Student manager Amir Khan will remain in the spotlight for a little longer after the No. 12 McNeese State Cowboys upset the No. 5 Clemson Tigers 69-67 on Thursday. Khan is the student manager for the team and has been by their side as their hype man all season.
He went viral in February after a video was posted on Instagram of him walking down the tunnel with some of the McNeese State players with a boombox blaring.
Who is McNeese student manager Amir Khan?
Khan is a student manager who has been cashing in on a viral moment. After the video of him rapping with the McNeese State basketball players went viral, he became a sensation among college basketball fans. He has since earned the nickname, 'Aura.'
However, Khan has not let the moment go to his head. While his teammates have given him credit for being the heart and soul of the team, Khan has remained humble. In an interview with Hoops HQ in February, he said:
"I think I’m just a normal guy, I really am. But I feel like if you wanna be something and you wanna do something, then you gotta wake up every morning and tell yourself you’re that guy. And then you have to tell yourself to believe it.
"Now I’m at the point where I’m fully believing it. I think the coaching staff, the players, my family, my friends (and) everyone around me has given me the confidence to believe I am that guy."
Amir Khan NIL deals
Thanks to the introduction of NIL in 2021, student-athletes can cash in while playing college sports. However, NIL deals are not restricted to the players. Amir Khan made history shortly before the March Madness tournament, becoming the first student manager to sign a NIL deal.
As it turns out, he signed more than one NIL deal; he signed three. He secured endorsements for Buffalo Wild Wings, TickPick and Insomnia Cookies. The announcement was made on March 15.
Comparing Amir Khan's NIL deal to other college athletes
It is challenging to compare Amir Khan's NIL deals to other college athletes because the terms of his deals were not made public. It is possible that the information will come out at some point, but they were only signed a week ago, so it's not available yet.
It is unlikely that Khan is making similar money to top college basketball players. Cooper Flagg has the highest NIL valuation at $4.8 million. Khan's NIL deals are likely much more modest, but it has not been confirmed.
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