Fresno State's Jalen Cropper stars in NIL ad for Fresno First Bank

It’s a banner week for college football players starring in clever TV commercials through NIL deals. A day after SOS Heating and Cooling unveiled its commercial featuring Nebraska wide receiver Decoldest Crawford, Fresno State wide receiver Jalen Cropper had his moment in the NIL spotlight.

In an ad for Fresno First Bank, Cropper, wearing a headset, reels in a pair of no-look catches. Thanks to some slick production, one was a one-handed grab through his legs and another was behind his back.

“Think you can do this, Steve?” Cropper says, while a bank employee walks over to take his turn, revealing another employee, Alaina, who was the one throwing the footballs.

“Come on, that’s not going to cut it on Sundays,” Steve says to Cropper. “Put some heat on it, Alaina.”

Alaina proceeds to drill Steve in the back of the head.

“Ow!” Steve yells. “You need a coach.”

You can watch the commercial below.

It’s J5’s first day at @fresnofirstbank. He’s already showing us a few tricks up his sleeve. pic.twitter.com/uRGscSqyXO

— Fresno First Bank (@fresnofirstbank) August 16, 2022

Fresno State’s Jalen Cropper capitalizes on NIL

Cropper was a second-team All-Mountain West selection in 2021 after leading Fresno State in receptions (85), receiving yards (899) and receiving touchdowns (11). His game-winning touchdown in the final minute against then-No. 13 UCLA gave Fresno State a 40-37 win after the PAT.

The Bulldogs finished the season 10-3 with a win in the New Mexico Bowl.

Cropper scored at least one receiving touchdown in each of the Bulldogs’ first seven games, which extended his streak to eight games in a row after he also scored one in his final game in 2020. He was the first player in the country to catch four touchdown passes in a single game in 2021 as part of a 10-catch, 108-yard effort against UNLV.

Now, Cropper enters the 2022 season on the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the best wide receiver in the country.

A former consensus four-star recruit, Cropper’s On3 NIL Valuation of $230,000 ranks No. 279 nationally among high school and college football and men’s basketball players. His On3 NIL Valuation ranks No. 191 among college football players.

The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. Using a proprietary algorithm, the On3 NIL Valuation utilizes data regarding an athlete’s performance, influence and exposure. An athlete’s On3 NIL Valuation doesn’t act as a tracker of the value of the NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. Instead, it calculates an athlete’s relative value in the market and projects the value as long as 12 months into the future.