What Athletes Are a Great Fit For NIL Opportunities?
The conversation needs to be had. There are athletes at the prep level who are going to be making money through NIL (Name Image Likeness) deals when they step into the collegiate ranks. There are plenty of mixed opinions on…
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Continue ReadingThe conversation needs to be had. There are athletes at the prep level who are going to be making money through NIL (Name Image Likeness) deals when they step into the collegiate ranks. There are plenty of mixed opinions on NIL, but if this weekend was any indication of the future of prep and womens volleyball, these athletes will be household names. Athletes can now make money off their Name, Image, and Likeness which these athletes rightfully deserve to be recognized and paid off of their ability and what they can do to market themselves.
In today’s game, there are athletes who are already making money off of their personal brand – jersey, social media, and running camps off of their names. This isn’t even a year old and we are starting to see an impact. Here are athletes who I see who could have an impact on their Name, Image, and Likeness heading into the collegiate level.
Why these athletes? They have a presence. They have a presence among their team and they have a presence in a convention center full of hundreds, some thousands of athletes where their ability speaks for itself – but they also have an X-Factor about them. I didn’t go through any Instagram or TikTok accounts (I do have boundaries), but I know they have a big presence on the court that could be maximized for opportunities outside the gym.
Harper Murray – Legacy 17-1 Adidas
Class of 2023 – Committed to Nebraska
Give her an Adidas contract. Harper Murray is one the top athletes in the country across any sport where she is a high flying outside who has competed against the best in the world. She is heading to Nebraska which is obviously one of the best programs in the country, but they also have close to a half million followers across all of their social media platforms which does help when it comes to marketing. Murray plays for Legacy which is out of the Detroit area, an Adidas sponsored club, and she will head to Nebraska who is also an Adidas brand. She has star power, she is one other athlete’s enjoy playing with and others are going to look up to where she will have an extremely large reach across the country.
⚠️⚠️Commitment Alert!⚠️⚠️
Congrats to Chloe Chicoine on her commitment to Purdue University! We know you will do amazing things there, Chloe! @ChicoineChloe pic.twitter.com/Fbabuawjq4— Circle City VBC (@circlecityvbc) February 14, 2022
Chloe Chicoine – Circle City 17 Purple
Class of 2023 – Committed to Purdue
There are a lot of people across all ages where they will say, “Chloe Chicoine is my favorite player,” And rightfully so. If you have a chance to watch Chicoine play, she’s relentless. She has a motor that is unmatched where she can will her team to a win which she has done at the high school, club, and international level. She won a high school state title while also finishing third in the world with the US Youth National Team where she teamed up with Murray. She originally committed to Penn State, but will now head to Purdue, the hometown kid will have a chance to take Purdue to the next level. Also, she plays for a Nike club, she’s heading to a Nike school, sign her Nike – just do it.
Saige Damrow – FC Elite 18-Elite
Class of 2023 – Committed to Wisconsin
Damrow has been on the radar since she was in middle school. With pictures of her going to big time camps as a 7th grader where she’s playing back row next to CC McGraw and other top athletes, Damrow was on an early track to being one of the top liberos in the Class of 2023. Damrow committed to Wisconsin, pre national championship Wisconsin, as an 8th grader right before May 1, 2019 before the rules changed. She has the story of the small town Wisconsin kid, coached by her dad, and will be the local on the Wisconsin roster where she could have a big impact. She has a presence, and with Wisconsin having a connected network to set their players up with NIL opportunities, she can really capitalize. They also have one of the top social media following across all platforms right there with Nebraska.
Reese Robins – Drive Nation 17 Red
Class of 2023 – Committed to Louisville
Drive Nation is one of the top programs in the country and they have a national presence where people know Drive Nation, especially after a big weekend at Triple Crown. For me, I see Reese Robins as the face of Drive Nation, she has a presence. She plays with swag, she wears her heart on her sleeve, and she is a powerhouse out of the middle. She is heading to Louisville which is on the rise as well. I also feel there is a correlation between up and coming athletes and up and coming programs. They seem to rise together.
Two-ball Setting Saturday 🤠 pic.twitter.com/hz022LryLN
— Reese Bates Volleyball 2023 (@reesebatesvb) January 9, 2022
Reese Bates – KC Power 17-1
Class of 2023 – Uncommitted
Reese Bates knows how to use her social media on Twitter. She is a highly skilled setter where she posts videos of her two ball setting and her footwork which is enough for any fundamental setter video she’d want to make. She also has videos where she’s setting on a beach, in ballet shoes, on a surfboard, and her two ball setting video from January 8, 2022 is nearing 30,000 views. This is the future in making a positive brand for yourself even at the high school age.
Skyler Pierce – Dynasty 16 Black
Class of 2024
Skyler Pierce would be the first to give credit to her teammates in any situation where she has earned an individual or team honor. She’s humble and another one who has built a really positive image through her social media where she is always giving shoutouts to others. Pierce is part of Dynasty 16 Black, which this group has plenty of stars that are going to be big time names in the volleyball world (and basketball too). Pierce is also a star on the basketball court as is her teammate and setter, Reese Messer. Pierce wad dominant this weekend and will be on a list of plenty of high profile programs who will be contacting her June 15 of this year.
Ashley Sturzoiu – A5 Mizuno 17 Jing
Class of 2023 – Uncommitted
She’s the one with the goggles and the arm swing that will break your finger blocking. Her Twitter profile even has “Goggles” next to her name, you know who she is. Watching her in the Triple Crown Championship was a treat. She has mastered tooling her swing off the block where she has one of the fastest arm swings I have seen at the 17s level. A5 knows how to use it too, they set a fast tempo ball right to the pin and it’s hammer time. She celebrates big and really hypes up her teammates. She’s uncommitted right now, but whoever lands her at the next level is getting a true gem.
Janelle Green – KC Power 16-1
Class of 2024 – Uncommitted
Janelle Green is going to do big things someday – wait, she already is. She’s running the show as a setter for KC Power 16-1 where they were a final four finisher at Triple Crown this past weekend. Green plays with such passion, a love for the game and her teammates. She isn’t the long, lanky setter that her 17-1 counterpart and Texas commit, Ella Swindle is, but she plays much bigger than her 5’9-5’10 stature. She plays big at the net and can play all the way around. Someone you have to have on the court. When interviewing Green, she has such maturity, someone who is always giving credit to others and talking about the team first.