Hey Dude Made Deals with Jayden Daniels + Several Others

Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals are a great form of advertising as fans love to see their favorite athletes representing brands they personally use. Although, when a brand brings in a slew of players from various sports, the deal is all the more exciting.

This past September, Hey Dude, a footwear brand, signed 12 collegiate athletes to work with the brand through NIL.

Big names for a big deal

Collegiate football players included in the deal are LSU quarterback (QB) Jayden Daniels, University of Texas QB Quinn Ewers, Alabama QB Jalen Milroe, QB for the University of Tennessee, Joe Milton III. Also involved were QB Chandler Morris, and running back Trey Sanders, both from TCU, and University of Florida QB Graham Mertz.

Aside from football, Clemson volleyball player Aźyah Dailey, University of Alabama thrower Chandler Hayden; University of Florida gymnast Trinity Thomas, University of Louisville basketball player Jayda Curry, and University of Tennessee basketball player Rickea Jackson, are also promoting the brand, according to Footwear News.

Footwear News also says that each of the athletes’ roles as ambassadors is to promote the brand by wearing Hey Dudes before and after games, They will also post content on social media related to the footwear company.

Along with the addition of their ambassadors, the brand also launched a Collegiate Collection corresponding with each of their ambassador’s universities.

Hey Dude isn’t the only or even the first brand to come up with this idea for a collection. Kane Footwear also launched a similar collection just a few weeks before Hey Dude, as well.

“Our partnership with these specific NIL athletes is around content creation and awareness driving, leveraging their unique personalities and platforms to reach new audiences and showcase wearing occasions for our new Collegiate Collection,” Hey Dude Chief Marketing Officer Kelli McCusker noted.

What do the ambassadors think about the Hey Dude?

Quinn Ewers posted a photo of him sporting the shoes, calling them his “Go-to shoes for game day’ while Jalen Milroe posted a video highlighting the shoes. 

Joe Milton also made several posts related to the brand on his Instagram. In one of the posts, he talks about how the shoes are comfortable and great for wearing before and after games.

Heisman finalist Jayden Daniels used the deal to support the LSU staff. The 23-year-old personally handed out Hey Dudes to individuals throughout the athletic department including Head Coach Brian Kelly, who received a special pair with LSU’s logo and colors.

“This Holi-Dude season, I want to show my appreciation to everybody that supports me,” he said in a promotional video. 

“Postgame was excited to include LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels into the Hey Dude Holi-Dude NIL campaign,” CEO and Co-Founder of Postgame, Bill Jula shared with Sports Illustrated. “Having worked with Jayden in the past, we knew he would deliver some amazing content.”

The perfect partnership

According to Forbes, Hey Dudes is the fastest-growing casual footwear brand in the United States. It only makes sense for them to partner up with some of the most popular college athletes for NIL, a form of advertising that is also experiencing rapid growth.

Deals like this one are great for putting players on the map and grabbing the attention of coaches and fans before the 2024 NFL Draft.

Victoria Jonach is an aspiring writer and media analyst fascinated by what kinds of activities players participate in off the football field. Growing up in New Jersey, she is a New York Giants fan and attends Rutgers University, pursuing a career in Journalism and Media Studies. She writes for FirstRoundMock.com covering anticipated draft picks and their acts of volunteerism, entrepreneurship, and other interests that shape these individuals.