Boise State Broncos Basketball Player Pokes Fun at Himself in NIL Video

The Boise State Broncos guard participated in a hilarious NIL video that pokes fun at himself for being a lesser-known basketball player.

Feb 20, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Boise State Broncos guard RJ Keene (5) shoots a three-point shot during the first half against the San Jose State Spartans at ExtraMile Arena. / Brian Losness-Imagn Images

It's important to remember that the new age of NIL deals in college athletics isn't only making an impact on the biggest names in sports. A lot of players are able to find a local lane for themselves to benefit from the advancement.

One such student-athlete is Boise State Broncos basketball player R.J. Keene II. Keene announced a partnership with Signature Roofing and Bronco Nation News that will see him create weekly video content.

If the first video is any indication, these might become appointment viewing. In his debut, Keene walked around a Scheels Sports Retail store and asked locals if they knew who he was. Given that he was in more of a rotational role last year, the answers went about as well as one would imagine.

Cool announcement: As part of an NIL deal with Signature Roofing, Boise State basketball player @rjkeeneii will be providing weekly content for @BNNBroncoNation.

For his first segment, he went to Scheels to see if shoppers knew who he was. Enjoy... pic.twitter.com/KgWIkS83Fm

— B.J. Rains (@BJRains) October 4, 2024

While most people didn't know his name before the video began, humor like this could go a long way in building up some local favor as the Broncos prepare for a big season of basketball.

Keene is a redshirt junior that committed to Boise State back in 2020, but had his first season on the court this past year. He redshirted his first season and then missed 2022-2023 due to an injury.

In his debut campaign for the Broncos, he played 9.8 minutes per game across 21 games. He averaged 1.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game.

The 6-foot-6 guard was not shy about taking shots last year when given the chance, but he was unable to knock them down at a consistent rate. At that size and position, his biggest value to the team will likely be in his rebounding advantage over smaller guards.

Boise State has made an appearance in March Madness in each of the three seasons as head coach Leon Rice is quickly making his mark on the program's history books.

They've yet to make it past the round of 64 and peaked as an eight-seed back in 2022. ESPN's Way Too Early 2025 Bracketology has them coming in as a No. 11 and avoiding the First Four round that ended their run last year.

Keene will try to have a bigger part in the team's success this season. He's still been able to make an NIL impact either way.

Running back Ashton Jeanty is also doing his best to build the Broncos' brand thanks to his incredible weekly performances taking the college football world by storm.