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Mikey Williams, one of the top
prospects in the 2023 college basketball recruiting class, has signed
a contract with Excel Sports Management to handle his name, image and
likeness (NIL) rights.
“Mikey’s relevance around his
peers in the basketball community is off the charts,” Excel vice
president Matt Davis told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday.
“He’s one of the most relevant personalities in the basketball
community. His digital and social following speak for themselves.”
Williams is a 5-star prospect and the
No. 5 overall player in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports’
composite rankings. He’ll be eligible for the 2024 NBA draft.
The Lake Norman High School (N.C.)
standout has gone a long way in promoting his personal brand,
highlighted by over 3.2 million followers on his Instagram account.
Davis told Wojnarowski the established popularity paired with joining an agency will help “generate
millions of dollars for this young man.”
Young athletes gained the ability to make money
from their NIL rights without losing their collegiate eligibility
because of a recent Supreme Court ruling, and several U.S. states have enacted laws related to the players’ ability to profit off NIL, leading to the signing of numerous lucrative deals.
Alabama football coach Nick Saban said
Tuesday that Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young has signed contracts reaching “almost seven figures.”
The NIL advancements are great news for
basketball players who’d prefer to take the college route rather than
go pro out of high school during the gap year before they’re
eligible for the NBA draft.
Williams confirmed to Stadium’s Jeff Goodman in
early July his plan was to play college basketball, but
that’s subject to change before the 2023-24 season.
“The NIL rules provide a new
opportunity for someone like me who has put in so much energy
and effort into building a community,” Williams told ESPN. “I
am excited to be the first high school athlete to make this move. I
love to hoop and I love engaging with my fans and look forward to
continuing to share my journey with everyone.”
Wojnarowski reported it’s possible the
6’2″ combo guard could receive a “major shoe deal” while still
in high school, which would be unprecedented.
“He’s a rare, one-of-a-kind
athlete in this space,” Davis told ESPN. “We’re going to
build out his national profile and take big swings.”
Williams has received scholarship
offers from several top programs, including Arizona, Kansas, Memphis,
Tennessee, Texas Tech and USC, per 247Sports.
For now, he’s uncommitted heading into his junior year of high school.