NIL Deals of the Week: Keyontae Johnson promotes cardiac screenings, Boise State's Paige Bartsch lands Bronco
Athletes across college sports continue to strike NIL partnerships to promote change.
Arkansas running back Raheim Sanders landed a deal with Huggies, discussing how one in three American families experience diaper needs. And Kansas State basketball star Keyontae Johnson is using his platform to educate the public on cardiac screenings.
NIL keeps on to doing good.
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Let’s get to the deals that highlighted this week in NIL.
Keyontae Johnson uses NIL to promote cardiac screenings
Keyontae Johnson collapsed on the Florida Gators’ sideline during a game against Florida State two years ago. He spent 10 days in the hospital and never played another meaningful minute for the Gators. Many thought his career was over.
He has since transferred to Kansas State after getting the green light from doctors. The senior forward has emerged as the Big 12’s third-leading scorer and rebounder this season while helping the Wildcats to their highest ranking in more than a decade.
Johnson has now struck a deal with Heartfelt. Raymond Representation facilitated the agreement.
Heartfelt is a company that provides “cardiac screening in order to save lives from preventable tragedies,” such as Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD). Heartfelt offers echocardiograms and electrocardiograms for a nominal donation per screening. The company also has a special focus on screenings for student-athletes and college students. Heartfelt says early screenings are key to discovering heart ailments like the one that impacted Johnson.
“A lot of you might have known that I collapsed in a game on Dec. 12, 2020,” Johnson says in the commercial released announcing the NIL partnership. “But I’m beyond grateful that God gave me a second chance to play the game that I love. I’m not sure if you know, but Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the No. 1 cause of death on a school campus and is the No. 1 killer of student-athletes.
“I’m excited to announce that I have partnered with Heartfelt. Heartfelt is an organization that’s saved over 1,000 lives and helps individuals with early detection for heart issues. As a non-profit, Heartfelt needs a financial offer to help with these services. Please donate and help spread the word.”
Johnson has an On3 NIL Valuation of $368,000, which ranks 23rd in college basketball.
Boise State’s Paige Bartsch lands Bronco from Lithia Ford
Since the inception of NIL in July 2021, athletes across the NCAA landscape have been able to land endorsement deals and monetize their autograph, for example.
Car deals have become increasingly popular across the landscape, too. Boise State volleyball player Paige Bartsch has become the latest to land an endorsement deal with a car included.
The Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2021, she followed it up this past season with a team-high 419 kills. She’s inked a partnership with Boise’s Lithia Ford, receiving the keys to a 2023 Bronco. According to the Idaho Statesman, she’s responsible for paying the insurance and taxes on the vehicle, which retails for $35,000-$40,000.
Bartsch will promote the dealership on her social media and make future appearances. After reaching out to the Boise State athletic department in January seeking a female partner, Lithia Ford made contact with Bartsch.
This is not the first NIL partnership for the dealership. Boise State tight end Riley Smith landed a new F150 pickup truck in May 2022. The vehicle retails at roughly $35,000.
Caleb Williams inks NIL deal with Alo Yoga
The USC quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner inked a partnership with Alo Yoga this week. The fashion brand creates clothing for the studio, along with streetwear. The announcement was made in an Instagram reel.
Caleb Williams‘ deal appears to be his first in the sportswear category. Since landing in Los Angeles last winter, he’s aligned with brands like Athletic Brewing Company, AC+ION Water and Beats by Dre. Alo for Men has sponsorship deals with Jimmy Butler, Rejzohn Wright and Chris Rumph II.
As the reigning Heisman Winner, there’s no question he will be one of the most marketable athletes in college football this coming season. NIL opportunities will not be hard to come by.
On Sunday, Williams was the honorary starter for NASCAR’s Clash at the Coliseum. 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.
One of the most recognizable figures in college sports, he finished his sophomore season ranked No. 1 in the country with 42 passing touchdowns and just five interceptions. He also threw for 4,537 yards, while rushing for another 10 touchdowns.
The USC quarterback has a $3.6 million On3 NIL Valuation. The valuation sits at No. 4 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.
Raheim Sanders announces deal with Huggies
Raheim Sanders landed an NIL deal this past week that will not only benefit him but his son.
“Hey guys, I’m excited to let you know that I have partnered with Huggies,” Sanders said in a video posted on Twitter last Thursday. “As you know, my son is my top priority. Did you know one in three American families experience diaper needs? This month, Huggies will be donating a day’s worth of diapers to National Diaper Bank Network.”
The campaign runs during the month of February. In a follow-up tweet, Sanders wrote that Huggies will donate six diapers for each purchase of Huggies diapers or wipes.
“For each pack of wipes or diapers purchased at Sam’s Club, they’ve pledged to donate up to two million diapers. My local Northwest Arkansas fans, see my caption for more details about (how) to get involved through the Diaper Collective.”
The Arkansas running back rushed for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. He also had 271 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. He opted to return, signing an NIL deal with the Arkansas-aligned NIL collective OneArkansas NIL.
Clemson’s Brevin Galloway partners with Shinesty following injury
It’s been an interesting stretch for Clemson basketball’s Brevin Galloway.
On Jan. 26, he suffered a testicular injury. He made the announcement on Twitter, sharing with his fans that he’d be missing a couple games.
Galloway has since made his return to the court, but not turning the situation into an NIL opportunity. He used his publicity rights to create T-shirts, playing up on the injury. And last Thursday, he added another partnership.
Working closely with his agency Raymond Representation, Galloway signed with Shinesty, a men’s underwear company.
While the terms of the agreement were not disclosed, the company made clear in its release that the cash component of the deal would cover Galloway’s deductible. Shinesty will also be providing ball hammock pouch underwear.
This is not Shinesty’s first move in the NIL space. Colorado offensive lineman Tommy Brown was dubbed the company’s “underwear supermodel” in October after initially signing with the brand this past summer.
So far this season with Clemson, Galloway is averaging 10.8 points and 2.6 assists per game. He holds an $82,000 On3 NIL Valuation.
Honorable Mention
- Haley and Hanna Cavinder have signed with Intuit TurboTax. While the terms of the agreement were not shared, they will receive access to TurboTax advisors.
- UCLA quarterback Chase Griffin announced a partnership with Chase.
- Johnso Creative founder Joe Johnson announced Monday he’s signed FSU defenders Renardo Green, Tatum Bethune and Fabien Lovett As part of the deal, all three players will be featured in an “on-card triple autograph and extremely limited” trading card. Johnson told On3 that pre-orders for the card are now available on the company’s website.
- Miami wide receiver Xavier Restrepo has secured a sponsorship for his 10u team through LifeWallet. The sponsorship will also fulfill Restrepo’s piece of community service. He previously signed the NIL deal with LifeWallet.
- Grayson Sallade and Connor Shellenberger have signed the first partnership agreements with the Cav Futures Foundation. A registered 501(c)(3) organization, the NIL collective is an offspring of the Cav Futures collective, which facilities deals for athletes.
- Kansas basketball star Gradey Dick announced a deal with Beats by Dre.
Jeremy Crabtree and Andy Wittry contributed to this story.