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Clemson Tigers quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei is partnering with Dr. Pepper for Fansville ads that will air during the college football season in an endorsement deal that capitalizes on the NCAA’s new name, image and likeness rules.
ESPN.com’s Andrea Adelson reported the news of Uiagalelei’s Dr. Pepper NIL deal, and featured comments from the sophomore signal-caller about his partnership with the soft drink brand.
“For me, NIL has been a great opportunity to be able to work with brands, to be able to do stuff like this,” Uiagalelei said. “If I was playing college football five years ago, I wouldn’t be able to do this. It’s a great opportunity for people now to be able to build off their brand, make money and work on different partnerships like Dr. Pepper. I’m super excited about it.”
Dr. Pepper is already the title sponsor for the College Football Playoff, so having someone of Uiagalelei’s caliber from a powerhouse program like Clemson is a win for all parties involved.
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The Tigers are widely expected to once again be in the College Football Playoff thanks largely to Uiagalelei. Despite the loss of No. 1 overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence, Clemson’s expectations are still to win a national title with Uiagalelei under center.
Uiagalelei played extremely well filling in for Lawrence last season in two starts while the tenured starter was dealing COVID-19. Showing advanced maturity as a true freshman, Uiagelelei guided the Tigers to a victory over Boston College, and forced double overtime in a shootout loss to Notre Dame on the road.
No. 1 wide receiver in Justyn Ross is returning after missing all of 2020 due to a career-threatening injury, and the defense expected to take a big step forward with all but one starter returning from last season.
As long as Uiagalelei builds upon the form he flashed this past year, Clemson should be in great hands and return to the CFP. Then, he’ll double as a prominent commercial personality and as a star QB thanks to his Dr. Pepper partnership.
Find out where D.J. Uiagalelei ranks among our list of top 10 college football quarterbacks