5-star quarterback commit Trae Taylor has proven his value to Nebraska as a peer recruiter and a sign that the Huskers are still major players for some of the best prospects in the country. Now the new addition to the Millard South Patriots is one of the most valuable high school players in the country, in terms of NIL valuations and what kind of NIL deals he might rack up in the near future.
Earlier this week, Pete Nakos of On3 reported that the soon-to-be-high school senior signal-caller partnered with Derby Watch Supply, becoming the first high school athlete to strike that kind of a deal with the company to date. Taylor has yet to take a snap for the Huskers, but he's already (arguably) becoming the face of a university he has yet to enroll at. Now, it appears he's becoming one of the most marketable as well.
The Nebraska commit is now the only high schooler to be partnered with the luxury watch company and will specifically work to promote the new Rolex Datejust. On Derby Watch Supply's website, watches in the collection are listed anywhere from $6,000 to more than $36,000. As of now, it’s believed that only one other player in high school or college has the same kind of deal in place. That player is Miami’s Darian Mensah. Considering he’s playing for the national runner-up from last season, it’s clear this is a very big deal for Taylor, and tangentially the Cornhuskers.
This isn’t the 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior's first sponsorship agreement, either. It’s just the latest in what is quite the growing list. Before this deal was struck, Taylor signed partnerships with Adidas, Overtime, Subway, Hershey, Gregg Young Chevrolet, and some smaller ones he keeps adding to the list.
Trae Taylor’s luxury watch deal boosts Nebraska football’s recruiting pitch
Outside of the Rolex deal, his partnership with Adidas is noteworthy mainly because he inked a deal with the same sportswear company Nebraska has its own deal with. However, it’s the first deal of this kind signed by a player before he’s officially added to NU’s roster. Other current and former Huskers who have signed NIL agreements with the sporting goods giant include Dylan Raiola, Harper Murray, and Lexi Rodriguez.
All of this is obviously good news for Trae Taylor, who is estimated to be worth more than $1 million in NIL money before even becoming a college athlete. It continues to be good for Nebraska, as they can point to what the quarterback has accomplished and the value he’s amassed even before officially joining the school.
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