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Curry Brand Signs Chinese Phenom in Global NIL Power Move

Curry Brand Signs Chinese Phenom in Global NIL Power Move originally appeared on Athlon Sports. In a landmark NIL deal that’s already shaking up the global basketball scene, Curry Brandhas officially signed Jacob Zhu, known as Zhu Zheng in China. Zheng represents the brand’s first Chinese athlete and second international signee. The 6’2” point guard […]

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Curry Brand Signs Chinese Phenom in Global NIL Power Move

Curry Brand Signs Chinese Phenom in Global NIL Power Move originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

In a landmark NIL deal that’s already shaking up the global basketball scene, Curry Brandhas officially signed Jacob Zhu, known as Zhu Zheng in China. Zheng represents the brand’s first Chinese athlete and second international signee. The 6’2” point guard from the Class of 2026 is more than just a rising star, he’s the face of a new generation of global hoopers.

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At just 16, Zhu’s resume is already impressive. He’s been scouted by top Division I programs like Auburn, Georgia Tech, and UCF, and he’s preparing to suit up for China’s U19 national team at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup. His game is defined by elite ball-handling, deadly court vision, and a jump shot that demands respect from anywhere on the floor.

But this deal is about more than just basketball. It’s about culture, connection, and brand power.

“I’m beyond excited to officially join Curry Brand and learn from the greatest point guard of all time, my favorite player growing up,” Zhu said. “Steph’s journey inspired me to believe that being ‘undersized’ doesn’t mean being overlooked.”

The NIL agreement gives Zhu access to exclusive footwear and apparel, personalized brand support, and a starring role in off-court initiatives across Asia-Pacific, especially in China’s booming basketball market. With Zhu’s mixed Chinese and Jamaican heritage and growing stateside reputation, Curry Brand isn’t just making a marketing move, it’s staking a claim in the future of global basketball.

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“He embodies many of the qualities we look for in a Curry Brand athlete with his style of play, his work ethic, and his commitment to bringing people together through sport,” said Simon Pestridge, VP of Marketing (APAC) and GM of Under Armour China.

Zhu now joins a roster of standout Curry Brand athletes, including Stephen Curry, De’Aaron Fox, and MiLaysia Fulwiley. For NIL fans, this deal is a bold signal: international name, image, and likeness deals are no longer a trend, they’re the future.

Want to know what’s next in global NIL? Keep your eyes on Jacob Zhu. The game is going global and Curry Brand is leading the charge.

Related: Michigan Running Back’s Groundbreaking NIL Deal Redefines College Football

Related: Former Kentucky Great Has Words About NIL: “I’m Glad I Didn’t Play in That Era”

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.

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Arkansas coach Sam Pittman says House settlement provides level NIL playing field in competitive SEC

By CHARLES ODUM ATLANTA (AP) — Sam Pittman says a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement that went into effect this month levels the college football playing field in a good way for his Arkansas team. Pittman said Arkansas now has a chance to compete on more even terms with other Southeastern Conference powers like Georgia, Alabama […]

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By CHARLES ODUM

ATLANTA (AP) — Sam Pittman says a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement that went into effect this month levels the college football playing field in a good way for his Arkansas team.

Pittman said Arkansas now has a chance to compete on more even terms with other Southeastern Conference powers like Georgia, Alabama and Texas. Pittman said Thursday at SEC media days his program previously dealt with a financial disadvantage against the schools with more established name, image and likeness collectives since NIL payments began in 2022.

According to the terms of the House settlement, each school now can share up to about $20.5 million with their athletes.

“Financially with revenue sharing I think we are finally back on even keel with everybody, which we weren’t,” said Pittman, whose team finished 7-6 in 2024. “If I was going to make an excuse, it would be financially is why we haven’t done quite as well. … But I think now with it being even, look out, the Razorbacks are coming.”

Pittman and most other coaches brought seniors and graduate players to represent their teams at SEC media days, which concluded on Thursday. Pittman brought two 2021 recruits and a transfer, but Arkansas could have difficulty finding seniors next year from his original 2022 signing class because many members of that class have transferred.

