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Those in the name, image and likeness industry knew this was coming. But even they couldn’t expect it.
A college football quarterback, dubbed a future NFL first-round pick and Heisman Trophy favorite, rakes in thousands of dollars in endorsement and trade deals only to sink into oblivion in the actual season.
Three months after the start of the NIL era, here we are. Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler, the recipient of preseason accolades and roughly $ 200,000 in NIL projects, has been benched for a true freshman. Forget about the first round and the Heisman-Rattler seems to have, in all likelihood, lost his starting job.
Now what’s going on?
“He still has a big name for advertising,” jokes an industry source. “I can’t take that away from him.”
Behind Rattler’s replacement rookie Caleb Williams, the Sooners stunned Texas, 55-48, coming back from huge deficits to win one of the Red River Rivalry’s most memorable chapters. Oklahoma trailed 28-7 in the first quarter, 35-17 in the second quarter and 41-23 with less than three minutes left in the third quarter. Coach Lincoln Riley’s side scored 25 unanswered points in nine minutes, starting with 1:04 left in the third, roaring to a victory on a 33-yard touchdown from the Kennedy Brooks hatchback with three seconds left.
It was far-fetched. It was wild. It was strange.
And for NIL purposes, it presents one of the first dilemmas for companies that have invested money in the expectations and predictions of college-aged children. NIL industry sources believe Rattler’s NIL efforts are in the low six figures, around $ 200,000. He created his own logo and has a website to sell his own personalized merchandise.
He has a business deal with a car, signed an endorsement deal with Louisiana’s Raising Cane’s chicken restaurant, and received two vehicles from a local Oklahoma auto group after scoring five goals against Western Carolina. The length and conditions of the contracts will determine future payments. These are not made public.
“I hope he pays his taxes on these two cars,” joked another source within the NIL industry.
As Rattler’s star fades, another rises. Williams, a Washington, DC native, threw for 212 yards, ran for 88 and scored three touchdowns. He’s ahead of the game NIL, described by some as a savvy social media “influencer”. In fact, he has his own YouTube channel.
“He’s already an influencer,” says an NIL executive. “Now he’s about to become a player.”
But his trainer is preventing him, at least for now, from seeking publicity in the media.
Riley turned down ESPN’s request to interview Williams after the game, something reported by secondary reporter Holly Rowe, who even approached the quarterback to break the news to him: You cannot speak.
It’s somewhat normal that coaches at big colleges refuse real freshmen to talk to reporters. However, in the NIL era, it is a move that can be seen as a coach hurting his player’s potential exposure and his future financial endeavors.
In college sports, players have more power than ever.
“What if the player had an interview despite the coach’s decree?” »Asks a NIL expert.
Halfway through the second quarter of Saturday’s game, having already run for a 66-yard touchdown in a brief first-quarter appearance, Williams trotted the field to replace a guy who was projected as Heisman’s favorite. before the start of the season. The Sooners were down 35-17. They then beat the Longhorns 31-6 to set up some crazy final minutes.
Texas QB Casey Thompson threw a 31-yard touchdown to tie it at 48 with one minute and 20 seconds left. Williams then walked the Sooners onto the field on nine, 10 and 11 yard passes, completing it with a transfer to Brooks for the game winner.
He celebrated with teammates and coaches at the height of the note, the new rising star of the NIL era.
What happens to Rattler? That’s the wrong question, say experts at NIL.
“What’s going on with Caleb Williams? We ask.
More college football coverage:
• Takeaways from Oklahoma’s miraculous return
• Casey Thompson’s long wait to be Texas QB
• Great moments of disrespect for Gridiron
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