Key Takeaways
- Nike signed 11 high school football players and eight college athletes to its NIL roster, its largest disclosed prep class to date.
- The high school signees were selected last month at The Opening Finals, Nike’s invitational showcase at its Philip H. Knight Campus.
- The prep cohort spans the recruiting classes of 2027 and 2028, per Nike, extending the brand’s NIL activity further down the age curve.
- Nike’s football roster now includes six active Super Bowl champions, 19 All-Pros and 28 Pro Bowl players alongside the new signees.
Eleven High School Athletes Join the NIL Roster
Nike announced on July 16 that it signed 11 high school football players to name, image and likeness deals, the centerpiece of a broader roster expansion that also added eight college athletes. The prep group covers every skill position and both sides of the ball.
The high school signees are Jermaine Cobbins (cornerback), Madoxx Davis (wide receiver), Jaxon Dollar (tight end), Quentin Hale (wide receiver), Elijah Haven (quarterback), Peyton Houston (quarterback), Myson Johnson-Cook (running back), Juju Johnson (cornerback), Neimann Lawrence (quarterback), Gabriel Osborne Jr. (cornerback) and Jamarin Simmons (wide receiver), according to Nike. The players hail from programs across Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, California, Louisiana, Illinois, Oklahoma and Florida.
Nike said the prep signees represent the recruiting classes of 2027 and 2028, placing the brand’s NIL commitments with athletes who are still years from college competition.
The Opening Finals as Signing Pipeline
Nike selected the high school athletes following their performances at The Opening Finals, the invitation-only showcase held last month at the brand’s Philip H. Knight Campus. The company positions the event as a talent pipeline, noting that past participants who later signed Nike deals include Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Kyler Murray and Ja’Marr Chase, the group Nike named as The Opening Hall of Fame Class of 2027.
Nike said Jerry Rice and Barry Sanders attended the showcase to advise the athletes, and that current roster members including Chase, Murray, Bryce Young, Malik Nabers and Shedeur Sanders joined the new signees on stage at the brand’s Stanford Theatre.
Eight College Athletes Added Alongside the Prep Class
The college additions are Trinidad Chambliss (quarterback, Ole Miss), Cam Coleman (wide receiver, Texas), Jared Curtis (quarterback, Vanderbilt), Trey’Dez Green (tight end, LSU), Chris Henry Jr. (wide receiver, Ohio State), Kewan Lacy (running back, Ole Miss), Dante Moore (quarterback, Oregon) and Colin Simmons (edge, Texas).
“These signings reflect our commitment to serving the best football talent at every level with the support, innovation and partnership they need to reach their full potential on the field and away from the game,” said Ann Miller, EVP, Global Sports Marketing, in the release. Nike said its NIL partners receive personalized support spanning product, styling, media and content.
A Roster Built From High School Up
By adding a prep class of this size, Nike is formalizing a roster structure that runs from high school through college and into the pros, with the same brand relationship following athletes across each stage. The company framed the move as part of an effort to build the youngest roster in the game, and its citation of Henry, Barkley, Murray and Chase makes the intended payoff explicit: prep signees Nike hopes will still wear the brand a decade from now. Whether the 2027 and 2028 classes convert that early investment into the same long-term returns is the open question these 11 signatures leave on the table.
Source: Nike, July 16, 2026, https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-strengthens-the-most-dominant-roster-in-football-with-top-prep-and-college-nil-athlete-signings
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Nike expands its high school NIL signings with 11 prep prospects from The Opening Finals, plus eight college athletes across top programs.
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