Patrick Mahomes II’s love for Texas Tech will never die. As the biggest name in the football world, he could easily just look out for his own interests. Instead, he continues to give back to the Red Raiders in a big way. In fact, he’s on the verge of becoming the university’s biggest recruiting tool.
This week, Mahomes not only announced a $5 million donation to the South Endzone Project at Jones Stadium, but also that he and Adidas will sign NIL contracts with six Texas Tech student-athletes.
Micah Hudson (football), NiJaree Canady (softball), Jasmine Shavers (women’s basketball), Matthew Comegys (golf), Sam Courtwight (soccer) and TJ Pompey (baseball) were invited to join Team Mahomes when the three-time Super Bowl MVP made a surprise trip to Lubbock to meet the Red Raiders athletes and outfit them in Mahomes-branded gear.
“The energy around this partnership has been incredible and this announcement shows how important it is to me, adidas and Texas Tech,” Mahomes said. “adidas has been a collaborative partner from the beginning and we have worked together to select athletes who are among the best and embody the drive and dedication we look for in an athlete for Team Mahomes. We have a lot of great things in store for the Red Raiders – stay tuned for more.”
While these deals are just a start, it’s not hard to imagine what this program could become for Texas Tech. In fact, the idea of ”Team Mahomes” could become the best recruiting tool the university has at its disposal.
While it is possible that this NIL movement will expand to include athletes outside of Texas Tech, it is significant that the program first began with sponsorship of the Red Raiders. Additionally, five of the six athletes participate in non-revenue-generating sports.
Keep in mind that sports that don’t make enough money to support themselves — and that’s primarily sports other than football and men’s basketball — are at risk of having their funding cut or, worse, eliminated entirely because of the NCAA’s new revenue-sharing model, which will require schools to pay millions of dollars to student-athletes in the coming years.
“The creation of Team Mahomes further positions Texas Tech Athletics as a national leader in NIL. This would not be possible without a great partner like adidas who believes strongly in investing in our student-athletes under the Patrick Mahomes brand,” said Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt. “In this era of sports, there are not many athletes of a generation like Patrick Mahomes who so proudly promote their alma mater and give back in such a meaningful way.”
What athlete in today’s sports landscape wouldn’t want to be associated with Patrick Mahomes II? The Mahomes brand is quickly becoming one of the most recognizable in sports, and his name carries as much weight as almost any other sports figure who has become a pop culture icon.
So, as this particular NIL program continues to develop and grow, the Red Raiders could see unexpected recruiting success across the athletic department, not just football, as everyone wants to be associated with Patrick Mahomes.
It’s refreshing to see the school’s most prominent alumnus continue to give back to his alma mater as generously as Mahomes does. We don’t see other NFL star quarterbacks like Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Aaron Rogers, Lamar Jackson, etc. making headlines by supporting their school’s NIL efforts as feverishly as Mahomes does.
Mahomes could be like almost any other star player in professional sports, living only for his own career and accomplishments. Instead, like almost everyone else, he is interested in seeing Texas Tech succeed and is doing everything he can to put his school on top. That’s why the Red Raiders are truly lucky to have Mahomes as the face of the university for years to come.
