Watch: adidas releases Michael Penix Jr. Heisman Trophy hype video
It’s not unusual for schools to launch marketing campaigns for star players in the Heisman Trophy race.
Just look what Oregon did this season for Bo Nix with billboards in New York City and Dallas. Plus the school took out a full-page ad in the New York Times and every edition of ESPN’s “College GameDay” has featured “Bo-Dacious” signs.
Yet, it’s somewhat unusual for major brands to dive headfirst into the Heisman Trophy debate. But that’s what adidas continues to do for Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
Earlier this season, the three stripes rolled into Seattle ahead of the Huskies’ victory over the Ducks with trucks, signage and swag promoting Penix. And on Thursday, the company added another layer to its Penix for Heisman campaign by dropping a video endorsing the adidas-sponsored quarterback for the award. The video is narrated by Washington native and nationally recognized sports commentator Kenny Mayne.
The video takes viewers through Penix’s spectacular season. It’s anchored not only by his strong statistics and Heisman-worthy plays but also by his leadership, perseverance, and hard work on and off the field.
Penix has 3,899 yards, 32 touchdowns, eight interceptions, a 65.6% completion percentage and three rushing touchdowns. He also leads FBS in pass plays of 10-plus yards. The latest Heisman Trophy odds ahead of Week 14 have Penix third behind Nix and LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. But he has a chance to move up the charts with a strong performance in the Pac-12 Championship Game against the Ducks Friday night in Las Vegas.
It should be noted that Ducks of a Feather, the apparel line of the Oregon-driven NIL collective Division Street, created Nike “Bo-Dacious” NIL T-shirts earlier this season. But this is an all-in approach by adidas. The company even updated its social media accounts to feature Penix and the #Penix4Heisman hashtag.
Michael Penix Jr. has NIL deal with adidas
In October, Michael Penix Jr. and teammate Rome Odunze signed NIL deals with adidas, becoming the brand’s first football student-athletes.
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The signing came amid a series of investments by the brand in its university partners and fans this fall. This includes the celebration of history as Nebraska’s volleyball team broke the attendance record for any women’s sporting event in global history. The three-stripes have also released a video promoting Odunze’s pursuit of the Biletnikoff Award.
“I couldn’t be happier to be teaming up with the adidas family,” Penix said in October. “I’ve been in the three stripes my entire college career, and their support has meant a lot to me. Adidas has shown that they’re committed to student-athletes across the country. I’m thankful to be a part of their commitment.”
Penix has a $1.2 million On3 NIL Valuation. That ranks No. 18 in the On3 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.
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
Additionally, the algorithm includes deal data, but 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.