Nike Signs 11 High Schoolers to NIL Deals, Including Cartersville's Madoxx Davis

Nike made a big move into high school NIL this week. On July 16, the company announced it had signed 11 high school football players and eight college players to NIL deals, and one of the prep signees plays right here in Georgia.

The high school class

The prep signees, from the classes of 2027 and 2028, were selected at The Opening Finals at Nike's Philip H. Knight Campus in Oregon. Here's the list, per Nike:

• Jermaine Cobbins, CB, Springfield (Tennessee)
• Madoxx Davis, WR, Cartersville (Georgia)
• Jaxon Dollar, TE, East Lincoln (North Carolina)
• Quentin Hale, WR, Centennial (California)
• Elijah Haven, QB, The Dunham School (Louisiana)
• Peyton Houston, QB, Evangel Christian Academy (Louisiana)
• Myson Johnson-Cook, RB, East St. Louis (Illinois)
• Juju Johnson, CB, Polytechnic (California)
• Neimann Lawrence, QB, American Heritage (Florida)
• Gabriel Osborne Jr., CB, Mustang (Oklahoma)
• Jamarin Simmons, WR, Amos P. Godby (Florida)

Dollar has a Georgia tie as well. Yahoo Sports reported that the five-star tight end is committed to the Bulldogs.

The college class

On the college side, On3 reported Nike signed Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy, Texas receiver Cam Coleman and edge Colin Simmons, LSU tight end Trey'Dez Green, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, Vanderbilt quarterback Jared Curtis, and Ohio State receiver Chris Henry Jr.

And in Athens, six Georgia players announced Nike deals of their own: Kaiden Prothro, Elyiss Williams, Chris Cole, Ellis Robinson, KJ Bolden, and Talyn Taylor. Yahoo Sports reported Georgia now has the third-most players under Nike contracts in the country, behind LSU and Alabama. Deal values weren't disclosed.

How high school NIL works in Georgia

The Georgia High School Association approved NIL for high school athletes in October 2023, which made Georgia the 30th state to allow it, WSB-TV reported at the time. The rules GHSA adopted then included some important limits:

• Pay can't be tied to athletic performance or achievement.
• Deals can't be used to get an athlete to enroll at a particular school.
• Schools can't pay athletes.
• School names, logos, and uniforms can't be used in NIL deals, and athletes can't wear school gear in them.
• Athletes must notify their school within seven days of signing a deal.

Those rules may not be the last word. In February, the Georgia House unanimously passed House Bill 383, the Georgia High School NIL Protection Act, which would write high school NIL into state law and make deals end automatically when a student graduates or leaves high school, WALB reported. At that point it still needed to go through the state Senate.

Because rules can change, families should always check the current GHSA bylaws and state law and talk with their school before signing anything. This is a summary, not legal advice.

Why it matters

A few years ago, a national brand signing high school players would have been unthinkable. Now it's a showcase event. For families, that brings real opportunity, along with real responsibility: contracts, taxes, school notification, and eligibility rules.

For fans, it means you can start following the next wave of stars before they ever sign with a college. The athlete's personal brand now starts well before signing day, and it belongs to them, not the school. That's a shift worth paying attention to.

Sources

• Nike strengthens its football roster with top prep and college NIL signings (Nike)
• Nike announces NIL athlete deals with multiple top CFB players (On3)
• Six Georgia football players announce NIL deals with Nike (UGA Wire via Yahoo Sports)
• Georgia High School Association approves NIL deals for high school athletes (WSB-TV, 2023)
• Georgia House passes bill allowing high school athletes to profit from NIL deals (WALB)