5-star Ian Jackson, other Overtime Elite stars sign NIL deals with Adidas

Adidas is taking another big step into the high school basketball NIL market through new deals with four of the top recruits in the country.

The deals, announced Wednesday, partner adidas with senior five-star North Carolina guard signee Ian Jackson, senior four-star small forward Karter Knox, junior four-star point guard Mikel Brown Jr. and sophomore four-star shooting guard Adam Oumiddoch.

All four players star for Overtime Elite, a basketball league for rising 16- to 20-year-old players based out of Atlanta. OTE bills itself as one of the easiest pathways for elite youth basketball players to play professionally.

According to a release, the signings “mark a significant step in adidas’ ongoing dedication to the sport’s evolution and investment in the future of basketball.”

Adidas says the collaboration is a “strategic extension: of the multi-year partnership established in October 2023, where adidas was named the exclusive apparel and footwear sponsor of OTE.

“The partnership with Overtime Elite and the integration of these talented young hoopers into the adidas family empowers us to champion the future leaders of basketball and reaffirms our pledge to the sport’s advancement,” said Eric Wise, adidas general manager of global basketball.

“We are immensely proud to foster a collaborative environment that not only equips athletes with performance-driven adidas products but propels them to success beyond the court.”

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OTE players have strong NIL opportunities

Ian Jackson is the No. 8 player in the country and fourth-ranked point guard. He’s also a Five-Star Plus+ prospect, meaning he’s ranked as a five-star recruit according to all of the ranking services.

Jackson signed with the Tar Heels over Kentucky, Arkansas, LSU, Oregon and a long list of other offers. On3 National Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw called Jackson the “complete package” in his scouting report.

The adidas deal isn’t the first significant NIL deal for Jackson. He’s represented in NIL dealings by WME Sports, and he also promoted the Air Jordon “Skyline” sneaker through an NIL partnership with Extra Butter.

Jackson has an On3 NIL Valuation of $521,000, which is a combination of his roster valuation to North Carolina and his strong personal NIL brand. That personal brand will only grow as he adds more followers to his resume at UNC.

Karter Knox is the No. 19 overall player in the 2024 class. His older brother, Kevin Knox, has played in the NBA for the Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers and New York Knicks. His other brother, Kobe Knox, is at USF.

Knox’s recruitment has been well documented. In October, he told On3’s Joe Tipton he has a final four that includes Louisville, Kentucky, USF and the G-League Ignite. This is Knox’s first publicly revealed NIL deal, and he has an On3 NIL Valuation of $234,000.

Underclass OTE prospects building NIL resume

Mikel Brown Jr. is the No. 16 overall recruit in the 2025 class, and more than 12 head coaches have already scouted him in person this basketball season. He previously executed an NIL deal with VerifiedInk, but the adidas partnership is his first national-level opportunity.

Brown’s On3 NIL Valuation is $128,000 – a figure that is sure to grow as he moves deeper into the recruiting process. Even though he’s just a sophomore, Adam Oumiddoch is already turning heads with a massive offer list topped by Maryland, Illinois, Memphis, Washington, Providence and Kansas State. Like Brown, the adidas deal is his first national partnership.

Adidas ramping up NIL activations

Adidas is one of the leading spenders in the NIL space through its nationwide program. Operating in a significantly different way than other sports brands, all athletes at Division I institutions can partner with adidas. Launched last fall with athletes at Power 5 schools and HBCUs, it’s become one of the largest marketing campaigns in college sports.

Run through the sports marketing agency Postgame, adidas has been able to work with some of the top athletes in college sports and place them as a central piece of major sneaker releases. LSU guard Hailey Van Lith was one of the leading athletes of adidas’ Exhibit SELECT sneaker campaign in June.

But adidas is also working to strike deals with other difference makers that could someday be pro stars.

For example, this past November adidas grabbed national headlines when it signed an NIL deal with Five-Star Plus+ shooting guard Darryn Peterson.

That deal, combined with the new OTE deals, further positions adidas to compete with Nike, which has JuJu Watkins, Bronny James and DJ Wagner on its roster.