Ohio State Buckeyes Stars Land New NIL Commercial Gig

Two Ohio State Buckeyes football stars will be featured in an ad for a clothing company as part of their NIL deal.

Aug 1, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs (2) lines up during football camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Complex. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ohio State Buckeyes have one of the largest NIL bases in the country. They have done a wonderful job of upgrading their roster by offering athletes seemingly unlimited opportunities when it comes to earning money on and off the field.

Two of their players, Caleb Downs and Jeremiah Smith, are about to embark on another NIL journey. The Buckeyes stars are set to take part in an ad campaign with American Eagle, one of the largest brands in Columbus.

Downs and Smith are going to be starring in a new commercial for American Eagle. The school’s NIL collective, The Foundation, made the partnership with the clothing brand possible. Both of their NIL valuations have the American Eagle work factored in.

This is not the first time that American Eagle has worked with Ohio State players. Star running back TreVeyon Henderson and future first-round pick, cornerback Denzel Burke, also have agreements with the brand.

How much American Eagle will be paying Downs and Smith is unknown at this time, but they have contributed money to The Foundation in exchange for using the players in their promotional ads. But, it is rumored that the duo will both clear $1 million in earnings this year.

That isn’t too surprising to hear given how high-profile of players each of them are. Smith was the No. 1 ranked player in the 2024 recruiting class as a wide receiver. Standing 6’3” and weighing 215 pounds, he was a man amongst boys in high school.

Over his final two seasons at Chaminade-Madonna Prep, he caught 151 passes for 2,474 yards and 39 touchdowns. His current valuation per On3 is $752,000, which is good for 47th on the On3 Top 100.

Downs is even higher on the list. His valuation is currently at $817,000, which is 40th in the top 100 and 21st among college football athletes. The safety was a hot commodity on the transfer portal this offseason.

After one successful season at Alabama, Downs opted to transfer following the departure of head coach Nick Saban. He recorded 107 total tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, four passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Regarded as the No. 1 prospect in the transfer portal, a bidding war began between Ohio State and Georgia. It was the Buckeyes who eventually won out, as an in-home visit swayed Downs’ decision.

He is a major addition to the Ohio State defense. A second-team All-American and SEC Freshman of the Year, Downs will make for a dominant secondary pairing with the lockdown Burke at cornerback.