Duke's Tyrese Proctor inks NIL deal with Podium jewelry

Something clicked in the final two months of last season for Tyrese Proctor.

The Duke point guard played the last 14 games of the 2022-23 season like an NBA draft prospect. He averaged 10.2 points and 4.1 assists while shooting 40.7 percent from the field. The former four-star recruit showed off his upside and what he could offer to NBA franchises.

Now a sophomore season, this season could be a statement. After starting off slow as a freshman, this will be the opportunity to put together a complete year. That path starts on Nov. 6 when Proctor opens Year 2 with the Blue Devils.

With his name being tossed around in NBA mock drafts, he’s gaining more and more marketability. It’s a reason why the 6-foot-5, 183-pound point guard has released a jewelry collection through an NIL deal with Podium. The first athlete collaboration for the company, the partnership features Proctor’s own product line that pulls from his roots in Mississippi and Australia.

“I’ve always used jewelry as a form of self-expression, so I was unbelievably excited to
partner with Podium,” Proctor said. “I was blown away by the quality and attention to detail in Podium’s jewelry and had a blast going through the design process. I’m grateful for the opportunity to co-design a set of pieces that’s uniquely me and to give back at the same time.”

Breakdown of Podium jewelry collection

As an Australian-born player, the collection has a “no shortcuts approach.” Included in the collection are two sterling silver pendant necklaces, with one representing a coral reef and the other a shark caricature co-designed with Chicago street artist JC Rivera. There are also pearl earrings made with South Sea pearls, commonly from the northwest coast of Australia.

Proctor’s jewelry collection marks one of the first in the NIL space, using a current college player. He’s making sure to give back, too. A portion of the proceeds from the collection will be donated to the World Wildlife Fund of Australia, to support reef and animal conservation efforts in the region.

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Tyrese, such a dynamic individual with unique perspectives throughout the creative process,” Podium founder Chip Longenecker said. “He has been a pleasure to co-design these pieces with and we’re honored to tell a piece of his story through our work in this collection.”

Tyrese Proctor primed for NIL Era

Repped by CAA Sports, Tyrese Proctor has everything needed to thrive in name, image and likeness. Viewed as one of the top college players to turn down the NBA, brands will want to be associated with an NBA draft prospect. Plus, the point guard plays for one of the most historic programs in college basketball.

He’s also built an impressive social media following with more than 130,000 followers. Outside of agreements with NIL collectives, social media posts have become the leading activity for athletes. Boasting a large following across Instagram and TikTok, specifically, can make all the difference in compensation.

Proctor currently holds a $63,000 On3 NIL Valuation, which ranks in the top 150 of the college basketball rankings. It will surely rise as the season approaches and he gets back on the court. He’ll be in the spotlight, too; the Blue Devils are No. 2 in the preseason AP poll.

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.