Sports — Creative Artists Agency — for NIL representation. The sports agency based out of Los Angeles has a list of NBA clients including Zion Williamson, Paul George, Chris Paul and Kyle Kuzma. The nation’s top-ranked recruit in the 2023 cycle has a $596,000 On3 NIL Valuation.