Michigan's Blake Corum inks NIL deal with The Detroit Garage

Blake Corum has developed one of the biggest brands in the Big Ten.

The Michigan running back could have left Ann Arbor for the NFL last year. But he injured his left knee in November against Illinois. He didn’t want to exit his career without helping the Wolverines one last time in the Big House and College Football Playoff.

So Corum came back for a final season. He’s leading the nation in rushing touchdowns with 13. And he’s become one NIL’s stars, thanks to his marketability and platform. His biggest business success has come through flipping houses, a business venture he said this summer he hopes to turn into “an empire.”

Now the running back has added another notable NIL partnership, signing an endorsement deal with The Detroit Garage.

With locations throughout the greater Detroit area, the shop focuses on general automotive repair. Corum himself is a fan of cars, touting a sponsorship with Burt Watson Auto Group. He also had his prized Camo-wrapped Chevrolet Camaro stolen last January.

In a new ad released Tuesday for The Detroit Garage, the Michigan running back is shown driving a truck.

“I give my car the same level of care as give my body,” he said in the commercial. “That’s why I trust the team at the Detroit Garage for my tire and maintenance needs.”

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The full terms of the agreement were not released. Through the deal, he’ll promote the brand on his social media platforms. The Detroit-based company can share marketing ads featuring Corum, which is a major win to have a star Michigan player promoting the garage.

Blake Corum’s expansive NIL portfolio

Corum has emerged as one of the Big Ten’s NIL success stories. He has inked deals with Outback Steakhouse, The 33rd Team and Subway in the last two years. The former four-star recruit has worked multiple camps. Last Thanksgiving, he was out in the community donating turkey meals. The funds were generated from his NIL deals.

In recent weeks, he’s added NIL agreements with Wolverine Boots and 7-Eleven. Through the partnership with 7-Eleven, he is teaming up with luxury designer The Shoe Surgeon to create his own individual pair of custom cleats that fans can win through weekly auctions. Proceeds from each sale of custom cleats will go to Beaumont Children’s. His cleats will be released Nov. 24.

He’s worked with the Michigan-focused Valiant Management on most of his NIL deals.

“If you come here and if you’re successful, you have a good chance of making a good amount of money,” Corum said this past summer at Big Ten Media Days. “NIL doesn’t matter at Michigan. That’s why we’re not out here paying high school athletes. You have to come here, put in the work. You’ll reap what you sow.”

Growing On3 NIL Valuation

The Michigan tailback has rushed for 605 yards on 111 carries this season, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. With remaining games on the schedule against Penn State and Ohio State, he’ll have a chance to play on the national stage.

Blake Corum holds a $846,000 On3 NIL Valuation, which ranks No. 23 in college football. With nearly 190,000 social media followers, he’s one of the most followed athletes at Michigan. His valuation sits at No. 32 in the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their 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.

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