NIL Deals of the Week: Deuce Vaughn lands Porsche, Nerf enter space

Nothing is more valuable for athletes than delivering on the field or court in the NIL Era.

Over the past week, multiple football players across the country have landed car deals. That’s not by chance, either. With the regular season wrapped up, it’s a reward for the work on the field. And while it is not pay-to-play or an NCAA violation because of the marketing activation, there’s a reason these athletes are scoring the partnerships.

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.

Deuce Vaughn lands Porsche Cayenne through Robbins Motor Company partnership

Kansas State star running back Deuce Vaughn has been an integral piece of the Wildcats’ roster this season. A 2021 first-team All-American, he’s third in the Big 12 in rushing with 1,295 yards and second in all-purpose yards with 1,643 total yards this season.

And now he’ll be riding in style.

Vaughn originally announced an NIL partnership with Robbins Motor Company in August. At the time, he appeared in a commercial for the Manhattan car dealership promoting a purple Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. Teammate Felix Anudike-Uzomah also appeared in the commercial, but he opted for the Dodge Ram TRX.

However, this time around, Vaughn is opting for a white Porsche Cayenne. Robbins Motor Company owner Clay Robbins told On3 that Vaughn’s vehicle is used. Yet, most Cayenne models are valued well over $60,000, so it’s one sweet ride.

Vaughn has an On3 NIL Valuation of $286,000 and an On3 Per Post Value of $594. He’ll be looking to deliver Kansas State a Big 12 title this weekend against Baylor.

Jayden de Laura, Tetairoa McMillan sign with Jim Click Auto

The Wildcat-focused NIL collective Friends of Wilbur & Wilma announced Tuesday afternoon quarterback Jayden de Laura and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan have each landed a new Dodge as part of a deal with Tucson’s Jim Click Auto.

As part of the agreement, the two athletes will be volunteering at the local Boys & Girls Club. Friends of Wilbur & Wilma was founded back in February and is powered by Blueprint Sports. The collective also has the support of the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education.

The collective has continued to grow its presence on in Tuscon, supporting the Wildcat women’s basketball, softball and baseball programs. It’s also been active facilitating deals, recently setting up tight end Keyan Burnett with a partnership with resource center “More than a Bed.”

Arizona finished the regular season 5-7, picking up wins over UCLA and Arizona State in the three final weeks of the season. The former Washington State quarterback, de Laura threw for 3,685 yards with a 62.5 percent completion percentage. He also tallied 25 interceptions and 13 interceptions, while adding another four scores on the ground. The 2021 Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year has yet to announce his future plans. With three years of college, he is eligible to announce for this spring’s NFL Draft.

The Arizona quarterback currently holds an On3 NIL Valuation of $178,000, which ranks in the top 275 of college football NIL evaluations. With roughly 13,900 social media followers, he as a $376 per-post projection.

Just a freshman, McMillan was Arizona’s highest-rated commit in the rankings era. He lived up to those expectations this season, pulling down 39 catches for 702 yards and eight touchdowns. The 6-foot-5, 205-pounder thrived in Jedd Fisch’s offense, showing his impressive ball skills.

Tetairoa McMillan has a $51,000 On3 NIL Valuation. The freshman has 24,000 social media followers and a per-post projection of $457.

Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd announce NIL deals with Nerf

A new brand entered NIL this week in style. Nerf signed UConn guards Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd to an NIL partnership.

Bueckers earned multiple national player of the year honors as a freshman in 2021, when Fudd was named the Morgan Wooten Girls High School Basketball Player of the Year. Last season the teammates helped the Huskies reach the national championship game in their first season playing together in college.

The two then had their own Nerf competition, shooting hoops on a Nerf basket and then using the Nerf Motoblitz Elite 2.0 Fudd ultimately won the competition, using as super soaker on Bueckers to celebrate the win.

Bueckers has the highest On3 NIL Valuation among women’s college basketball players at $823,000. Bueckers ranks No. 3 in the Women’s NIL 100 and No. 35 in the NIL 100. She benefits from having roughly one million Instagram followers and more than 420,000 followers on TikTok.

Armando Bacot inks NIL deal with Rhoback

Rhoback continues to expand its NIL footprint. The brand signed Armando Bacot to an endorsement deal this week, its first signing of college basketball season. The North Carolina star becomes the second college basketball athlete to sign with the company. Former Texas captain Andrew Jones became one of the first college athletes to sign with Rhoback last winter.

Now it has signed Bacot, one of the biggest names in college basketball. He registered double-doubles in all six of North Carolina‘s NCAA Tournament games this past spring, helping the Tar Heels reach the national championship game.

He will be compensated and have an opportunity to earn commission for sales he drives in, as part of the agreement. The other unique aspect of signing with the company is content creation. Rhoback is in the process of creating a media house. Athletes can work with the apparel company on brand messaging, along with content creation for social media channels.

The brand has focused on finding athletes who are some of the top in their sport and play for some of college sports’ top brands. Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and Will Anderson, Notre Dame‘s Michael Mayer and Texas running back Bijan Robinson all signed with the apparel company this summer.

“These are some of the most loyal fan bases in the country and being able to really get introduced to them and associate ourselves with them is the end goal,” Rhoback’s athlete and brand relations rep Will Lawler previously told On3. “Whether that’s through announcing a partnership, whether that’s through deepening it through content, whether that’s through apparel.”

As for the exclusive apparel aspect of the partnership, the deal expires once Bacot heads to the professional ranks. Rhoback is an activewear brand, meaning its athletes are open to signing on with business or formal apparel companies.

The Richmond, Virginia, native holds an On3 NIL Valuation of $1 million. He ranks No. 21 in the NIL 100.

Jalin Hyatt, Mike Wright sign NIL deals with Bose

Bose continues to make waves in the NIL space. After signing deals with a handful of college athletes last year, the audio equipment company has now signed Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt and Vanderbilt quarterback Mike Wright to NIL deals. The two athletes teamed up to film a social media advertisement for Bose, promoting the brand’s QuietComfort Earbuds II and QuietComfort 45 headphones.

In the video, the Hyatt and Wright hop on a FaceTime call and quickly transition to playing Fortnite. From there, they each throw on a pair of headphones and talk smack as they play the video game.

“You can run from me on Saturday, but you can’t run from me right now, man,” Wright says.

“If you throw it to me, I’ll do the rest for you,” Hyatt later adds.

Hyatt’s NIL value to brands has skyrocketed following his breakout performance against Alabama. His On3 NIL Valuation has continued to jump, too. Hyatt’s evaluation now sits at $810,000 — a 229% growth over the last 10 week.

Mike Wright has an On3 NIL Valuation of $42,000.

We kickin' Rivalry Week off early on the sticks  @mike5wright @bose @overtime #TeamBose pic.twitter.com/Q2N8ez4GQ2

— Jalin Hyatt (@jalinhyatt) November 25, 2022

Honorable Mention

• On the same day the Houston volleyball team received an invitation to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 22 years, LinkingCoogs revealed to the entire roster they had earned a NIL deal with My Eyelab.
• Jason Marshall Jr. continues to add to his NIL portfolio. The Florida defensive back has signed an endorsement deal with Magnuson Performance.
• Campus Ink and Meta announced a partnership that will allow athletes to profit from NIL opportunities through the promotion of custom merchandise, which Instagram users can purchase within the app. LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson, Illinois guard Skyy Clark, Duke guard Jacob Grandison, DePaul guard Caleb Murphy and Arkansas forward Kamani Johnson are all participating.
• Florida quarterback commit and four-star prospect Jaden Rashada has signed with JTM Sports for NIL representation.