National Championship could lead to more NIL deals for Georgia players

ATLANTA - The Georgia Bulldogs are scheduled to arrive in Indianapolis on Friday ahead of Monday's College Football National Championship game.

While pride is on the line between the Dawgs and the Alabama Crimson Tide, this is the first season that winning it all could also lead to more endorsement deals for players.

As of July 1, 2021, the NCAA adopted an interim name, image and likeness policy, which allows student-athletes to appear in and benefit from advertising campaigns and other deals.

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Now, tens of thousands of Atlanta commuters pass a billboard every day featuring UGA defensive lineman Jordan Davis.

A billboard in metro Atlanta advertising the Morgan & Morgan law firm features UGA defensive lineman Jordan Davis ahead of the College Football National Championship Game. (FOX 5)

"We were running a 'Size Matters' marketing campaign. When you see Jordan Davis and the impact he makes for the UGA defense, obviously size matters," explained Dan Morgan, a partner at the law firm Morgan & Morgan. "It's linking our brand with a brand that people have been watching and loving for generations and generations."

Davis is just one of several UGA football players to benefit from the new policy this season.

Zaxby's announced a deal in August with quarterback J.T. Daniels to serve as a brand ambassador for the 2021-2022 season.

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Running back Zamir White and linebacker Nakobe Dean launched online clothing shops. Dean is also featured on billboards for a law firm and a chiropractic clinic.

"I think it was important to have the name, image, likeness in Georgia because there was a move around the country to do it and we didn't want our athletes and our universities to be left behind," said state Rep. Chuck Martin, R-Alpharetta, who serves as chairman of the House Higher Education Committee.

Rep. Martin was the primary sponsor of legislation last year that made it legal for student-athletes to make money off the use of their name, image and likeness in Georgia. The law never officially went into effect because it included a sunset provision if the NCAA passed its own regulations.

"There was a billboard up in Hall County I saw this year with a young man featured on it that's a walk-on. Right now, I don't think he's a scholarship athlete at the University of Georgia, but he's had a good football season, and he's got some sort of a deal," said Rep. Martin. "That's a great thing for him because he's not getting any help athletically to play football over there. So, maybe he is getting a little money that'll help him with his books and his room and board."

A billboard in metro Atlanta advertising the Morgan & Morgan law firm features UGA defensive lineman Jordan Davis ahead of the College Football National Championship Game. (FOX 5)

There is no publicly available information about how many UGA players have inked NIL deals nor for how much money. According to the UGA Athletic Association, that information is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

The policy is in its infancy and it will likely evolve in the coming years, but Morgan said his firm will continue to use college athletes for marketing campaigns when they can.

"It helps recruits too for the schools if they know there [are] brands that are coming in to help their players," said Morgan. "It's not like we're giving these players life-changing money, but to give them the ability to make some money off of what they're doing for an hour photoshoot, use their picture around town and to get money that not only they need, but their family needs, it's been kind of a gray area in the past where some of these players aren't even allowed to work part-time jobs without violating NCAA rules, which is craziness. So, it's just kind of evening the playing field. So, we definitely want to be at the forefront to show that we're for the people, but we're also for the players."

Morgan and Morgan has also run campaigns with Alabama offensive lineman Evan Neal and players from West Virginia. They are also in talks to run advertisements with the entire Georgia Tech basketball team.

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