K-State 'Beef' T-shirts feature Wildcats' O-line through new NIL deal

Sometimes NIL deals just make sense. Take the latest partnership between Charlie Hustle, Wildcat NIL and the Kansas State offensive line for example.

The Wildcats return all five offensive line starters and a few key reserves from the Big 12 championship team. That core is a big reason why the Wildcats are ranked No. 16 in the preseason Associated Press poll.

Combine the beef returning up front with Kansas State’s proud agricultural education background and you have the perfect NIL partnership.

On Monday, vintage clothing company Charlie Hustle released its latest NIL T-shirt featuring K-State offensive linemen Hayden Gillum, Hadley Panzer, Kaitori Leveston, Cooper Beebe, Taylor Poitier and Christian Duffie. The shirt includes the K-State Powercat with “BEEF” in bold purple and gray letters. Below is an accurate tagline of “Manhandlers of Manhattan.”

The deal was facilitated through a partnership with Wildcat NIL. Gear featuring the K-State offensive line and the “Beef” nickname has been something Wildcat fans have been clamoring for, and it’s sure to be a hit in the Little Apple.

“The return of our entire offensive line – six guys with starting experience – for the 2023 season was arguably the best football news K-State fans received this offseason,” Curry Sexton with Wildcat NIL told On3.

“And the offensive line has done an incredible job marketing themselves as ‘K-State Beef.’ Accordingly, we thought K-State fans would appreciate a high-quality T-shirt that would, in turn, support our outstanding offensive line. Charlie Hustle is a great partner of ours, and we are excited to see K-State fans rocking this shirt at games this fall.”

K-State Beef shirts expected to sell well

Charlie Hustle has little doubt the T-shirts will be a big seller. That’s especially true since it features Beebe, who is arguably the top returning offensive lineman in college football. He’s also a local star from Piper High School in Kansas City, Kansas. Beebe has an On3 NIL Valuation of $433,000.

But the other linemen are beloved in Manhattan, especially since they decided to return for the 2023 season when many could have moved on to the NFL.

“We all had dinner together, just those four guys that kind of had the option to leave, and what makes it great is playing next to one another,” said Gillum, one of three senior starters, that returned. “Although everyone has their own journey, their own choices, their own decision, it’s important that we wanted to come back and do this together.

“We had a great run, but I knew I didn’t want to return alone if I didn’t have those guys there. So, it was huge that we all got to do it together.”

That family vibe is exactly why Charlie Hustle is excited about the K-State Beef T-shirts.

“We continue to focus on finding ways to support our student-athletes and create connections with those that want to share in the brand experience of Charlie Hustle,” Charlie Hustle owner/CEO Chase McAnulty told On3. “K-State has the beef, so we’re giving them what they want and having a lot of fun doing it.”

Charlie Hustle continues major NIL push

Charlie Hustle has been a major NIL player throughout the Midwest. The K-State Beef gear is the latest example of its focus on supporting local student-athletes through NIL partnerships.

The company initially struck NIL deals in 2021 with Kansas basketball stars Mitch Lightfoot and Ochai Agbaji. The deals made sense because of KU basketball’s massive fan base in the Kansas City area. Sales went well, but more importantly, Charlie Hustle as a company saw a way that NIL can help insert their business in college communities across the region.

Then in the 2022-2023 college sports season, the company expanded its NIL push with head-turning deals with KU star quarterback Jalon Daniels and former K-State standouts Deuce Vaughn, Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson. Throw in the “Big Energy” T-shirt featuring KU’s Gradey Dick, and it was clear Charlie Hustle was a major player in the NIL world.

The company expanded that push this summer with its College Roadshow – which helped launch new NIL partnerships at TCU, Baylor, Texas Tech, Houston, Texas A&M, Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

“The Roadshow has been a concept we’ve played around with over the years, but on a more local scale,” Charlie Hustle COO Greg Moore told On3. “The past few years we’ve been focusing on growing our collegiate lines and upping the ante by leveraging fun giveaways, fan engagement and – of course – partnering with student-athletes in an effort to showcase our product lines.

“The evolution of NIL has been apparent. Last year was a lot of conversations with coaches, student-athletes or even parents. This year, universities have more established in-house collectives or third-party partnerships that have formed programs around NIL. Charlie Hustle saves a lot of time and energy by dealing directly with the collectives to formulate deals and quickly get proper paperwork handled. It allows the student-athlete the ability to build a brand while focusing on what’s important.”