Penn State's Chop Robinson signs NIL deal with Pennsylvania Pork Producers

Chop Robinson is not letting the Iowa Pork Producers Association take up all the spotlight.

The Penn State defensive end has emerged as a top NFL prospect this season, appearing as a first-round pick in recent 2024 mock drafts. And with the notoriety has come NIL opportunities.

The third-year player has inked an endorsement deal with the Pennsylvania Pork Producers Council (PPPC). The deal comes after the Iowa Pork Producers crafted the “Purchase Moore Hamman Bacon” campaign with four Iowa State football players, which has since gone viral.

In a statement released by the Pennsylvania Pork Producers, Robinson said the nickname Chop is short for “Pork Chop.” He picked up the moniker when he was born weighing over 14 pounds. His parents soon started calling him pork chop. As he’s grown older, Chop has continued to stick.

Now the preseason second-team All-American will be working with the PPPC. As part of the agreement, he’ll be starring in a series of videos and photography to promote pork chops across digital and print media. The full terms of the agreement were not shared.

“Our partnership with Chop allows for a fun, engaging way to keep pork front of mind,” PPPC executive director Courtney Gray said in a statement. “A delicious pork chop is flavor-packed and full of protein. Athletes like Chop can enjoy it, but so can the average family. Pork is so versatile, it can be used as an ingredient or the star of a dish. We want people to choose pork for their tailgates, but also all season long.” 

The deal comes after the PPPC had a presence at Saturday’s 2023 BBQ Rib Cookoff at Penn State’s Fan Fest before the Nittany Lions’ 63-0 win over UMass. Robinson finished with two sacks in the game.

Chop Robinson continues to build out NIL brand

The Penn State star has excelled on the field this season. A former Maryland transfer, Robinson has 10.5 career sacks along with three sacks this season – his two sacks on Saturday tied his career high. He has 11 tackles total on the year with a forced fumble.

His NIL agreement with the Pennsylvania Pork Producers Council is just his latest endorsement deal. He was one of the first Penn State athletes to sign with Inch & Co. Sports back in December. Robinson signed a deal recently with Happy Valley United, too. The Nittany Lion-driven NIL collective was launched in June when Success With Honor and the Lions Legacy Club merged.

The 6-foot-3, 250-pound defensive end has more than 21,000 social media followers. He’ll have another chance to prove himself on a big stage this upcoming weekend when Penn State visits Ohio State for a top-10 matchup.

Chop Robinson holds an On3 NIL Valuation of $275,000, which ranks in the top 260 of the college football NIL rankings. 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. Furthermore, 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.