Nike added Ohio State linebacker Chris Henry Jr. to its collegiate NIL roster, the third Buckeye signing since teammate Bo Jackson inked in May 2025. Wide receiver Jermaine Mathews Jr. signed between them. The deals carry no disclosed dollar amounts, but industry comparables for non-quarterback Power Four athletes range $15,000 to $75,000 annually depending on social reach and position scarcity.
The timing is deliberate. Ohio State's apparel contract with Nike expires June 2027, and adidas has already circled the renewal window with term sheets approaching $12M per year—double the Buckeyes' current $6.4M annual Nike guarantee. Jordan Brand, Nike's premium college tier, currently dresses Michigan, North Carolina, and Oklahoma. Ohio State wears standard Swoosh templates. The individual athlete signings function as relationship insurance while the athletic department evaluates bids. If adidas wins the team contract, Nike still controls three rostered voices and their Instagram handles during the transition.
Chris Henry Jr. is the son of former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry, who died in 2009. The younger Henry recorded 87 tackles and 6.5 sacks as a sophomore linebacker in 2025. His social following sits near 41,000 on Instagram, modest by NIL standards but concentrated among Ohio recruiting pipelines Nike prioritizes for its All-American camps. Jackson, a cornerback, has 68,000 followers. Mathews has 29,000. Combined, the three deliver roughly 138,000 impressions inside Ohio State's football ecosystem without requiring coordination with the athletic department's compliance office.
Nike's college football portfolio has contracted since 2023. Texas, LSU, and Miami each signed adidas extensions worth $10M+ annually, and Under Armour renewed Notre Dame at $9M per year through 2033. The Buckeyes represent the last Tier One program in the Big Ten without a locked renewal, and losing Columbus would cede the conference's largest media market to a competitor already dressing Wisconsin, Nebraska, and four other league members. Jordan Brand could theoretically upgrade Ohio State from Swoosh to Jumpman as a retention lever, but Michigan holds the exclusive Big Ten Jordan slot under its current contract.
The NIL signings also insulate Nike from NCAA transfer-portal volatility. If Henry, Jackson, or Mathews transfer to adidas-affiliated programs, their individual Nike contracts typically survive for the remaining term, creating mixed-brand rosters that dilute competitor messaging. Henry Jr. has two seasons of eligibility remaining. Jackson has one. Mathews has three. The staggered expirations allow Nike to re-evaluate each deal independently as Ohio State's institutional decision nears.
Watch for Ohio State's athletic director Ross Bjork to meet with Nike executives during the CFP National Championship week in January 2027, when most apparel renewals enter final negotiation. Jordan Brand will either extend an upgrade offer or Nike will defend the existing Swoosh tier with higher cash guarantees. If adidas wins, expect Henry, Jackson, and Mathews to appear in individual Nike campaigns emphasizing their personal brand independence within 90 days of the announcement.
Nike has not disclosed total spend on its collegiate NIL roster, but the company allocated $250M to athlete marketing in fiscal 2025, up 18% year-over-year. Ohio State's three signings likely represent under $200K combined annual outlay—rounding error for a brand defending a $6.4M institutional contract and the recruiting corridor that feeds it.
The takeaway
Nike's three Buckeye NIL signings hedge a **$12M** adidas bid while preserving Columbus access regardless of the 2027 team contract outcome.
nikeohio statenilapparel contractsadidascollege football
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