LSU offensive lineman Emery Jones signs NIL deal with John Deere dealer

Sunshine Quality Solutions has dipped back into the LSU pool of NIL talent.

The John Deere dealer, which services southern Louisiana and Mississippi, has inked an NIL contract with offensive lineman Emery Jones. A true-freshman All-American in his rookie campaign, he’s the third Tiger to sign an endorsement deal with the brand. He joins linebacker Harold Perkins and fellow offensive lineman Will Campbell.

Starting opposite Campbell at right tackle a year ago, the former four-star recruit from Baton Rouge is expected to build off last year’s breakout campaign. Named to the Outland watchlist earlier this week, the 6-foot-6, 315-pound lineman will be promoting Sunshine and John Deere throughout the upcoming season. The marketing move has been dubbed the “Gator Campaign.”

Jones started in all 14 games last season with 886 offensive snaps.

“Emery grew up in Louisiana and he knows what we love down here in the Bayou, we can’t wait to promote our John Deere Gators with his twist of adding in football,” Sunshine’s marketing manager Grace Vest said in a statement. “His campaign is even going to make the Swamp People folks watch twice.”

Starting experience will be key in Year 2 at LSU

The No. 100 recruit in the 2022 cycle, Jones will be protecting Jayden Daniels for the second consecutive year. The LSU rushing attack finished No. 41 in the nation last year, producing 2,574 yards and averaging 4.98 yards per carry. The Tigers allowed 45 sacks, however, which finished No. 116 in the country.

The right tackle was named to the On3 True Freshman All-American Team in December.

“Well, I think you gotta start with the two tackles, the two freshmen tackles,” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said in May. “Both from the state of Louisiana, Campbell and [Emery] Jones. We threw them into the fire last year and knew were going to have to take our lumps a little bit. And we did. They are, I think, poised to have great seasons. Both of them have been outstanding in terms of their work ethic, learning the position.”

Emery Jones’ growing NIL portfolio

The right tackle announced a partnership with the Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys last August before the season. McKernan told On3 in January that he spent well into the seven figures in endorsement deals in the 2022 calendar year. McKernan previously told Sports Illustrated the price tag for elite players is often at least $100,000.

Campbell also has nearly 20,000 social media followers. His On3 NIL Valuation of $82,000 ranks in the top 1,000 of the college football NIL rankings.

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.