Cooper Flagg joins Paige Bueckers, JuJu Watkins and more, signing historic NIL deal with $48 billion worth company

Duke's Cooper Flagg is making major moves in NIL space as he signed a historic partnership with Gatorade on Tuesday. With the deal seized, Flagg became the first men's college player to partner with Gatorade, a $48 billion company that dominates the sports drink market.

Flagg, the No. 1 prospect in the 2024 class, inked a shoe endorsement deal with New Balance in August. Within a matter of months, he now has one of the most lucrative NIL deals in college sports.

"This has been a big year for me on and off the court, and Gatorade has been there the whole way," Flagg said in a statement.

"From being named the Gatorade Best Male Player of the Year to now officially joining the team, it’s been surreal to have my name mentioned with some of the biggest names in basketball. The Gatorade roster is iconic, and I’m excited to work with them as I take this next step."

The Maine native joined a Gatorade roster that includes some of the biggest names in basketball. These include NBA star Jayson Tatum, UConn's Paige Bueckers, WNBA champion Candace Parker and USC's JuJu Watkins.

Cooper Flagg averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in his senior season at Montverde before joining Duke this summer. He is also a projected lottery pick in next year's NBA draft.

Cooper Flagg strengthens his top spot in NIL ranking with Gatorade deal

Cooper Flagg climbed to rank No. 1 in the On3 NIL 100 rankings after he signed a deal with New Balance. He currently has a $2.6 million valuation, beating the second-placed UNC's RJ Davis, who has a $2.3 million valuation.

Being the first college athlete in the men's division to ink a deal with a global powerhouse will only increase his NIL value.

His social media following has also seen a steep rise with a surge in his popularity. Flagg is just 100K shy of hitting the million-follower mark across all social platforms.

Cooper Flagg NIL deals

• New Balance: Aug. 26, 2024
• Cort Furniture: Oct. 28, 2024
• Gatorade: Oct. 29, 2024

The 6-foot-9 forward made his Duke debut this week in an exhibition match against Lincoln. He lived up to the expectations — posting 22 points and six assists in the game.

In his second exhibition game on Sunday against Arizona State, Cooper Flagg recorded nine points, four rebounds and three assists. He will make a regular season debut on Nov. 4 in a home matchup against Maine.