Name Image Likeness

Four Star Florida Commit Signs Exclusive NIL Deal with Panini

Vernel Brown III has entered into an exclusive deal with Panini America joining an elite roster of college stars.

Noah Henderson

Top high school prospect Vernel Brown III signed an exclusive deal with Panini.
Top high school prospect Vernel Brown III signed an exclusive deal with Panini. / Panini America
In this story:

Panini America has signed an exclusive, multi-year agreement with Vernell Brown III, one of the nation’s top high school wide receiver prospects. The partnership will include autographed trading cards and memorabilia, positioning "VB3" among an elite group of young athletes partnered with Panini for NIL offerings.

Brown, hailing from Jones High School in Orlando, has built an impressive resume on the field. After posting 70 receptions for 1,363 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, he has continued his stellar play through the first half of his 2024 campaign with 51 catches for 664 yards and 4 touchdowns. This dominance hasn’t gone unnoticed. Brown is ranked as the sixth-best receiver in the 2024 class and committed to play at the University of Florida earlier this year, where he’s expected to be an immediate impact player for the Gators.

The exclusive deal between Brown and Panini will be featured across the company's entire collegiate product line, from autographed trading cards to memorabilia. He will also join Panini's marketing efforts alongside other college sports heavy hitters like Jalen Milroe, Quinn Ewers, Dylan Raiola, and Arch Manning. By adding Brown to the roster, Panini continues to grab market share in the NIL collectibles market. 

Panini has taken a unique approach to the NIL trading card market, targeting exclusive partnerships only with athletes with tremendous professional potential. In the secondary market, collectors have been willing to pay exorbitant prices to get the first edition of athletes who could one day etch their names into the history of their sport. Rookie cards used to provide these first editions, but with the advent of NIL first edition college cards prove a valuable alternative –– a one-of-one Panini Arch Manning card sold for $102,500 at auction last year. 

Panini believes in Brown’s talents; Jason Howarth, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Athlete Relations at Panini America, emphasized their belief in the budding star: “VB3 is well on his way to becoming an impactful player at the collegiate level, joining our current roster of playmakers.”

While Panini initially targeted big-name talent, the company plans to expand its offerings to a broader audience. Panini recently launched Panini College, a platform allowing all athletes at partner universities to have their own Panini trading card. Ohio State, Nebraska, and Texas are first adopters of the new program and more schools are expected to join soon. 

For Brown, this partnership is a significant milestone, “I’m excited to partner with a premium brand like Panini America. When I was younger, I always dreamed what it would be like to have my own trading card – so to have this become a reality is really special.”

The NIL trading card market continues to proliferate. With signals from the secondary market showing heavy interest in these cards, manufacturers like Panini will engage in bidding for the nation’s brightest stars. For high-level athletes, these deals remain a lucrative income stream before ever stepping on campus. 

Published
Noah Henderson
NOAH HENDERSON

Professor Noah Henderson teaches in the sport management department at Loyola University Chicago. Outside the classroom, he advises companies, schools, and collectives on Name, Image, and Likeness best practices. His academic research focuses on the intersection of law, economics, and social consequences regarding college athletics, NIL, and sports gambling. Before teaching, Prof. Henderson was part of a team that amended Illinois NIL legislation and managed NIL collectives at the nation’s most prominent athletic institutions while working for industry leader Student Athlete NIL. He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law in Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Economics from Saint Joseph’s University, where he was a four-year letter winner on the golf team. Prof. Henderson is a native of San Diego, California, and a former golf CIF state champion with Torrey Pines High School. Outside of athletics, he enjoys playing guitar, hanging out with dogs, and eating California burritos. You can follow him on Twitter: @NoahImgLikeness. 

Home/NIL News