- Arvell Reese wore a custom Reese's-lined jacket on the red carpet and ESPN broadcast at the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh on April 23, 2026.
- The jacket's interior featured photos of Reese alongside the Reese's candy logo, peanut butter cup designs, and branded orange paneling, a collaboration Reese described as "still me at the end of the day."
- Reese was selected No. 5 overall by the New York Giants, becoming the first major defensive pick of the John Harbaugh era.
- Reese's has built a pattern of name-match athlete partnerships, most notably WNBA star Angel Reese in 2024, followed by an expanded Reese's Oreo Cup campaign with Paige Bueckers in late 2025.
Arvell Reese made his entrance at the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh impossible to ignore, not just because of his football pedigree, but because of what he was wearing.
The Ohio State linebacker debuted a custom jacket in partnership with Reese’s, featuring a detailed interior lining built around the iconic peanut butter cup brand.
The middle panel showcased personal photos with the Reese’s logo overhead, while the side panels incorporated the brand’s signature orange palette and candy imagery.
The name alignment was always there, but this activation made it official. Reese also holds a NIL deal with Panini America, appearing in the brand’s 2025 Contenders collection.
On the field side, Reese’s draft stock was built on a dominant 2025 season at Ohio State: 69 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and a consensus All-American nod. He also helped the Buckeyes win the 2024 national championship.
Similar brand activations at this year’s draft made waves: Fernando Mendoza partnered with LinkedIn on an NFL Draft campaign and fellow Ohio State teammate Carnell Tate landed a Snickers Ice Cream deal, making this draft one of the most brand-activated in recent memory.
For Reese’s, this is the latest chapter in a broader athlete strategy. The brand previously partnered with WNBA star Angel Reese in 2024 on a co-branded merchandise collection, then expanded its footprint with a joint Reese’s Oreo Cup campaign featuring both Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers in December 2025. The Arvell Reese activation shows the brand is now moving aggressively into NFL Draft territory.
Takeaways
This deal is a masterclass in name-brand synergy, the kind that writes itself, gets shared instantly, and costs relatively little compared to the reach it generates. Reese walked into one of football’s biggest nights wearing a brand story on his back, and the internet did the rest.
For Reese’s, it’s a third major athlete play in under two years, showing the candy brand has figured out something powerful: when your name is the athlete’s name, you stop being a sponsor and start being part of the moment.
For Arvell Reese heading into the NFL at 20 years old, this signals he’s already thinking beyond the field. His brand identity is locked in before he’s even taken a professional snap.
With Reese’s now activating at the NFL Draft after years in the WNBA space, is the brand building a multi-sport athlete empire around its name? Could this jacket moment be the opening chapter of a longer Arvell Reese x Reese’s partnership, similar to Angel Reese’s merchandise collection?
