The collegiate athletic space has been graced with more opportunities than ever before with the introduction of name, image, and likeness just over a year ago. Athletes in all sports now have the power to utilize their personal brand to acquire financial security, as well as garner business experience in the process. However, it can be difficult to figure out how to best brand yourself to capitalize on the opportunities at hand. Thankfully, there are a few college athletes who have it figured out, and there is a lot to learn from them. Here are five of the best athletes to follow for NIL content and personal branding.
Bryce Young, Alabama Football
Alabama's Bryce Young was last year's Heisman winner, and it shows in how he uses his NIL sponsors. With big name deals from Beats by Dre, Cash App, and Nissan, Young has leveraged his image to garner nearly seven-figure NIL deals. A mix of game time photos, graphics for advertisements, and products used while practicing gives Young a genuine page for both personal use and business use. He kept a focus on being his own brand, rather than letting the brand take him over.
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Olivia Dunne, LSU Gymnastics
Louisiana State University Gymnast Olivia Dunne is incredible in social media presence on both Instagram and Tiktok. Dunne has been one of, if not the most, successful female collegiate athlete in NIL terms, amassing $2.3 million by October of 2022. Taking a simplified approach, Dunne's personal accolades cemented her among the top gymnasts in the SEC, but also had a brand image that was almost entirely her likeness. Her advertisements are more in line with those of an influencer, with brands and products that are more lifestyle-oriented, such as Forever 21 and Vuori Clothing.
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Dunne's TikTok account is what you'd expect from any 20-year-old college student, loaded with trending sounds and fun experiences from her life. She uses that ability of personality to bring out her brand even further, connecting with her audience of 6.2 million on a more personal level. Strong connections can go a long way in the college athletic world.
Drew Timme, Gonzaga Basketball
Gonzaga's Drew Timme emphasizes his play heavily, but uses that more for the other side of NIL: charitable causes. While it is true that Timme is one the highest paid men's basketball players as far as NIL goes, he is partnered with Walker's Furniture, where he participates in giveaways and donates the money to his local community. He is not the most active on Instagram, but for what he lacks online, he is able to make up for in his work around the community.
Montana Fouts, Alabama Softball
Olympian and Alabama softball player Montana Fouts gives you an incredibly authentic look at her life through social media. Candid selfies, photos from her youth: her identity is strong online and that shows through the deals she has made in the NIL space. One of the more notable deals Fouts has made is with Summit Stands, a hunting stand company, as she cites that hunting is her “other favorite season.” Most of her deals do come from directly sports related companies, some of which are a bit on the unusual side, which can be a strong upside for making Fouts' brand unique.
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Rayquan Smith, Norfolk State Football and Track
Rayquan Smith of Norfolk State, a football player and a track star, has been dubbed the “king of NIL” for signing a massive amount of deals that are ever growing. He's gained so much traffic that he's started his own personal brand on a separate page, where he sells merchandise. Though the majority of his content is brand deal related, Smith's page isn't incredibly difficult to navigate. He has a relatively consistent content style that helps him keep homogeneity among so many differing brands.
A unique feature of his Instagram page is his highlights, where he links news articles written about himself and the circumstances of his dozens of NIL deals. While featuring stories isn't unique, the way he goes about highlighting certain outlets and types of stories adds a cohesiveness to his page.
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* Originally published on November 2, 2022, by Jenaro DelPrete
