NIL Deals of the Week: Dillon Gabriel, Jeremiah Smith land key partnerships ahead of college football season

Summertime usually means slower amounts of NIL deals announced. But with college football media days already taking place, there are still plenty of creative and original partnerships to highlight in this week’s NIL Deals of the Week.

With a mission to highlight the top deals, the On3 NIL team will focus on identifying noteworthy deals in the college athletics landscape.

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

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

Dillon Gabriel helps Oregon teammates get ‘iced out’

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel has advocated for giving back throughout his NIL dealings.

Gabriel – rightfully so – generated national headlines earlier this summer with his “I’M INSPIRED” event where he presented his former Mililani High School football program with new uniforms and other gifts through partnerships with Nike, Guardian Caps, Raising Cane’s, Riddell, EvoShield and HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union.

Now through a new NIL deal with The GLD Shop, Gabriel presented his Oregon teammates with custom-made jewelry from the brand during the team’s offseason retreat. The jewelry was school-themed with Oregon’s block O logo and another with the Duck mascot and a huge Nike Swoosh.

Gabriel shared a video on social media of his appreciative teammates rocking the jewelry and having fun. The Oregon-themed swag is now available on The GLD Shop’s website.

“I just want to send a huge shout-out to Shop GLD for icing the boys out,” Gabriel says in the post. “Thanks for getting us right.”

The terms of the NIL partnership with The GLD Shop were not released to the public. However, Gabriel has one of the best personal brands in college football and a strong Roster Value, which is a big reason why his On3 NIL Valuation is $1.2 million.

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith signs NIL deal with Battle Sports

Jeremiah Smith is starring in his most notable NIL campaign to date.

The Ohio State wide receiver and No. 1 prospect in the 2024 recruiting class inked an endorsement deal, starring in a new social media campaign with Battle Sports. It’s one of the first moves in the NIL space for the football equipment company.

Along with participating in a photoshoot for Battle, Smith is featured in a video breaking down what he wants to accomplish in his college football career and what it took to make it to Ohio State. A 6-foot-3, 215-pound wide receiver, over his final two seasons at Hollywood (Florida) Chaminade-Madonna Prep, he caught 151 passes for 2,474 yards and 39 touchdowns.

“What makes me ‘me?'” Smith says in the video released by Battle Sports on Instagram. “It’s not the fact I can jump high. It’s not the fact I can run fast, and it’s not the highlights, but I do like the highlights. I been who I am before all that. My family made me. Miami Garden Ravens made me. Boy, those hills coach Rod Mack made us run — those made me. Chaminade made me. Coach Jones made me.

“My teammates, my squad. My love for the game made me. And I just gotta pay it forward. That’s JJ.”

Smith has already inked agreements with the NIL collectives The Foundation and The 1870 Society, the primary collective for the Buckeyes. He also signed with Ricart Automotive in March. In exchange for his work promoting the dealership, he was handed the keys to a Dodge Durango 392. He’s in EA Sports College Football 25 as the top-rated freshman in the game, too.

With over 188,000 social media followers, Smith holds an On3 NIL Valuation of $752,000. The valuation is 43rd in the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation. His valuation is also in the top 25 of the college football NIL rankings.

5-star Caleb Wilson joins Klutch Athletics by New Balance brand

Caleb Wilson – a Five-Star Plus+ prospect and the nation’s No. 4 overall basketball recruit in the Class of 2025 – signed an NIL deal with Klutch Athletics by New Balance.

The terms of the deal were not made available, but Wilson has an On3 NIL Valuation of $517,000 – a number that ranks No. 8 in high school basketball. Wilson has roughly 14,200 followers on social media, but those numbers are steadily climbing as he builds his personal brand. Plus, as one of the nation’s elite prospects, his Roster Value will only increase as he nears a college decision.

Klutch Athletics by New Balance is a sportswear brand founded by Rich Paul and is available at select New Balance retail locations throughout the country. The Klutch Sports Group was founded by Paul and NBA superstar LeBron James.

“Everything we do comes back to the idea of being Klutch, and Caleb perfectly embodies that spirit,” Paul said in a news release. “He is a high performer on the court, but also cares about his community and coming together for positive change. We’re pleased to add him to our growing roster and excited to watch him develop this year.”

Wilson said the partnership made sense. This is Wilson’s first known NIL deal.

“It’s clear to me that Klutch Athletics puts the athlete first, and I was very naturally drawn to that,” Wilson said. “I’m thrilled to be joining the team and looking forward to working together to make a positive difference on the court and in the community.”

The latest recruiting intel from On3’s Jamie Shaw indicated that three teams remain consistent on Wilson’s college list – Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Auburn.

Hailey Van Lith signs deal with TCU collective

Even though it was previously in June, TCU’s NIL collective, the Flying T Club, formally announced it inked a deal with women’s basketball star Hailey Van Lith. As a student-athlete ambassador for the Flying T Club, Van Lith will participate in charitable activities in the Fort Worth community and help grow awareness for the collective.

Van Lith transferred to TCU in April ahead of the 2024-25 season. She averaged 14.5 points, four rebounds and 2.8 assists over three seasons at Louisville (2020-23) and one season at LSU (2023-24), advancing to the Elite Eight or farther all for years. Originally from Wenatchee, Washington, Van Lith is the only active college player who has tallied at least 1,900 career points, 500 rebounds, and 350 assists.

As one of the top players in the country, Van Lith has a strong Roster Value for TCU. However, she also has one of the top brands in college athletics with more than 1.5 million followers on social media. That combination helps her have a $696,000 On3 NIL Valuation – a valuation that ranks fifth in women’s basketball.

Other NIL Deals of note

• Through a partnership with the Bluff City collective and FedEx, new members of the Memphis basketball team are hosting a meet-and-greet event Saturday at the Memphis Redbirds minor-league baseball game at AutoZone Park. Some of the top players expected include PJ Haggerty, Tyrese Hunter, Colby Rogers, Tyreek Smith and Dain Dainja. All are part of a Memphis transfer recruiting class that ranked among the best in the country.
  
• Volleyball athletes Anna DeBeer (Louisville), Alia Williams (Dayton) and Lauren Briseno (Baylor) signed NIL shoe deals with AVOLI. According to a company release, the athletes will appear in a campaign featuring the company’s footwear. With more than 58,000 followers, DeBeer has the No. 20 On3 NIL Valuation in volleyball. Terms of the NIL deals were not released.
  
• Ty Simpson will be riding around Tuscaloosa in a new truck this fall. The Alabama quarterback and former five-star recruit inked a multi-year NIL deal Harbin Automotive. As part of the agreement, Simpson will appear at meet and greets and post on social media for Harbin Automotive. He could be featured in future advertising campaigns, too. Repped by QB Reps, Simpson will receive a new Ford or Chevrolet truck every several months in exchange for his work promoting Harbin. To start the NIL partnership the quarterback will be driving a new 2024 Chevy Silverado. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Simpson holds an On3 NIL Valuation of $666,000.