How walk-on athletes can monetize their NIL: Kansas RB Jared Casey guest blog

What are your thoughts on how other walk-on athletes can monetize when they aren’t always making the big plays and getting all the media coverage? What did you have planned to use NIL for had you not made the big play?

It is difficult for walk-on athletes to get recognized by companies and those willing to represent them in the name, image, and likeness era. However, reaching out to smaller companies from your hometown and the surrounding area may be in your best interest. When smaller companies represent you at the start, bigger companies may see that and want to represent you, too. Although many walk-ons may not get huge deals with huge companies, it is still very cool to be represented by smaller companies, too. Any deal a walk-on may land could catapult him or her into something he or she may never have imagined. When a couple of deals start to come in, more and more seem to be in the works.

On my end, if I had not made ‘the play’ against Texas, I wanted to use my NIL for jerseys and shirts; just something small. I may also have thought about creating my own brand to sell clothing and other items. Although that was my idea before the catch, that may still be in the works. I may want to make my own brand and sell shirts and other clothing. As this next season approaches, more and more NIL deals may come about, I am not sure. You never know who may want to represent you

Watch Grant Frerking’s full interview with Jared Casey on Youtube or read the transcript on On3.
Read Frerking’s quick reaction blog about his talk with Casey.