$1.1 million NIL-valued Ohio State prodigy Jeremiah Smith creates history by signing historic NIL deal with Red Bull

Ohio State freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has made history. This is not from something he has done on the field, but off it.

Smith, who has an NIL value of $1.1 million, according to On3.com, has become the first college football player to sign with Red Bull. Smith announced this deal on his Instagram account on Thursday, saying:

“Off week, got my wiiings.”

Red Bull is generally not associated with college football. Its sponsored athletes can be found in sports like Formula One (where the Red Bull-sponsored team is one of the strongest teams on the grid) and "extreme sports." Traditional sports have never been a stronghold for the company.

However, Red Bull has now entered the lucrative college football market by partnering with Jeremiah Smith.

Smith is an athlete with a lot of potential. The freshman was the number one recruit in his class after a very strong high school career.

During the first two games of the season, Smith has been a key weapon for Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard. In these two games, Smith has recorded 211 yards and scored three touchdowns on only 11 catches.

He is set for greatness, and now, he has one of the biggest companies in the world supporting him. Smith may be the first Red Bull athlete in college football, but he is unlikely to be the last.

Jeremiah Smith NIL Deals

Apart from the Red Bull deal, Smith has signed NIL deals with a few other companies.

First, he has deals with The Foundation and The 1870 Society. These are NIL collectives that are associated with the Ohio State Buckeyes, providing opportunities for each of their players, including Smith.

Additionally, he has a deal with Ricart Automotive, a car dealership based in Columbus, Ohio, alongside Battle Sports, a football apparel company.

Finally, as with the majority of college football players, he has the deal with EA Sports to allow his name and likeness to appear in the College Football 25 video game, and any subsequent releases. In this game, he has been ranked as the best freshman player, and as the moment, this ranking is accurate to real life.

These deals combined give Jeremiah Smith a NIL value of $1.1 million. This makes him the 16th-highest earner in college football, according to On3.com's NIL tracker. Over the coming years, this is only expected to increase.