Ohio State NIL collective Cohesion Foundation signs J.T. Tuimoloau

Cohesion Foundation, an NIL collective that supports Ohio State athletes, announced Wednesday it signed sophomore EDGE J.T. Tuimoloau as its first “purpose-driven NIL athlete.” Tuimoloau, a former On3 Consensus five-star recruit, will support the Lindy Infante Foundation as his charitable partner through the agreement, according to the announcement.

Cohesion Foundation launched in April as a nonprofit organization, whose founders applied for 501(c)(3) status. It’s also an official sponsor of Ohio State through an agreement with LEARFIELD’s Ohio State Sports Properties. Former Ohio State running back and two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin and former Ohio State and PGA Tour golfer Jack Nicklaus are among the supporters of Cohesion Foundation.

Cohesion Foundation has also partnered with Booster Athletes, a crowdsourcing app where fans can support athletes through subscriptions to exclusive content.

A big week for Ohio State’s NIL collectives

On Monday, The Foundation, another nonprofit NIL collective established to support Ohio State athletes’ NIL opportunities, held a fundraising event at the Blackwell Inn in Columbus. Tickets to the event cost up to $1,000. The auction alone at the event raised more than $100,000 from fans bidding on experiences, such as dinner with Ohio State football players.

Ohio State players, including quarterback CJ Stroud, head coaches, such as football coach Ryan Day and men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann, and director of athletics Gene Smith were in attendance. Smith said Ohio State athletes have earned more than $3.6 million from NIL deals with an average of roughly $2,900 per deal.

Previously during the offseason, Day told members of the local business community that Ohio State’s players needed at least $13 million in order for the Buckeyes to keep their roster intact.

J.T. Tuimoloau’s On3 NIL Valuation

With an On3 NIL Valuation of $133,000, Tuimoloau ranks No. 338 among college football players. His On3 NIL Valuation has climbed from $57,000 since early August.

The On3 NIL Valuation for Stroud and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba each ranks in the top 10 of the On3 NIL 100. Stroud’s On3 NIL Valuation of $2.5 million ranks fifth. Smith-Njigba’s On3 NIL Valuation of $1.7 million ranks eighth. Their On3 NIL Valuations ranks second and fifth among college football players, respectively.

The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. The proprietary algorithm incorporates data points including an athlete’s performance, influence and exposure.

The On3 NIL 100 is the first of its kind and the defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by market valuation.