Five-star 2023 guard DJ Wagner Jr. inks NIL deal with Drake's Nike sub-label NOCTA

DJ Wagner Jr. will not be waiting until he enters the college ranks to sign his first NIL deal. The five-star combo guard out of Camden, New Jersey, has signed a partnership with Drake‘s Nike sub-label NOCTA.

The 2023 prospect has already appeared in promotional material for the brand, which is launching a NOCTA basketball-focused collection later this month. The new series of clothing will include engineered-knit jerseys to single-leg compression tights.

Accessories will also include arm sleeves and headbands, as well as NOCTA-centric socks. The lineup launches July 27 on NOCTA and Nike sites. Prices begin at $12 and top out at $120. NOCTA basketballs are being produced, too.

New Jersey is one of the 14 states across the nation that allows high school student-athletes to monetize their NIL and not put their amateur status in jeopardy.

Wagner is the No. 2 player in the nation per the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. He’s the top recruit out of the state of New Jersey and emerged on the college basketball scene in middle school. Known for his competitiveness and defensive ability, he makes up for his offensive game around the rim.

He has been already playing on the Nike EYBL circuit with the New Jersey Scholars, competing this week in North Augusta for a Peach Jam title. Add on the fact that Drake is a well-known fan of Kentucky and friendly with John Calipari, and the Wildcats seem to be in good position for the 6-foot-3, 165-pound guard.

The other team in contention in Wagner’s recruitment just happens to be Kentucky’s chief rival — Louisville. The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine currently gives the Wildcats a 59.4% chance to land Wagner. The Cardinals slot into the No. 2 spot with a 39.8% shot of winning the recruitment.

While the schools wait on his commitment, DJ Wagner Jr. is capitalizing on NIL with NOCTA.

DJ Wagner Jr.’s On3 NIL Valuation

With an On3 NIL evaluation of $89,000, Wagner is ranked No. 8 in the high school NIL basketball rankings. The guard has seen a solid rise in his value over the past 14 weeks, too, with a 12 percent growth. And with his impending commitment to either Kentucky or Louisville, reaching a $100,000 valuation is not far off.

The second-ranked player in the 2023 recruiting class has a combined 109k followers on social media, thanks for the most part due to Instagram. All of which combines to a per post valuation of $1,200.

The On3 NIL Valuation valuation system is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college-level athletes. A proprietary algorithm, the valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. This evaluation signifies an athlete’s value at a specific moment in time.