College athletes are channeling their NIL earnings into venture capital investments. Front Office Sports reports that three college quarterbacks — including a potential top-five pick — are putting their money into VC-backed start-ups.
South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers — projected as one of the top signal-callers in the 2026 NFL Draft — Southern Methodist University’s Kevin Jennings and Kansas State University’s Avery Johnson have invested in The Cashmere Fund. According to Front Office Sports, the fund is a “Nasdaq-listed venture capital fund that allows non-accredited investors to invest in VC-backed start-ups.”
Buffalo Bills players Josh Allen and Damar Hamlin are also investors.
“There was some business savvy in all of them,” Elia Infascelli, CEO of Cashmere, told Front Office Sports. “Avery Johnson is a business major, for example. They didn’t need to do this, but they wanted to.
“They are investors in the fund just like any other person would invest in the fund.”
Cashmere is working with college athletes to bring more attention to their fund and attract additional investors.
“At 18, 19, or 21, to think about long-term relationships and invest without any immediate upside today, that’s rare,” Infascelli explained.
NIL has created new opportunities for college athletes. For those who won’t turn pro, these ventures offer a path to financial stability beyond their college careers.
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