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USC Freshman Sensation Watkins Gives Back Through NIL

Women of Troy star JuJu Watkins uses Nike partnership to support local community

Michael Ehrlich

USC Freshman Sensation Watkins Gives Back Through NIL
USC Freshman Sensation Watkins Gives Back Through NIL /
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USC freshman sensation JuJu Watkins has taken the college basketball world by storm. The best player in the country - outside of Iowa - Watkins is averaging 26.8 points per game, good for second in the nation behind reigning Player of the Year Caitlin Clark's 31.5 points per game.

Beyond her record-setting scoring and individual accolades, Watkins has single-handedly returned 10-1 USC's once-storied program to it's highest national ranking - No. 6 in USA TODAY Sports/WBCA, No. 9 in Associated Press - since 1994.

The prolific scorer's impact extends well beyond the hardwood as a NIL star, who like Clark, is among the few college basketball players with Nike partnerships, joining her Sierra Canyon High School and now USC classmate Bronny James, Memphis' DJ Wagner and UConn's Paige Bueckers. 

This holiday season, Watkins - from the Watts area of Los Angeles - used her Nike partnership to support the next generation of local high school basketball players with her "Good JuJu Holiday Giveback." Together with her brand partner and The Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC), she gifted Nike shoes and accessories to players from Crenshaw, Jordan and Finish First Academy high schools.

"This is what it's all about," Watkins said in an event recap video on Instagram. "Just giving back to my community and inner city."

Represented by Klutch Sports Group, Watkins - the top high school recruit in the 2023 class - has NIL partnerships with the likes of Taco Bell, Wells Fargo, Fletcher Jones Mercedes and USC's collective House of Victory, among others.

Watkins - the seven-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week - and USC next host Oregon State on Friday.

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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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