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Heisman Favorite Nix Makes NIL History with Google Partnership

Oregon quarterback is first college athlete to sign with Google Shopping

Michael Ehrlich

Heisman Favorite Nix Makes NIL History with Google Partnership
Heisman Favorite Nix Makes NIL History with Google Partnership /
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After throwing for a season-high 412 yards and four touchdowns in a 36-27 primetime win over USC last weekend, Oregon quarterback is the leading candidate - and betting favorite - to take home the Heisman Trophy.

But with a lot of football still left to play - matchups against Arizona State, rival Oregon State and potentially a Pac-12 Championship game - Nix and the Ducks have a coveted College Football Playoff spot on their minds.

However as the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award finalist's national profile continues to grow, so do unique NIL opportunities for the Auburn transfer. Already partnered with the likes of Celsius, 7-Eleven, Topps, and Bose, the Duck signal caller is now making NIL history with his latest deal.

Nix this week became the first college athlete to sign with Google and GQ Sports on a new campaign to support Google Shopping's busy holiday season. Starring alongside his wife Izzy, Nix shares "The Checklist" of what he does on a coveted day off, including starting his holiday shopping early.

Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman also announced a deal this week with Google in collaboration with Sports Illustrated for a similar Google Shopping video piece.

"Bo has obviously had a great season and is one of the higher-profile college athletes," shared Doug Young, Chief Marketing Officer of Nix's agency, QB Reps. "He also has an interest in style and fashion (he has a deal with Hugo Boss as well). Perhaps most importantly, he has an incredible secret weapon in wife Izzy, who was able to help bring the story of the campaign - getting some Christmas shopping done for a loved one during a busy time - to life."

Being married is a differentiator from a college athlete-brand perspective and should open Nix up to even more opportunities in the future. If he is able to run the table on-field and earn another Heisman for Oregon - their last was Marcus Mariota in 2014 - then the marketing opportunities will continue to grow for the Davey O'Brien Award Semifinalist.

Nix and Oregon visit Arizona State on Saturday at 4PM ET on FOX.

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Michael Ehrlich
MICHAEL EHRLICH

Michael Ehrlich is a seasoned sports marketing executive with experience across the global sports brand, athlete representation, media and education sides of the business. The Founder and CEO of Playbook Marketing, Ehrlich consults with brands on all things NIL and athlete partnerships, advises student-athletes on their personal brand building endeavors and is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California where he teaches a course on athlete communications and marketing. As a writer, his previous bylines include Boardroom, Business of College Sports, DIME Magazine and UPROXX, among others. You can follow him across social media at @MichaelEhrlich and reach out via michael@playbook-marketing.com

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