10:30 AM
One of the best quarterbacks in next year's college football recruiting class, Jaden Rashada, signed his first endorsement deal this week with a recruiting app company.
A four-figure sum will be paid to Rashada, who was the top-rated dual-threat quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class, to help promote the AIR app via social media posts.
While some high school basketball players have signed endorsement deals in recent months, it is believed to be the first high school football player to profit from endorsements since the NCAA changed rules this summer that would have made him ineligible to play in college if he accepted money.
"It feels good," she said. "Maybe it can open up more opportunities for others." Being able to make some money and promote a good brand is a blessing.
The coveted prospect said that he will narrow down his list of potential college destinations to his six top choices in the next couple of months. He doesn't believe that earning potential will be a factor in where he plays.
The ability for NCAA athletes to make money from the rights of their names, images and likenesses was one of the most significant changes during a tumultuous year for college sports. California is one of at least five states that allow high school athletes to accept endorsement money without jeopardizing their eligibility to keep playing.
According to industry experts at Opendorse, there are 15 states that prohibit high schoolers from cashing in on athletic fame either via state law or through their high school sports associations. Most of the country doesn't have clear rules for high school athletes.
He did his own research to make sure he was allowed to explore endorsement deals. He worked with an adviser to get his first deal. Weinstein represents a few college athletes in NIL deals. He worked in the University of Wisconsin recruiting office and was an intern with Drew Rosenhaus.
James Sackville, a young Australian who graduated from SMU with a degree in economics, founded his company last year.
The platform is designed to simplify the process for college coaches, high school athletes and their advisers. After using current college athletes as a marketing tool in the past several months, Sackville said he intends to dedicate a significant portion of AIR's marketing budget toward working with other college and high school athletes as spokespeople in the coming year.
Someone who has recently gone through the process or is currently going through it is the best person to talk to about recruiting. It was a no-brainer to work with Jaden after talking with him.
He has worked with Weinstein to make sure that anything he ends up endorsing will be a good fit for who he is and won't get in the way of keeping his focus on football and school. He is partnering with Safeway to give food gift cards to homeless people in Northern California.
Some people around him were skeptical about a high school junior taking a step toward professionalism at his age, but he sees it as a learning opportunity. He wants to get into the sports agency business in the future.
He said that exploring NIL deals hasn't changed his attitude towards football.
He said he was handling it like a business when he was talking to coaches. It didn't feel different because they're giving me $200,000 in education. It was just a few more things to learn.
