Tennessee's Doneiko Slaughter signs NIL deal with Knoxville's HoundDogs, launches hat collection

Doneiko Slaughter always wanted his own brand. He’s envisioned building a fashion brand that he could work on with his family but also impact the people around his life.

The Tennessee defensive back has discovered that thanks to NIL. Through a partnership with HoundDogs of Knoxville, he has launched a hat collection with the sportswear company. Called Slaughter Houzz Apparel, the business has helped Slaughter in the creation of more than five hats.

While fans can purchase them directly on his online store, Tennessee fans can swing by the HoundDogs storefront, too. Since the inception of NIL, plenty of athletes have been able to launch branded merchandise.

For Slaughter, the opportunity has given him the chance to get his brand off the ground and see a long-time dream come together.

“Oh, I’m extremely excited,” he told On3. “We’re just starting off with hats first, then we’re going to gradually move on to jumpsuits and whatnot. It’s me and my brother’s clothing line. I always wanted to start my own family business. Having this brand, I’d love to start a movement for future generations.

“The more we work on getting into the public, the more lives we can impact. This deal will be a great start for my brand. It’s definitely opened up some more doors and opportunities that I’m blessed to have.”

Some hats come in suede featuring his last name “Slaughter” on the front. Another is a trucker hat with the family name and his brand’s logo, a play on the Friday the 13th mask. It’s unique and play’s on his last name. The trucker hats are priced at $19, with suede going for $35.

Slaughter worked closely with the Texas-based, NIL-driven A&P Agency on the deal. Started by Stefan Aguilera and Jacob Piasecki in 2021, Houston trial lawyer, former Texas A&M Board of Regent and one-time Houston mayoral candidate Tony Buzbee is a partner.

“The guys at A&P have been helping me out, doing a great job on the agency front,” Slaughter said.

This is the first NIL campaign launched by HoundDogs, which sells a range of Tennessee apparel and merchandise. Knoxville businesses have been fast to support NIL activity. For example, Bru McCoy became the third athlete to sign with Moonshine Mountain Cookie Co. earlier this summer. Slaughter is also working with The Volunteer Club, an NIL collective focused on Tennessee athletics.

When Slaughter arrived in Knoxville as a freshman in 2020, NIL was not allowed. He has seen that change come and how it’s positively impacted his teammates. Now he can use his college experience as a launch point for his own business aspirations.

“I feel very blessed because guys before me didn’t have the opportunity like I do,” he said. “Taking advantage of every opportunity I have, any deal I can make benefiting my family. I can provide for my family more, and even more than my family, I can impact others around me as well.

Doneiko Slaughter: Tennessee is ‘going to love this season’

A former three-star safety coming out of Rosewell, Georgia, Slaughter has grown into his role as a defensive back for the Vols. He could play any position in the secondary, which is why he started his career at safety.

Yet last year, he found himself buried on the depth chart at the position. Eventually he made a role for himself as a boundary cornerback, emerging as a solid contributor at the position late in the season. Instead of playing the wide side of the field, he’s near the line of scrimmage and being around the ball.

He flashed his potential with 55 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. His coming out party came against Kentucky, not allowing a reception and nabbing his first career interception.

Last fall, Tennessee finished 11-2. The Vols knocked off Alabama for the first time since 2007. Slaughter has high expectations for his fourth year with the program. That begins Saturday at noon ET against Virginia in Nashville.

“We have high expectations for the season,” he said. “I would say last year was just the tip of the iceberg. We have way more to do, and we have a lot depending on this season. We have a lot of experience coming back, and I think the chemistry is great. Everyone is bought in, no one is being selfish. I think the Tennessee fan base is really going to love this season.”