Kyle Filipowski, Bryce Hopkins release chips through NIL deal with Snack Fanatics

Kyle Filipowski arrived on the college basketball scene, earning first-team All-ACC honors as well as the league’s Newcomer of the Year award.

The 7-foot Duke center is expected to be a first-round pick in this summer’s NBA draft. Before he worries about his draft prospects, the sophomore is working to get the Blue Devils back to the Final Four.

He’s also taking advantage of his brand to sign NIL deals. Along with Providence forward Bryce Hopkins, Filipowski has inked an NIL deal with Bite Brands and Haystack Sourcing Solutions to release Snack Fanatics Chips.

The chips feature unique seasonings, with Filipowski featured on packing for Hot Honey BBQ Potato chips, while Hopkins will be promoting the Buffalo Wing Blue Cheese flavor.

“It’s awesome to join the initial Snack Fanatics lineup,” Filipowski said in a statement. “It’s a great way to support me and enjoy delicious chips at the same time.”

The chips will be available at stores across the nation and on Amazon.

This is not the first time a chip company has struck a deal with a college athletes. Missouri receiver Luther Burden signed with Old Vienna, a St. Louis company, in August 2021. The company released a Honey Barbeque flavor of their Red Hot Riplets with Burden’s image and autograph on every bag for a month. Marvin Harrison Jr. starred in an NIL deal with Grippo’s Chips, with his own Hot Honey BBQ chips.

Both Hopkins and Filipowski are represented in their NIL dealings by Priority Sports. Priority Sports has represented other men’s college basketball players, such as Purdue center and reigning Naismith Player of the Year Zach Edey, former Iowa forward Kris Murray, North Carolina-to-Michigan transfer Caleb Love.

Bryce Hopkins, Kyle Filipowski NIL marketability

Hopkins, a former Kentucky transfer, tore his left ACL last month. He was averaging 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game and was an All-Big East selection last year.

Filipowski is averaging 17.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game for a Duke team that is 19-5 and ranked No. 9 in the nation. The Blue Devils are ranked second in the ACC with a 10-3 conference record.

“We have everything we need,” head coach Jon Scheyer recently said about his Duke team. “We have a very different team than earlier in the season; we are a hard team to match up with. We’ve seen a lot of different defenses already. We’re closer, but we’re not a final product.”

The former five-star recruit and No. 1 player in the 2022 class, Kyle Filipowski has seen his NIL brand is now closing in on roughly 50,000 social media followers. He’s signed endorsement deals with Bonchon, the Duke NIL Store and the Crowne at 501 apartment complex. The center’s On3 NIL Valuation of $541,000 is No. 16 in the college basketball NIL rankings.

Hopkins has more than 36,000 social media followers and has worked extensively with the Providence-driven Friar Family NIL Collective. The former top-40 recruit led the Friars to an NCAA tournament berth last March.

The On3 NIL Valuation is calculated by combining roster value and personal NIL. Roster value is the value an athlete has by being a member of his or her team at his or her school, which factors into the role of NIL collectives. NIL in an athlete’s name, image and likeness and the value it could bring to regional and national brands outside of the scope of NIL collectives.

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