Pittman, whose Razorbacks have earned bowl bids in four of his five seasons, said players have different reasons for transferring but many were lured away from Arkansas by more attractive NIL packages at other schools. When asked about the 2022 class, Pittman said, “Here’s what it’s not because of: the way they’re treated, because of the way they’re developed, because of the way they’re taught.”

“That’s not the reason. It could be playing time. It could be finances. Probably the majority of it is finances.”

The House settlement era began on July 1.

The enforcement of the House settlement is still being worked out as the new College Sports Commission has informed athletic directors in letters last week it was rejecting payments to players from collectives created only to pay players instead of as payment for name, likeness and image.

Some seniors at SEC media days said NIL payments and the transfer portal have contributed to their decisions to complete their eligibility instead of leaving school early to pursue opportunities in the NFL.

“I would most definitely say so,” Missouri offensive lineman Connor Tollison said. “Obviously, you know, you have a chance to make some money these days. … With the transfer portal, if you don’t have a necessarily a good opportunity at this place you’re at, you have the chance to go somewhere else and get a fresh start. It wasn’t necessarily something I experienced to my college career, but I’ve seen it. You know, it works for plenty of players. So yeah, I think it’s good for the players.”

When asked if NIL makes it easier for players to complete their eligibility, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops, coming off a 4-8 season, said, “Listen, we all love our players, whether they’re one year in our program, six months, or four years.”

Linebacker Alex Afari, defensive back Jordan Lovett and tight end Josh Kattus were the seniors who accompanied Stoops to Atlanta.

“Of course I love making money from name, image and likeness,” Lovett said. “But I love football first. You know, football was my first love. So I play for the game, not for money.”

Lovett added his primary motivation for returning was to earn his first win over Georgia.

“It’s the big part of college football now because some dudes just make decisions off, you know, the financial stuff,” Lovett said. “I love football. … I still haven’t, you know, beat Georgia yet. You know, Georgia’s one of my goals.”

___

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football





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Gavin McKenna’s PSU NIL Contract Reportedly Around $700K Ahead of 2026 NHL Draft

Penn State reportedly offered Gavin McKenna the most lucrative NIL deal in college hockey history to bring the prospective top pick of the 2026 NHL draft to Pennsylvania. McKenna announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions on July 8 after visiting both Penn State and Michigan State the weekend prior. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reported on […]

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Penn State reportedly offered Gavin McKenna the most lucrative NIL deal in college hockey history to bring the prospective top pick of the 2026 NHL draft to Pennsylvania.

McKenna announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions on July 8 after visiting both Penn State and Michigan State the weekend prior.

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reported on Thursday that a source put the NIL offer McKenna received from Penn State “in the ballpark” of $700,000.

Wyshynski’s story matches previous reports from The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler and College Hockey Insider’s Mike McMahon.

McMahon also reported on July 7 that McKenna had received an offer from Michigan State in the range of $200,000 to $300,000.

Wheeler noted that McKenna’s offer wasn’t only the largest NIL deal ever received by a college hockey player but a mark of a shifting trend in college hockey.

“Not that long ago, top NHL prospects were telling me they were getting branded sweaters and free meals at local restaurants as their NIL packages,” Wheeler wrote.

That is set to continue changing now that the CHL decided to allow former QMJHL, OHL and WHL players to compete in college hockey starting with the 2025-26 season.

That new rule, in addition to revenue-sharing and NIL changes in the NCAA, will make it a lucrative option for top prospects to compete in college before making the jump to the NHL.

It could also set the stage for Penn State, which is coming off of its first Frozen Four appearance in program history, to join longer-established hockey programs in Boston and Denver as perennial title favorites.

The Nittany Lions reported offered Philadelphia Flyers prospect and first-round 2025 draft pick Porter Martone more than $250,000 to join the program next season, Will James of Philly Hockey Now reported in May.

