In case his $2.9-million deal with the Texas Longhorns wasn’t enough, the former Auburn Tiger, Cam Coleman, has officially inked a NIL deal with one of the most prominent names in all of sportswear, Nike. The 19-year-old phenom will now join the company’s Blue Ribbon Elite program, which is aimed at gathering the most prominent names throughout college athletics under the same banner.
Coleman’s aforementioned deal with the Longhorns was already enough to make him one of the 10 highest-paid student athletes in the nation, but once his deal with Nike is finalized, he figures to climb even higher in the rankings. “Everything’s bigger in Texas,” he wrote in an Instagram post announcing the partnership. “Especially with #TeamNIKE.”
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The recent string of deals comes in the wake of Coleman’s 2025 performance in which he managed to record 708 receiving yards and five touchdowns on just 56 receptions. Thanks to his career average of 14 receiving yards per catch, he entered the transfer portal this offseason as the number two overall player in ESPN’s official rankings.
His new deal also helps to expand the relationship between the Longhorns and Nike, with the program’s athletic director, Chris Del Conte, heralding the announcement as “a unique, innovative and awesome opportunity for our student-athletes to collaborate with Nike in their Blue Ribbon Elite program.”
Between his newfound partnership with Nike and the one that he will develop with Arch Manning throughout the coming months, as well as the fact that he’s a former five-star recruit, Coleman will continue to be one of the more intriguing names to follow in 2026. Although, given his ongoing rise in popularity, it stands to reason that he could be joining Manning in declaring for the 2027 NFL Draft after this upcoming season is finalized.
In the meantime, however, he’ll likely be more concerned about working with his newfound head coach, Steve Sarkisian, and the effort that will be required to deliver the national championship that many had initially expected for Texas at the beginning of the 2025 season.
Related: Arch Manning Predicted To Have Record-Setting Season For Texas In 2026