It did not take long for many Gators athletes to take advantage of the new opportunities available under the name, image and likeness bill which went into effect July 1.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill in June of 2020 that would allow college athletes in the state to profit off of endorsements and other company revenue. The Florida legislation was set to go into effect July 1, 2021. Eventually the whole nation got on board, and the NCAA announced all athletes would be eligible to be paid starting July 1. The NCAA decision also opens the door for profit from autographs and personal advertising campaigns.
Student athletes across the country quickly explored their new options under the NIL rule, including many in the UF community.
Merchandise has been the hottest item on the market for members of the Florida football team.
Wide receiver Jacob Copeland got the party started June 30 when he took to Twitter to unveil a t-shirt with a new personal logo. The insignia features his initials and a hyena. There was a strong positive response from Gator fans, and the redshirt-junior promised a link to buy the shirt would be available soon.
Running back Malik Davis created an instagram account called MD Apparel and offered a look at his first shirt June 30. The design features his number, initials and lightning bolts all in orange and blue. The redshirt-senior also encouraged his followers to “get at [him]” with a repost of a news update about the NIL bill.
Emory Jones’ likeness can be found alongside 12 other DI quarterbacks on shirts for QB Takeovers merchandise shop, an online store created by renowned quarterbacks coach Quincy Avery.
Safety Trey Dean III launched TD3 Clothing. His branding features his initials. The site offers a black and white version of a shirt, both listed at $45.
Defensive lineman Gervon Dexter tweeted out a link to his new clothing brand G9apparel July 1 featuring four shirt designs. Three designs feature his new logo and the other is branded with the phrase “counted out.”
Defensive end Zachary Carter, safety Rashad Torrence II and safety Kamar Wilcoxson created accounts on Jenloop, a service where fans can request customized shoutouts on the athlete’s Twitter and Instagram. Depending on the social media platform and type of post, prices fall between $20 and $80.
Quarterback Anthony Richardson, defensive tackle Antonio Shelton, defensive end Jeremiah Moon, wide receiver Jordan Pouncey, safety Mordecai McDaniel and Dexter all became a part of Dreamfield — a platform where fans can purchase face-to-face interactions with athletes. Their hourly rates range from $50 to $500.
Cornerback Avery Helm and Torrence II announced they partnered with Yoke, an app that gives athletes an opportunity to charge fans to play video games with them.
Some Gators found an avenue to explore in food promotion.
Freshman defensive tackle Desmond Watson is an official athlete of Spencer’s Jerkin’ Jerky. Gymnast Savannah Schoenherr and infielder Colby Halter teamed up with GoPuff, a consumer goods and food delivery service. Both athletes posted tweets featuring a $25 referral link. Schoenherr highlighted her favorite chips, while Halter used the service to get a ballpark staple: sunflower seeds.
Barstool Sports also became a prominent component of the NIL era after founder Dave Portnoy offered all student-athletes a brand deal via Twitter. The company is bringing on a plethora of athletes, including many Gators. Barstool athletes can be found on Florida’s football, basketball, baseball, soccer, lacrosse and swimming teams.
The NIL bill changes the landscape of collegiate athletics forever. Players of all popularity levels are taking their shot to use the platform they have, and they’re just scratching the surface less than a week into this era.
Contact Joseph Henry at jhenry@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @Josephhenry2424.
Joseph Henry is a fourth-year sports journalism major and is the Alligator's sports editor. He previously worked as senior news director, assistant sports editor, men's basketball beat reporter, volleyball beat reporter and golf beat reporter. He enjoys sitting down to watch a movie as often as possible, collecting vinyl and drinking Dr. Pepper.
