NIL Deals of the Week: 2024 recruits Elijah Brown, Peyton Woodyard sign with Bevel

Collectives are finding ways to adapt with the two-year anniversary of NIL quickly approaching.

Donor-led collectives have popped up across the country in the last 22 months, competing to raise the most funds to attract high school recruits and retain talent looking at the transfer portal. But there is donor fatigue and the NIL market is settling. Trying to recoup dollars is becoming a priority.

Just this week, some innovative ideas from collectives were announced. Spyre Sports Group has a new partnership with Opendorse, which will give Tennessee athletes access to the marketplace. It’s the first deal Opendorse has announced with a collective.

The USC-focused House of Victory collective is getting creative with its list of events. The organization released plans for a meet and greet and a QB U event, trying to provide a legitimate return on investment for donors.

The Foundation, dedicated to raising dollars for Ohio State‘s NIL activity, even released an “experiences menu.”

As a reminder, feel free to submit info on your NIL deal to On3. You can send an email to [email protected] or reach out via DM or comment on Twitter to @On3NIL or @deals_nil. Direct messages are open, too, on the @On3NIL Instagram account.

Let’s get to the deals that highlighted this week in NIL.

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2024 recruits Elijah Brown, Peyton Woodyard sign with Bevel

Two of the top prospects coming out of California in the 2024 recruiting class entered the NIL space this week. Four-star quarterback Elijah Brown and four-star safety Peyton Woodyard each struck agreements with the health and beauty company.

Both ads were dropped on Instagram and released in partnership with Overtime, which has emerged as a content collaborator with multiple athletes. Brown is represented by Everest Talent Management.

 Because they are California high school athletes, the duo are allowed to monetize his publicity rights and earn compensation without losing his amateur status. Started as a men’s shaving company in 2013, Bevel now features skin and beard products and is owned by Procter & Gamble. Signing the pair of 2024 recruits shows the company wants to start working with some of the top high school talent in the country.

A rising senior at Mater Dei, Brown threw for 2,785 yards and 31 touchdowns while completing 68% of his passes last season. He has a $353,000 On3 NIL Valuation. Stanford appears to be the leader in his recruitment with a 91.1% chance to land the quarterback, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

Woodyard recorded 53 tackles, seven pass deflections, plus an interception this past fall. A top-100 recruit, he has not fully shut down his recruitment yet. The safety has visits planned this summer to Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and USC. He has a $151,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

Angel Reese partners with hair care brand Mielle

Brands continue to flock to Angel Reese. The women’s basketball star averaged 23 points and 15.4 rebounds per game this past season, leading LSU to its first national title.

She was named an official ambassador for the multicultural hair care brand Mielle Organics this week. A press release said the agreement is Reese’s first major beauty deal. Nicknamed the “Bayou Barbie,” the LSU player has built a brand around her on-court demeanor and interest in fashion.

“Athletes are the ideal beauty icons and brand ambassadors,” Reese said in a statement. “I put it out there that I wanted to work with more beauty brands, and I’m so excited to be working with Mielle! I’m a longtime user and fan of the brand, so this is the perfect partnership. I can’t wait to share more with my fans and introduce my new Mielle bundle. The last several months have been a whirlwind. I feel really blessed.”

Since winning the national championship, she has signed agreements with Raising Cane’s, Campus Ink, Caktus AI and Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge. She also appeared in the 2023 SI Swimsuit edition.

Reese has an On3 NIL Valuation of $1.4 million, which is No. 1 in women’s college basketball and 10th in the On3 NIL 100.

John Bol signs with Level 13 Agency for NIL representation

John Bol has yet to make a decision on where he will play college basketball, but the four-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class is ready to start evaluating NIL opportunities. The 7-foot-2, 190-pound center signed with Level 13 Agency for representation ahead of his senior season.

Based out of Lubbock, Texas, Level 13 made headlines when it fundraised and facilitated $25,000 NIL deals with each member of the Texas Tech women’s basketball team. Co-founded by Kirk Noles, the agency has committed to working with a number of high school and college athletes, including quarterback Tyler Shough and wide receiver Jerand Bradley.

“I am thrilled to announce I have signed with Level 13 Agency to represent me in marketing and branding,” Bol said in a graphic released on social media. “As a basketball player, I understand the importance of having a strong team behind me, and I’m confident that Level 13 Agency has the expertise and resources to help take my career to the next level.”

Originally from South Sudan, the center ended up in St. Louis, Missouri, where he played for Jayson Tatum‘s father, Justin, at Christian Brothers. He quickly broke the school record for blocks in his sophomore season before transferring to Sunrise Christian for this past season.

Bol narrowed down his list of schools to Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, UConn, USC and Wake Forest, as well as the Overtime Elite league (OTE), earlier this month. The top-ranked player coming out of Kansas in the 2024 recruiting cycle has made visits to Florida, Michigan and Missouri.

The center has a $114,000 On3 NIL Valuation, which ranks in the top 70 of the high school basketball NIL rankings.

Boilermaker Alliance announces deals with two Purdue transfers

The Purdue-focused Boilermaker Alliance inked NIL deals with two key Boilermaker transfers this past week. Quarterback Hudson Card and defensive lineman Jeffrey M’ba each signed agreements with the NIL collective.

A Texas transfer, Card was the hand-picked replacement for Aiden O’Connell. The quarterback started five games during his time in Austin. He will be expected to keep pace with Purdue’s strong passing production in recent years.

M’ba was originally a member of the 2020 class but opted for the junior college route before landing at Auburn for the 2022 season. Leaving after just one season, the defensive linemen arrives in West Lafayette with plenty of upside. He recorded four tackles, including a sack, during his lone year in the SEC.

NIL collectives have become imperative to Power 5 rosters retaining talent. Founded in July 2022, the Boilermaker Alliance – a non-profit collective – was founded by a group of individuals who have made a long-standing commitment to Purdue University and the athletic department. Drew Brees sits on the executive board.

Honorable Mention

• Tennessee softball player McKenna Gibson re-upped with the Lady Vol Boost Her Club collective for another year.
• Posh Alexander, who recently transferred to Butler, agreed to a NIL partnership with Daps earlier this week. As part of the agreement, 25 signed “limited edition physical cards” will be available on the Daps app.
• Michigan defensive back Mike Sainristil is featured in a new “limited edition” autographed trading card through a partnership with The M Den.
• The Grove Collective agreed to NIL deals with three of Ole Miss‘ top women’s track and field stars. Throwers Shey Taiwo, Jasmine Mitchell and Jalani Davis signed with the collective earlier this week.
• Class of 2025 four-star Penn State offensive line commit Jaelyne Matthews promoted Slice House in Tom’s River, New Jersey, through an NIL deal. Matthew’s committed to the Nittany Lions in late January.