Martone is still considering whether to transfer to college hockey or push for an NHL roster spot next season, according to a recent report from PhiladelphiaFlyers.com’s Bill Meltzer.

Regardless of Martone’s decision, Penn State’s reported ability to offer almost $1 million in NIL deals to bring two top NHL prospects into the program is a sign that the Nittany Lions could potentially become a college hockey powerhouse in the near future.



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What Donald Trump’s NIL executive order aims to achieve: Draft hints at future plans for college sports

Getty Images CBS News reported Wednesday that President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order establishing national standards for name, image and likeness initiatives. What that order would entail, and what Trump’s vision for college athletics looks like, have been a relative mystery.  Until now. Trump’s administration constructed a seven-page draft of the executive […]

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CBS News reported Wednesday that President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order establishing national standards for name, image and likeness initiatives. What that order would entail, and what Trump’s vision for college athletics looks like, have been a relative mystery. 

Until now. Trump’s administration constructed a seven-page draft of the executive order, titled “SAVING COLLEGE SPORTS,” according to a copy obtained by Yahoo Sports.

The draft, which is by no means a final version and only suggests what the actual order may look like, aims to “preserve” college sports from “unprecedented threat” by introducing sweeping policies addressing many hot-button issues, including athlete compensation, employment and the preservation of Olympic sports. 

The draft also takes aim at the recent House v. NCAA settlement, which it argues will be “upended soon” by further litigation. 

Based on the draft Trump’s executive order would direct the attorney general and the Federal Trade Commission to address a few key areas: 

  • Protect college leaders from antitrust laws around the “long-term availability” of scholarships and opportunities for athletes. 
  • Prevent “unqualified and unscrupulous agents” from representing athletes in financial dealings. 
  • Create uniformity in NIL legislature, which could mean preempting the patchwork state laws. 
  • Work with the U.S. Olympic team to “provide safeguards” for NCAA Olympic sports, and utilize secretary of education and National Labor Relations Board to “clarify the status” for those athletes. 

Trump has shown a keen interest in college athletics in the early months of his second term. In May, reports emerged that he intended to create a college sports commission, headed by prominent Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell and legendary former coach Nick Saban, that would investigate pressing issues such as NIL reform; however, the White House put those plans on hiatus. A completely unrelated College Sports Commission (CSC) was created in the wake of the House v. NCAA settlement, which opened the door for athletes to profit off of revenue sharing. 

The CSC, in partnership with consulting firm Deloitte, launched an online portal called “NIL Go,” where athletes can report third-party NIL deals to ensure that they match “fair market value” and include a valid business purpose based on an actual endorsement.





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Arkansas coach Sam Pittman says House settlement provides level NIL playing field in …

ATLANTA (AP) — Sam Pittman says a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement that went into effect this month levels the college football playing field in a good way for his Arkansas team. Pittman said Arkansas now has a chance to compete on more even terms with other Southeastern Conference powers like Georgia, Alabama and Texas. Pittman […]

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Arkansas coach Sam Pittman says House settlement provides level NIL playing field in ...

ATLANTA (AP) — Sam Pittman says a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement that went into effect this month levels the college football playing field in a good way for his Arkansas team.

Pittman said Arkansas now has a chance to compete on more even terms with other Southeastern Conference powers like Georgia, Alabama and Texas. Pittman said Thursday at SEC media days his program previously dealt with a financial disadvantage against the schools with more established name, image and likeness collectives since NIL payments began in 2022.

According to the terms of the House settlement, each school now can share up to about $20.5 million with their athletes.

“Financially with revenue sharing I think we are finally back on even keel with everybody, which we weren’t,” said Pittman, whose team finished 7-6 in 2024. “If I was going to make an excuse, it would be financially is why we haven’t done quite as well. … But I think now with it being even, look out, the Razorbacks are coming.”

Pittman and most other coaches brought seniors and graduate players to represent their teams at SEC media days, which concluded on Thursday. Pittman brought two 2021 recruits and a transfer, but Arkansas could have difficulty finding seniors next year from his original 2022 signing class because many members of that class have transferred.

