The "Kings" of NIL (100+ Combined Deals)

<p>I had a great conversation with two young men absolutely crushing the NIL game (100+ deals between the two of them). </p><p>Rayquan Smith: Norfolk State </p><p>Jack Betts: Amherst College</p><p><strong>Audio timestamps:</strong></p><p>* 1:05 - Background intros of Rayquan + Jack</p><p>* 7:35 - Why are brands working with you and not just athletes at big schools?</p><p>* 10:00 - Favorite NIL deal + thoughts on peers getting $1M deals </p><p>* 15:00 - Advice for athletes and brands</p><p>* 18:50 - What entrepreneurial skills have you gained?</p><p>* 25:00 - Future plans for Jack + Rayquan</p><p>It was such a refreshing conversation considering all the craziness taking place in college sports right now. </p><p>More on them a little bit later (+ some helpful resources) but first, my thoughts on the alleged $9.5M high school NIL deal. </p><p>State of Florida + NIL = Craziness</p><p>On Monday it was announced that 4 star QB Jaden Rashada signed a $9.5M deal with booster John Ruiz to attend the University of Miami (after turning down an alleged $11M from Florida). </p><p>This is the kind of stuff that is going to ruin college sports. </p><p><strong>The players deserve to be paid, but quietly. </strong></p><p>Texas A&M alums most likely spent $30M on 2022 football recruits, but at least they kept the specific amounts quiet and are not announcing it all over social media. </p><p>You protect your players by doing that. </p><p>Now the whole world knows that Jaden Rashada is a rich 18-year-old kid with big expectations to withhold. </p><p>What happens if he doesn’t live up to his potential? Gets hurt? Gets benched?</p><p>Fans, teammates, coaches, and the media will attack him — not the boosters that paid him. </p><p>Be smarter if you’re an agent, booster, lawyer, advisor, or anyone else working hand-to-hand combat in the daily world of NIL (and stop posting everything to social media). </p><p>You don’t see tax lawyers talking about their big wins on Twitter or NFL agents talking about how much endorsement money they’ve earned their clients on Tik Tok. </p><p>As always…</p><p>…it’s the adults muddying the water in sports, not the kids. </p><p>The Programs That Will Succeed</p><p>There’s an unnamed football program in the Big 12 that is doing NIL the right way. </p><p>Local businesses, alums, and donors have come together to get every kid paid equally:</p><p>* $30,000 for all seniors</p><p>* $25,000 juniors</p><p>* $20,000 sophomore</p><p>* $15,000 freshman</p><p>The school also hosts an array of camps throughout the summer which helps the players get paid even more. </p><p>Other than that, your earning potential is up to your social media following and how hard you’re willing to hustle for endorsements. </p><p>Programs like this will be the ones that succeed over the long haul. </p><p>Schools publicly “auctioning” for players will crumble from within as the culture will deteriorate quickly. </p><p>I mean think about it….</p><p>How does Miami’s Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke feel that he is only getting paid $60,000 next year compared to a high schooler’s $2.3M/year? </p><p>Especially after he already proved himself by earning 2021 ACC Rookie of The Year. </p><p>Resources from “The Kings of NIL”</p><p>As you might have heard in the conversation, Jack reached out to Rayquan a long time ago and they’ve been helping each other ever since. </p><p>They’ve been nice enough to provide some more resources that everyone can benefit from. </p><p><strong>1. Email Template For Athletes to Brands</strong></p><p>Good Morning, my name is ____ and I am from Dallas, Texas. I play Quarterback for State College competing at the DII level. I am looking for NIL opportunities in which I can become an ambassador for brands of interest. I've amassed 30+ NIL deals this spring including Allbirds, PSD, BodyArmor, ReAthlete, Rhoback, TicketSmarter, and Fanatics. As a result of my success, I've been crowned the King of D2 NIL. This summer, I represented my school as a