Deal for a lifetime: Ethan Downs using NIL to make his wedding day unforgettable

Ethan Downs has accomplished a lot in his career as a star for the Oklahoma Sooners. Yet, the second-team All-Big 12 defensive lineman is about to do something that’ll rank at the top of his lifetime achievement list – get married.

And what makes Downs’ July 1 nuptials to his fiancée, Caroline Whitefield, even more unforgettable is that he used his name, image and likeness to strike a deal with Precious Hunnie Beez Florals. The deal was facilitated by The Dubs Group, a Dallas-based agency. Precious Hunnie Beez Florals will provide all of the floral arrangements for Downs’ wedding. In return, the Weatherford, Oklahoma, native will promote the flower shop in advertisements and in social media posts.

We’ve seen other players incorporate NIL in the proposal process, but this is believed to be the first time a student-athlete used NIL to pay for a major wedding expense. And if you ask everybody involved in the deal, it’s the perfect NIL relationship.

“Caroline and I are so excited to be able to partner with Gayla (Blonien) and Roger (Blackshear),” Downs said. “It has made a big difference in our wedding day.”

It’s also a perfect partnership because of the hard work of The Dubs Group co-founder Allie Miller. Downs said The Dubs Group took the time to understand him as a person, know his values and match him with the right brand. Both Downs and Whitefield said The Dubs Group is a godsend.

“The Dubs Group has been such a blessing in our lives,” Whitefield said. “They truly care about Ethan and I and want to do what is best for us. With their help, we did an NIL deal including our wedding flowers, and I could not be more excited. I am beyond grateful for the Dubs Group, Gayla and Roger.”

Ethan Downs’ NIL deal ‘checks all the boxes’

Coming out of Weatherford High School, Ethan Downs was rated as a four-star recruit, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He had a long list of scholarship offers from many of the top teams in the country, including LSU, Nebraska, Texas and Texas A&M. But most everybody knew he was going to end up a Sooner, especially after he took double-digit unofficial visits to Norman throughout the recruiting process.

That love for the in-state school built an immediate bond with the OU fan base and the people in Oklahoma.

That love grew even more over his first two seasons in a Sooner uniform when he racked up 16.5 tackles for a loss and led the team in 2022 with 4.5 sacks and nine quarterback hurries. Downs was also named a finalist for the Wooden Citizen Cup, which recognizes an athlete’s excellence on and off the field as a role model in their local community.

So, when Miller approached Precious Hunnie Beez Florals about an NIL deal, Blackshear believed he would get an excellent return on investment from the agreement.

“I was thrilled when The Dubs Group contacted me,” Blackshear said. “NIL marketing is something I never considered. But I thought it was an amazing fit with a local student-athlete, who is a really big deal around here. Having him represent my brand is something I can take pride in, and really boosts my marketing return.”

And that’s why Miller knew this NIL deal made so much sense.

“We recognized just the sheer amount of affinity that Ethan carries in that area as the hometown hero,” Miller said. “We archetype all of our athletes, to ensure that when brands come to us, we’re able to find the right fit. And one of my favorite archetypes is the hometown hero… This hometown hero aspect is such an important key to unlocking their value in the local area. So, it was a one-and-done. We called one florist, and it was a done deal.

“I just love it. I think he’s a special kid. He is and his ability to understand kind of where he is and the amount of infinity that he holds in his state. Instead of telling me to go chase a car, instead of telling me to go chase Nike, he’s like, ‘I want you to help out my parents who are having to pay for his wedding.’

“So, you have the hometown here, local florist and NIL coming together. It’s the type of deal that checks all the boxes from every angle. The student-athlete helps the local business. The local business provides Ethan and Caroline with something that makes their wedding day even more unforgettable.”

Memorable deals common for The Dubs Group

The Dubs Group is a full-service marketing, sales and talent representation agency that specializes in the collegiate NIL space. It has a long list of student-athletes it represents across the Southwest, but the agency has had a lot of success with players at TCU and Oklahoma. In fact, Miller said a majority of its roster is with female student-athletes at OU.

One thing Miller says The Dubs Group prides itself on is finding unique ways to create partnerships that go beyond making a quick buck. Creating individualized deals is an important focus for Miller’s team.

“One of the things that we do is we sit down with each kid,” Miller said. “We create what we call a personalized marketing plan – a PMP. They tell us who they are. I think so much of this space is people trying to teach other people how to brand themselves.

“They’re digital natives. They have a personality already. They know who they are. They’re unique. They’re usually highly ambitious because they’re D-I athletes. They are moving and grooving on their own. And we think it’s our job as their marketing representative to take the special sauce that they’ve already created and turn it into something –not force them to become TikTok superstars.”

And that individual focus and personal attention is why Miller has a wedding date on July 1.

“On July 1, I will be in Goldsby, Oklahoma, making sure those florals get installed,” Miller said. “I just love it. And I love that we found a way to help Ethan and Caroline make their special day even more special. This is why we do this and why we do things differently than others.”