Southern Cal football stars Zachariah and Zion Branch just made a major announcement. The Branches will join Jordan Brand as part of a first-of-its-kind NIL deal. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on the major news out of USC.
“USC football players Zachariah and Zion Branch will become Jordan Brand’s first NIL football endorsees,” Thamel wrote.
Thamel broke the news of the landmark deal on X, the website formerly known as Twitter.
USC football players Zachariah and Zion Branch will become Jordan Brand’s first NIL football endorsees. The brothers join a roster that includes Dak Prescott, Deebo Samuel, and Jalen Hurts. pic.twitter.com/P7m6pdwwg3
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 26, 2024
This figured to be one of the next big steps for college athetes and NIL. Shoe deals are as much a part of sport as anything, so it makes sense that someone, or in this case someones, joined the ranks of one of the most prominent shoe brands in the world.
The Branches are the first to pull this off, but likely not the last. It will prove interesting if this news has any additional rollouts ahead of Week 1 of the 2024 college football season. Fireworks already went off during Week Zero, with Georgia Tech pulling off an upset win over Top 10-ranked Florida State out in Dublin, Ireland.
The Trojans will start the season against LSU in Las Vegas this Sunday.
