What’s in a name? Maybe millions. Boardroom plays matchmaker to find the perfect brand partner for 10 Georgia NIL athletes hoping to become the next Kool-Aid McKinstry.
We love when college athletes get paid for their name, image, and likeness rights. In the past two years, we’ve covered dozens of the biggest deals and biggest names as the still relatively new space continues to take shape.
But sometimes, we can’t help but feel some players are leaving money on the table. There’s the proverbial low-hanging fruit that is sometimes so obvious that it’s hard to see. We are talking, of course, about NIL deals that athletes can strike based on having cool names alone.
With the College Football Playoff reaching its conclusion on Monday and the Georgia Bulldogs favored to win a second consecutive national title, we thought it appropriate to scour the Bulldogs’ roster and come up with some name-based deals we want to see. You’re welcome, Dawgs.
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Georgia Football NIL Deals We Want to See
DL Bear Alexander + US Forest Service
- Class: Freshman
- Hometown: Terrell, Texas
- Why we picked US Forest Service: “Mitchell, Smokey the Bear Alexander is way more intense in person.”
- Other brand(s) we recommend: Bareburger
LB Terrell Foster + Outback Steakhouse
- Class: Freshman
- Hometown: Kennesaw, Georgia
- Why we picked Outback: I wonder if Foster will drink noted Australian beer Foster’s (when he comes of age, of course). Perhaps we can discuss this over a Bloomin’ Onion.
- Other brand(s) we recommend: I mean, Foster’s, I guess.
WR Braxton Hicks + Emani Maternity
- Class: RS-Sophomore
- Hometown: Tiger, Georgia
- Why we picked Emani Maternity: If you’re going to be named after an unpleasant aspect of pregnancy, the universe owes you the chance to make some money by promoting maternity wear.
- Other brand(s) we recommend: Turbo Tax. Let’s get down to Brax Tax.
RB Cash Jones + Bank of Georgia
- Class: RS-Freshman
- Hometown: Brock, Texas
- Why we picked Bank of Georgia: Let’s not overthink this.
- Other brand(s) we recommend: Shoot high. Call up the White House and see if there are any openings in the treasury department.
LB EJ Lightsey + Georgia Power
- Class: Freshman
- Hometown: Fitzgerald, Georgia
- Why we picked Georgia Power: Georgia Power: We Light, you See.
- Other brand(s) we recommend: US Marines: Serving our country from Lightsey to shining sea.
DE CJ Madden + EA Sports
- Class: Freshman
- Hometown: Ellenwood, Georgia
- Why we picked EA Sports: Why not put Madden on the cover of Madden?
- Other brand(s) we recommend: BOOM! Tough Actin’ Tinactin
RB Kenny McIntosh + Dell
- Class: Senior
- Hometown: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
- Why we picked Dell: Remember those “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” commercials? We’re flipping that on its head. Georgia’s Mac is going to be a PC.
- Other brand(s) we recommend: Hazel Creek Orchards.
OL Tate Ratledge + Shinesty
- Class: RS-Sophomore
- Hometown: Rome, Georgia
- Why we picked Shinesty: Ratledge, who wears No. 69, seems to be the perfect candidate to be college football’s second NIL underwear model.
- Other brand(s) we recommend: Nice!
DE Denton Shamburger + McDonald’s
- Class: RS-Freshman
- Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
- Why we picked Mcdonald’s: Who better to promote something that can barely be called a hamburger? In fact, just rename them Shamburgers.
- Other brand(s) we recommend: We found our new Shamwow guy.
SN Payne Walker + Aleve
- Class: Senior
- Hometown: Suwanee, Georgia
- Why we picked Aleve: Are you a walker? Do you feel pain? We have a suggestion for you.
- Other brand(s) we recommend: Legos.
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