North Carolina commit Ian Jackson signs with Octagon for NIL representation

Ian Jackson is taking steps to ensure he is setup for NIL success.

The five-star recruit and second-ranked player in the 2024 class has signed with Octagon for NIL representation, he announced on Instagram.

The 6-foot-5 shooting guard out of the Bronx committed to North Carolina earlier this month. The junior at Cardinal Hayes chose the Tar Heels over offers from Kentucky, Oregon, LSU and Arkansas.

Because New York is one of 25 states that allows high schoolers to monetize their name, image and likeness, Jackson will be able to start working on his NIL brand immediately. It’s also why he was able to sign NIL representation before he arrived at North Carolina.

Octagon’s basketball division has clients including Bam Adebayo, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Steph Curry. The agency has started to make waves in the name, image and likeness world, signing women’s basketball stars Aliyah Boston and Hailey Van Lith. Those two athletes have signed notable partnerships with Dick’s Sporting Goods, adidas, Orangetheory and Under Armour.

The shooting guard is now new to NIL. He was one of the first athletes in New York City to monetize his NIL last winter, signing a sponsorship deal with the social media company Spreadshop.

Jackson has impressed so far this season. Kentucky coach John Calipari caught his game last month against Christ The King, where he dropped 22 points.

Despite calling the Wildcats a dream school throughout most of his recruitment, he picked the Tar Heels.

“The family aspect (is what stood out),” Jackson said about North Carolina prior to his commitment. “What coach (Hubert) Davis and what coach (Jeff) Lebo did on the visit. It only felt like home. I didn’t feel uncomfortable. It felt like that’s where I should be.”

Ian Jackson’s On3 NIL Valuation

The North Carolina commit currently holds a $308,000 On3 NIL Valuation. The evaluation sits right outside of the On3 NIL 100 at No. 127, but it does rank No. 20 in high school basketball.

Jackson already has a strong social media following, with 49,000 followers off of Twitter and Instagram.

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 accounts for an athlete’s roster value and brand value. Roster value is the value an athlete has by being a member of his or her team at his or her school, which factors into the role of NIL collectives. Brand value factors in an athlete’s personal brand and the value it could bring to regional and national brands outside of the scope of NIL collectives.