- Nike signed eight college football standouts and 11 top high school prospects to its NIL football roster, headlined by Dante Moore (Oregon QB), Cam Coleman (Texas WR) and Chris Henry Jr. (Ohio State WR).
- Moore's signing officializes a Nike relationship that began with October's "Grateful Ducks" campaign; Coleman and teammate Colin Simmons already had Nike ties via Blue Ribbon Elite since March.
- Henry Jr. switches from Adidas to Nike, joining Ohio State teammates Bo Jackson and Jermaine Mathews Jr. as Nike athletes.
- High school signees earned their spots after standout performances at The Opening Finals at Nike's Philip H. Knight Campus.
Nike is doubling down on the next generation of football talent. The brand announced NIL partnerships on July 16 with eight college standouts and 11 high school prospects, headlined by Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, Texas wide receiver Cam Coleman, and Ohio State freshman Chris Henry Jr.
Moore’s deal makes official a relationship that started last October, when he and Oregon teammate Dakorien Moore fronted Nike’s Grateful Dead-inspired “Grateful Ducks” Air Max 90 campaign.
The Heisman contender already carries endorsements with Beats by Dre, DoorDash, Raising Cane’s and T-Mobile, and appears on the EA Sports College Football 27 cover.
Coleman and Texas teammate Colin Simmons, also part of Thursday’s group, already had Nike ties through the Blue Ribbon Elite program since March; Coleman separately holds a Crocs deal. Henry Jr. switches sportswear allegiance after signing with Adidas as a high schooler, joining Buckeyes Bo Jackson and Jermaine Mathews Jr. as Nike athletes.
Rounding out the college class are Trinidad Chambliss, Jared Curtis, Trey’Dez Green, and Kewan Lacy. The 11 high schoolers, including Madoxx Davis and Elijah Haven, earned their spots after standout showings at The Opening Finals at Nike’s Philip H. Knight Campus.
The wave follows Nike’s Blue Ribbon Elite signings on July 1 with South Carolina’s Chloe Kitts and Joyce Edwards, and arrives weeks after rival Adidas unveiled its own 2026 NFL rookie class featuring Fernando Mendoza and Carnell Tate.
The signings extend a football roster that already includes six Super Bowl champions and 19 All-Pros, with veterans Ja’Marr Chase and Saquon Barkley welcoming the newcomers on stage at Nike’s Stanford Theatre.
Takeaways
This isn’t just another NIL press release; it’s Nike locking down the pipeline from prep stardom to Heisman campaigns to the NFL, all under one swoosh.
Folding already-signed athletes like Coleman and Simmons into a dedicated “football roster” suggests Nike is building a tiered ecosystem rather than just handing out one-off checks.
And Chris Henry Jr.’s jump from Adidas is the kind of poaching that keeps sportswear rivalries interesting heading into the season.
Does bringing high schoolers into the fold before they even step on a college field give Nike an unfair head start on the next generation of stars? Is Henry Jr.’s brand switch a sign that Nike is winning the recruiting battle against Adidas in college football?
