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Oklahoma football: Spencer Rattler at forefront of new NIL world

By Chip Rouse

Dec 30, 2020; Arlington, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Spencer Rattler (7) reacts after throwing a touchdown pass during the first half against the Florida Gators at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2020; Arlington, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Spencer Rattler (7) reacts after throwing a touchdown pass during the first half against the Florida Gators at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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On July 1, the world of college sports changed forever, with the passage of NCAA rules allowing student-athletes like Oklahoma football quarterback to profit from their name, image and likeness.

The University of Oklahoma is one of the schools that prepared in advance for this momentous occasion and second-year starting quarterback Spencer Rattler appears to be way out in front of most college athletes in taking full advantage of the opportunity afforded him with the new NIL policy.

“I would say we’ve done a lot of preparing within the athletic department,” said head coach Lincoln Riley during Big 12 Media Days last month. “I give (athletic director) Joe Castiglione and his department a lot of credit. We’ve been pretty proactive about our plans.

“(OU) understood early on how the game had changed in terms of maximizing exposure and staying on the cutting edge of branding and technology.”

In conjunction with the introduction of the new NIL college sports landscape, Oklahoma has launched a Foundry Program to assist OU student athletes with monitoring services and media support systems while also complementing the university’s education program.

As part of the Foundry Program, OU has partnered with INFLCR, a national leader in NIL programming and monitoring.

Rattler has partnered with widely acclaimed sports agent Leigh Steinberg and his company Steinberg Sports and Entertainment to handle his NIL representation. And the fact that Rattler is the preseason favorite to win the 2021 Heisman Trophy, a probable first-round NFL draft pick in 2022 and is the quarterback for a Sooner team that is projected to be a serious national championship contender this coming season is a like trailing wind opening up all kinds of immediate NIL opportunities for the Oklahoma quarterback.

On the final day of July, Rattler became the first college football player to sign autographs at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago. His signature reportedly went for $150.

Rattler already has his own personal logo (a combination of his personal initials “SR” in a rattlesnake design), a new endorsement deal with the fried restaurant chain Raising Canes, a clothing line coming.

And this is just the beginning.

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