Beats launches inaugural 'Beats Elite' class, inks NIL deals with 15 college football stars

Beats has made its biggest investment yet in NIL.

The audio software company has formally launched its inaugural “Beats Elite” class, signing NIL deals with 15 college football players. The athletes will be featured across various marketing campaigns and wear custom Beats products.

It’s one of the boldest NIL campaigns seen to date, spanning across the college football landscape. Beats has tapped some of the biggest names in the sport but also strategically athletes with some of the largest social media followings.

• Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik
• USC quarterback Caleb Williams
• Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei
• Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe
• LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels
• Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy
• Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton
• Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis
• Alabama defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry
• Georgia defensive back Malaki Starks
• Washington quarterback Michael Penix
• Penn State running back Nick Singleton
• Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers
• Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman
• Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders

The 15 athletes have a combined 3.3 million social media followers, something brands prioritize in major marketing campaigns. Each athlete has since posted about the deal on their platforms.

In recent days, Hartman and Milton have gifted their entire teams Beats by Dre headphones before the start of the season. Everett Sports Management, which reps Starks, said the defensive back plans to hand out headphones to his teammates next month.

Since the inception of NIL in 2021, Beats has emerged as a heavy spender in college sports. The brand has previously partnered with the likes of Bijan Robinson and Bronny James. Beats also mounted a college basketball campaign in March, signing Drew Timme along with North Carolina’s Deja Kelly, Stanford’s Haley Jones and Kansas’ Gradey Dick.

More and more brands continue to spend substantial marketing dollars in the NIL space. Earlier on Thursday, Powerade announced a 30-second spot of the campaign will air on Sept. 3 with more spots expected to follow.

To accompany the launch of the NIL campaign, Beats has released a film featuring all 15 athletes with the new track titled “Blood Moon” by Mike WiLL Made-It and Lil Uzi Vert. 

Beats tabs biggest names in college football

Williams has set the precedent for what can be done in NIL as a college football star. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner and USC quarterback will be the face of Dr Pepper’s Fansville season. He has a $2.6 million On3 NIL Valuation, which ranks No. 2 in college football behind Arch Manning.

A former three-star recruit, Sanders guided Jackson State to a 12-1 season last fall. He passed for 3,732 yards for 40 touchdowns and a 70.9% completion rate. Now he will have the chance to prove what he can do at the FBS level. There’s no questioning his NIL power, though. The quarterback has more than 1.3 million followers and has signed with Gatorade, launched his own barbecue sauce, been tabbed as the BRADY brand’s long-term ambassador and promoted Mercedes-Benz.

McCarthy has led Michigan to back-to-back Big Ten titles and wins over Ohio State. The Wolverines have also been to two consecutive College Football Playoff semifinals, failing to get over the hump. That will be the goal this year for the quarterback, who has endorsement deals with Alo Yoga,  Dunkin’, Essentia Water and The M Den. He holds a $1.3 million On3 NIL Valuation.

While he could have left for the NFL draft, instead, Jordan Travis will lead a team ranked No. 8 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. His decision to return has resulted in some major NIL paydays. The quarterback has agreed to endorsement deals with Leaf Trading Cards, Hotel Indigo, NextGen Camps and Tallahassee Ford. The Florida State star has a $1.2 million On3 NIL Valuation.

Ewers has become a leading figure of the NIL Era. The Texas quarterback made the decision to leave high school and enroll early at Ohio State, NIL opportunities were at the forefront of the move. Now he’s back in his home state, preparing for his second year as the Longhorns’ starter. Represented by Sportstars and Rubicon, he has a $1.2 million On3 NIL Valuation.

Repped by Vayner Sports, Hartman been an active name in NIL with endorsement deals with Bojangles, Candy Digital, Dove, Mizzen+Main and Wahl Grooming. He has built a major social media brand, too, with nearly 125,000 followers. He has a $1.1 million On3 NIL Valuation, which ranks No. 14 in the college football NIL rankings.

The Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Nick Singleton rushed for more than 1,000 yards in his first year playing at the college level. He has recently signed on to work with Rhoback and Gatorade. Singleton holds a $871,000 On3 NIL Valuation, which ranks No. 21 in the college football NIL rankings.

Milton went undefeated in two starts last fall, leading the Vols to a win over Clemson as he earned Orange Bowl MVP honors. This offseason has been filled with videos of the fifth-year player showing off his arm strength at the Manning Passing Academy. His $838,000 On3 NIL Valuation ranks in the top 30 of the college football NIL rankings.

A former Arizona State transfer, Daniels had a 68.6 percent completion rate on 388 attempts in Year One at LSU. With just three interceptions and 17 touchdown passes, he averaged 4.8 yards per carry and 11 scores in the rushing game. He has a $566,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

About the On3 NIL Valuation

The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. A proprietary algorithm, the On3 NIL Valuation calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories: performance, influence and exposure.

About On3 NIL Valuation, Brand Value, Roster Value

While the algorithm includes deal data, it does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals athletes have completed to date, nor does it set an athlete’s NIL valuation for their entire career. The On3 NIL Valuation calculates the optimized NIL opportunity for athletes relative to the overall NIL market and projects out to as long as 12 months into the future.