Oklahoma Sooners star Ethan Downs to headline local youth football camp

Oklahoma defensive lineman Ethan Downs continues to capitalize on his on-field success off the field with his NIL.

Downs, who was a second-team All-Big 12 pick in 2022 and the only OU player tabbed as a first-team preseason pick, is promoting NextGen Camps‘ Crimson and Cream Youth Football Camp through a new NIL deal. The camp was facilitated by Crimson and Cream, the Oklahoma Sooner-focused collective Downs signed with in January.

As part of the deal, Downs promoted the Crimson and Cream Youth Football Camp that takes place Saturday from 3-7 p.m. at Edmond (Oklahoma) Santa Fe High School. Teammates Jacob Sexton, Tyler Guyton, Gavin Freeman and Jordan Kelley are also involved in promotion of the camp through NIL deals.

Downs and his teammates will be instructing at the camp, and participants will get a photo and autograph opportunity with the OU players. The camp also features specific group training, combine testing, a 7-on-7 tournament for skill players and a lineman challenge for offensive and defensive linemen. The camp costs $99 and a portion of the funds go directly to the players.

Downs made second-team All-Big 12 in 2022, starting in all 13 games. He totaled 38 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks in 2022.

Downs also recently struck the NIL deal of a lifetime when he used his name, image and likeness to promote Precious Hunnie Beez Florals. The deal was facilitated by The Dubs Group, a Dallas-based agency. Precious Hunnie Beez Florals provided all of the floral arrangements for Downs’ July 1 wedding. In return, the Weatherford, Oklahoma, native promoted the flower shop in advertisements and in social media posts.

Camps provide reliable NIL opportunities

Since the inception of NIL in July 2021, youth camps have become a popular way for athletes to monetize their publicity rights. It’s an easy way to provide fans and kids access to some of their favorite players. Plus, an opportunity to give back to their college’s community while creating a direct source of deal funding.

Next Gen takes on the logistic work of camps, from securing venues and coaches along with the other business basic necessities.

“I think it’s also something that’s sustainable in the NIL space,” NextGen founder Jacob Byrd previously told On3. “As things shift as far as rules and guidelines, we see youth sports camps as something that’ll stay around for a long time.”

The company has partnered with a number of high-profile names, including camps taking place Wednesday at Ohio State that features Buckeyes’ star receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and another in Pennsylvania featuring Penn State standout cornerback Abdul Carter.

Ole Miss stars Quinshon Judkins, Michael Trigg and Jaxson Dart are set to host a NextGen Camp this Saturday at Oxford High School.

On top of taking care of the details, the firm ensures enough staff are on-site to handle the number of campers. On average, football camps draw more than 200 campers, while basketball brings in roughly 150 campers. 

Byrd used to run tennis camps, which gave him the infrastructure and confidence to run the NIL model. The profit split with the athlete depends on the number of kids who attend the camps.

Ethan Downs has solid On3 NIL Valuation

Ethan Downs is quickly building a strong brand as a local star for the Sooners. He has seen solid growth through his social media over the past few months with more than 24,000 followers. That success, combined with his strong play on the field and the roster value of playing at Oklahoma, has allowed his On3 NIL Valuation to climb to $84,000.

Additionally, Guyton has an On3 NIL Valuation of $69,000, and Sexton and Kelley’s valuations are $68,000.

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 calculates the optimized NIL opportunity for athletes relative to the overall NIL market and projects out to as long as 12 months into the future.