The new signees, all from Adidas schools, will join Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith as NIL athletes for the Three Stripes.
With college basketball season in full swing, Adidas has announced that it has signed four men’s basketball players to NIL deals.
Hansel Emmanuel (Northwestern State), Gradey Dick (Kansas), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana), and Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana) will join Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith as active college athletes with Adidas endorsement deals. Not coincidentally, they all play for Adidas-sponsored schools.
Adidas says the new signees will compete in upcoming campaigns for the brand with more details to follow.
Only a year-and-a-half into the NIL era, Adidas has already made a name for itself among the leaders in the space. During March Madness last season, it announced an equity-driven NIL network that will give 50,000 student-athletes at Adidas-sponsored schools access to endorsement opportunities with the brand. Over the summer, it welcomed 15 women student-athletes to its roster as part of its Title IX celebration.
Emmanuel, Dick, Jackson-Davis, and Hood-Schifino are all strategic options for Adidas to join preseason All-ACC honoree Van Lith on the roster.
Hansel Emmanuel
That Emmanuel is even able to take the court for a Division I university is inspiring. When he was six, Emmanuel had his left arm amputated after a wall collapsed on him, trapping him for two hours. That didn’t keep him from becoming an elite athlete. He went on to average 25.9 points, 11 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 3.4 blocks per game as a senior in high school before committing to Northwestern State as the 22nd-ranked recruit in Florida. He also has an NIL deal with Gatorade.
Gradey Dick
Dick was already active in the NIL arena before arriving in Lawrence. The Kansas freshman announced at Boardroom that he would sign with WME back in May and has since inked deals with Neutrogena, Long McArthur, and Dolce & Gabbana. On the court, he’s made an immediate impact for the No. 6 team in the country. He’s posted 15.3 points per game so far and is shooting 45% from 3-point range, establishing himself as a guy not afraid to take the big shot, despite his age.
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Trayce Jackson-Davis
There’s more excitement in Bloomington for this season than there’s been in a long time, and Jackson-Davis is a major reason why. The Wooden Award candidate is making his senior season his best (so far), averaging 18 and 8, and shooting 68% from the field. This is supposed to be the Year of the Big in college basketball, and Jackson-Davis has a chance to challenge Zach Edey at the top of the heap. Jackson-Davis is an Excel athlete who has NIL deals with Penzoil, Merchants Bank of Indiana, and more.
Jalen Hood-Schifino
The No. 26 recruit in his class, per ESPN, has made an instant impact with the Hoosiers, starting each of Indiana’s first seven games and stuffing the stat sheet in the process. He’s already shown he can succeed against top competition, scoring 14 points and grabbing six rebounds in Indiana’s win over North Carolina last week. Hood-Schifino is a CAA client and has previously worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters.
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