Georgia high school stars excited about chance to participate in NIL deals

A week ago, one of the biggest dominoes in name, image and likeness at the high school level fell. 

The Georgia High School Association voted to allow high school athletes could begin to profit from their publicity rights. Now more than 26 months into the NIL Era in collegiate athletics, 34 local athletic associations allow high schoolers to participate in endorsement deals without forfeiting their eligibility.

Georgia’s decision is viewed by many experts as the spark that could force the rest of the Southeast to pass NIL at the high school level. State associations in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas all prohibit NIL. Hours after Georgia’s move, Florida announced it was working on a proposal. 

But the Peach State alone marks a major move because some of the top-rated high school football recruits reside in the state. A whopping 46 prospects in the Class of 2024 rank four stars or higher. 

On3 spoke with some of the top recruits in the 2024 and 2025 classes about Georgia’s decision and what it could mean for them. 

“I’m very excited to be able to profit off of my NIL,” Florida State four-star running back commit Kam Davis said. “The reason I’m excited about this move is because I can connect with brands before I even get to the next level. Moving forward I’m looking for opportunities to do commercials and represent some of the biggest brands in the game. I want to get my name out there and be a great model for all athletes moving forward.”

Back at the On3 Elite NIL Series in June, Clemson linebacker commit Sammy Brown told On3 his dream NIL deal would be with Head and Shoulders because of his blonde locks of hair. Now the five-star recruit can begin those conversations. 

“I think it’s a great opportunity for those that are interested,” he said. “Georgia is definitely a progressive state on the NIL factor and that’s great to see. As far as taking advantage of it, I won’t actively seek anything. However, if anyone reaches out to me with any deals I would love to talk with them about it.”

Caleb Odom will have time to start strategizing his NIL plan before he enrolls at Alabama. The four-star Tide tight end commit is currently in his senior year at Carrollton, catching passes from 2026 quarterback prospect Julian Lewis, who was a driving factor behind Georgia taking action. The USC commit has nearly 200,000 social media followers.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity to be able to profit from my brand and name,” Odom said. “It means a lot, and it’s a way off the field to create more and more opportunities for yourself. I am most excited to be able to expand my name across the country off the field. My first steps will be to create my brand.”

For 2024 prospects, the decision to allow high schoolers to monetize their NIL comes toward the end of the regular season. With many in the midst of a playoff push, the priority will remain on football for Florida State quarterback commit Luke Kromenhoek.

“I’m glad to see Georgia allow NIL for HS athletes,” the four-star prospect said. “Honestly, I am only focused on Benedictine Cadets football right now and have no NIL deals in mind. My parents have always said to take care of business on and off the field. NIL will take care of itself. I just want to lead my team to our max potential and get that three-peat.”

2025 Georgia HS recruits have time to capitalize on NIL

While their 2024 counterparts try to wrap up their high school football careers before the shift focuses on preparing for the college level, top 2025 prospects will have plenty of time to formulate a plan and begin soliciting endorsement deals.

A top-50 prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, Jontae Gilbert announced his decommitment from Ohio State in July. Now going through the recruiting process again, the four-star safety can evaluate NIL opportunities, too.

“I’m really excited to be allowed to profit myself as a high school player,” he said. “I feel like it’s a great opportunity for us high school players to get the experience early. I’m looking forward to getting to know some great people going forward with the rest of my high school career. My first step will be promoting myself and branding myself.”

Zayden Walker is in a similar position. The five-star EDGE is the No. 2 recruit coming out of Georgia in the 2025 cycle. The Bulldogs are currently the favorite to land Walker, who is the 10th-ranked prospect in the class.

Being able to establish an NIL brand now means he will have a strong team in place before he even enrolls at a college.

“I’m very excited,” he said. “I feel like that’s a great thing for athletes to profit off NIL in high school. I’m most looking forward to knowing who I can trust and who could make me the most money.”

On3’s Chad Simmons contributed to this story