LSU tight end Mason Taylor inks NIL deal with John Deere dealer

Mason Taylor made up for his slow recruitment as a true freshman.

While he may have only been a three-star recruit, he started at tight end last season for LSU. He caught the two-point conversion in overtime to knock off Alabama and put the nation on notice about his budding stardom.

A Freshman ALL-SEC selection, he’s one of the most recognized names returning to the Tigers’ roster this fall. The son of NFL star Jason Taylor has become a name to watch in the NIL space, too, signing an NIL deal with the John Deere dealer Sunshine Quality Solutions.

Taylor’s game-winning catch will be a major selling point of his agreement with Sunshine. The brand has plans to launch the “Clearing a Path to Victory” campaign when LSU visits Alabama on Nov. 4.

“I’m excited to partner with Sunshine,” Taylor said in a statement. “It’s a blessing to partner with such a reputable company and utilize my Name, Image, and Likeness for a fun and impactful campaign. We took a concept that can relate with, clearing a path to victory, and put a little twist on it. I’m excited for everyone to see the work we are doing together.”

Taylor is the fourth Tiger to sign an endorsement deal with the John Deere dealer, which has 17 locations in southern Louisiana and Mississippi. He joins linebacker Harold Perkins and offensive linemen Will Campbell and Emery Jones.

The 6-foot-6, 255-pounder set LSU freshman records for a tight end last year with 38 receptions and 414 receiving yards. He came on strong towards the end of the season, too, with six catches in the SEC title game against Georgia and 88 receiving yards in the Citrus Bowl against Purdue.

“You can tell Mason is very focused and determined to accomplish any situation that is thrown at him… literally,” Sunshine’s marketing manager Grace Vest said. “He drove a 6-series John Deere tractor like a champ and we can’t wait to put together this hype video with a John Deere twist the week of the LSU vs. Alabama game.”

Mason Taylor growing NIL brand with Baton Rouge businesses

Taylor inked an endorsement deal with Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys the week after his breakout performance against Alabama. One of the most active figures in NIL, McKernan hasn’t generated as much national attention as Miami mega-booster John Ruiz and LifeWallet. But McKernan and his firm have struck significant NIL deals with top student-athletes at all of the top college programs in Louisiana.

The tight end also recently shared he’s signed on with the Baton Rouge-based Raising Cane’s. The fast-food chicken finger chain has become a popular brand in the NIL Era, inking notable agreements with Stetson Bennett, Trey Benson, the Cavinder Twins and Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson.

The sophomore’s on-field success last year has helped build a social media brand for him, with more than 21,000 followers between Instagram and X. A strong performance in Week 1 under the national spotlight at Florida State could only help his following.

Mason Taylor has a $199,000 On3 NIL Valuation, which ranks in the top 275 of the college football NIL rankings. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. A proprietary algorithm, the On3 NIL Valuation calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories: performance, influence and exposure.

About On3 NIL Valuation, Brand Value, Roster Value

While the algorithm includes deal data, it does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals athletes have completed to date, nor does it set an athlete’s NIL valuation for their entire career. The On3 NIL Valuation calculates the optimized NIL opportunity for athletes relative to the overall NIL market and projects out to as long as 12 months into the future.