Pittman, whose Razorbacks have earned bowl bids in four of his five seasons, said players have different reasons for transferring but many were lured away from Arkansas by more attractive NIL packages at other schools. When asked about the 2022 class, Pittman said, “Here’s what it’s not because of: the way they’re treated, because of the way they’re developed, because of the way they’re taught.”

“That’s not the reason. It could be playing time. It could be finances. Probably the majority of it is finances.”

The House settlement era began on July 1.

The enforcement of the House settlement is still being worked out as the new College Sports Commission has informed athletic directors in letters last week it was rejecting payments to players from collectives created only to pay players instead of as payment for name, likeness and image.

Some seniors at SEC media days said NIL payments and the transfer portal have contributed to their decisions to complete their eligibility instead of leaving school early to pursue opportunities in the NFL.

“I would most definitely say so,” Missouri offensive lineman Connor Tollison said. “Obviously, you know, you have a chance to make some money these days. … With the transfer portal, if you don’t have a necessarily a good opportunity at this place you’re at, you have the chance to go somewhere else and get a fresh start. It wasn’t necessarily something I experienced to my college career, but I’ve seen it. You know, it works for plenty of players. So yeah, I think it’s good for the players.”

When asked if NIL makes it easier for players to complete their eligibility, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops, coming off a 4-8 season, said, “Listen, we all love our players, whether they’re one year in our program, six months, or four years.”

Linebacker Alex Afari, defensive back Jordan Lovett and tight end Josh Kattus were the seniors who accompanied Stoops to Atlanta.

“Of course I love making money from name, image and likeness,” Lovett said. “But I love football first. You know, football was my first love. So I play for the game, not for money.”

Lovett added his primary motivation for returning was to earn his first win over Georgia.

“It’s the big part of college football now because some dudes just make decisions off, you know, the financial stuff,” Lovett said. “I love football. … I still haven’t, you know, beat Georgia yet. You know, Georgia’s one of my goals.”


AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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Top recruit makes college football decision between Georgia, Alabama

Some of the top college football programs in the country were in the hunt for four-star linebacker Nick Abrams II before the highly-coveted recruit announced his decision on Wednesday. Abrams (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) plays for McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Maryland, where he ranks as the No. 14 linebacker and the No. 6 player in […]

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Some of the top college football programs in the country were in the hunt for four-star linebacker Nick Abrams II before the highly-coveted recruit announced his decision on Wednesday.

Abrams (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) plays for McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Maryland, where he ranks as the No. 14 linebacker and the No. 6 player in the state in the class of 2026, per 247Sports composite.

Abrams totaled a career highs in tackles (77), tackles for loss (9) and sacks (4) in 12 games as a junior. The versatile contributor also added a receiving touchdown and made all three of his point-after attempts.

There was no shortage of options for Abrams, who holds 30 scholarship offers. He was down to Georgia, Alabama, Michigan and Oregon, having officially visited all four of those major programs over the spring and summer.

In the end, though, it was Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs that beat out other suitors, most notably SEC foe Alabama, to land Abrams’ services.

Georgia holds one of the most valuable backings from an Name, Image and Likeness perspective. According to NCAA estimates, the Bulldogs’ Classic City collective ranks fourth nationally with over $18 million projected to be shared with athletes in 2025.

Abram’s commitment is a welcoming one for Smart and Co., who missed out on five-star in-state linebacker Tyler Atkinson while losing four-star defensive lineman commit James Johnson to Texas on Tuesday.

As it stands, the Bulldogs hold the No. 2 class in the 2026 cycle after finishing in the same spot in 2025. Georgia hasn’t finished outside the top five nationally in nine years and will likely sign another star-studded class this winter.





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Commentary: Jackson Wells leaving Arkansas baseball to sign with Houston Astros should not surprise

Commentary: Jackson Wells leaving Arkansas baseball to sign with Houston Astros should not surprise | Whole Hog Sports Advertisement Advertisement Link 0

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