Report: A new NIL collective will support USC athletes

Keyshawn Johnson is reportedly part of this new group

USC has a new NIL collective called "The Tommy Group," according to LA Times writer Ryan Kartje.

Per Kartje, "The Tommy Group is led by six alums/fans/former athletes with USC ties — Keyshawn Johnson, John Terzian, Dave Stromberg, Alex Holmes, Avi Chesed and Michael Hahn." 

The group has reportedly already worked with 80 athletes on deals, including last year's Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams. 

Read the full Tommy Group press release here. 

Front Office Sports defines NIL collectives as "groups of donors, alumni, boosters, and local businesses who pool resources to provide NIL opportunities for athletes at a certain school."

NIL stands for name, image, and likeness and it refers to college athletes' ability to profit off themselves. Prior to a Supreme Court case in 2021, NCAA athletes were not allowed to earn money promoting their name, image or likeness due to NCAA rules, but the court ruled that those regulations were unconstitutional. 

Last month, SI All Trojans detailed a group of football players who signed NIL deals with the non-profit South Bay Athletic Club. Through the agreements, the players are compensated for working with kids at the Boys And Girls Club Of Wilmington.

"It was fun to give back to the community especially with all of my teammates," USC offensive lineman Justin Dedich said. "To see all of these different guys come out of their shells a little bit and hang out with the kids was great. You can see the smiles on all of the kids' faces and it just makes their days. You never know what kids are going through so just being that light for them is awesome."

Dedich added: "This is going to become the new norm and it's awesome because not only do athletes get to help themselves, they get to help the community. I'm excited to see where this progresses in the future."