Brady Brand rolls out Michigan collection, led by J.J. McCarthy

Tom Brady is returning to his Michigan roots.

The former Wolverine quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl champion brought his Brady Brand to Ann Arbor, launching a Michigan collection with the M Den. The merchandise collection features a mix of Brady essentials, including hats, shirts and sweats. It also features some limited edition T-shirts of Brady during his time at Michigan.

The launch is being headlined through an NIL deal featuring current Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. In a video released Thursday morning on Instagram, McCarthy is featured wearing Brady Brand clothing and talks about what the former Michigan star means to him.

“Defying the odds, he proved it to everyone,” McCarthy said. “Even if you aren’t the biggest, fastest, strongest. You can be one of the best. … What greatness means to me is being the absolute best version of yourself so you can inspire others to be the best version of themself. If everyone strives to be the best they can be, the world is going to be a better place. That’s greatness to me.”

Details on Brady Brand

The Brady Brand is described as a clothing line for the performance-minded with a focus on where all-day performance meets style and comfort. The brand offers everything from T-shirts, polos, sweatshirts, sweatpants, jackets, underwear and more. It’s intended to be worn by athletes in and out of the gym.

This isn’t Tom Brady’s first time dabbling in NIL. The former New England Patriot and Tampa Bay Buccaneer brought on Shedeur Sanders as the brand’s first long-term ambassador last year. He’s appeared in campaigns and made public appearances for the company.

Now McCarthy is joining the Brady Brand. The current Michigan quarterback has thrown for 2,134 yards with 18 touchdowns and three interceptions this season. His name has been tossed around in the Heisman conversation, too.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BRADY (@bradybrand)

Tom Brady gives back to Michigan roots

Tom Brady, the former Michigan quarterback, finished his career ranking fourth in school history with 5,351 yards and a 62.3% completion percentage. His 35 touchdown passes ranked fifth at the time, too. In Brady’s four years at Michigan, the Wolverines went 40-9, including a 20-5 record when he was the starter as a junior and senior. 

The Brady Brand launch isn’t limited to McCarthy. Gymnast Sierra Brooks, tight end Colston Loveland, hockey player Rutger McGroarty, forward Tarris Reed Jr. and linebacker Junior Colson are all starring in content promoting the merchandise release. The full terms of the agreements were not shared.

Valiant Management facilitated the campaign with Michigan athletes and between the Brady Brand and the M Den. The sports marketing firm has become the go-to spot for Michigan athletes to secure NIL agreements.

J.J. McCarthy’s growing NIL brand

Michigan offensive lineman Karsen Barnhart shared this season that McCarthy has donated NIL money to his linemen in the past.

“It shows the character that he has, and how much love and trust that he has in the offensive linemen,” Barnhart said.

Over the last year and change, the quarterback secured an agreement with Dunkin’ at select metro Detroit locations, with his own item going up on menus. He’s worked closely with Valiant Management, securing opportunities with Eberg Capital, The M Den and Randy Wise Automotive Team. He’s since worked with Bose and Alo Yoga. He’s a member of the inaugural “Beats Elite” class, too.

And McCarthy has his own foundation, called J.J. For the Kids, which aims to, “make a difference in the lives of kids in my communities, in the Chicagoland area and in Ann Arbor.” All donations are directed back towards the fund. 

The quarterback’s On3 NIL Valuation has surged this season, up to $1.4 million. He ranks No. 9 in the 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. He also ranks sixth among college football players. McCarthy’s social media continues to grow. The former four-star recruit has 292,000 total followers.