Future Ohio State, LSU stars featured in new adidas commercial

Through the first four years of NIL, top college athletes have earned the opportunity to appear in national marketing campaigns and commercials with digital and broadcast elevation. However, it's rare for a high school athlete to receive the same treatment. Until now.

German-based sports brand adidas has continued to invest in "American" football - especially over the past few seasons - building out a robust athlete roster at the NFL and collegiate levels. As of late, they've extended their reach to the high school gridiron, partnering with multiple top recruits who are poised to take the next two levels by storm.

Two of the brand's most recent signings star together in a new campaign to promote adidas' Exotic Speed pack of high-performance football cleats. Top Class of 2026 wide receiver recruits Chris Henry Jr. of Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, CA.) and Tristen Keys of Hattiesburg High School (Hattiesburg, MS.) appear in the brand's latest spot, debuting across social media this week.

Highlighting the speed the adizero cleats bring athletes in all aspects of life - even grabbing the morning newspaper - the campaign showcases the Ohio State and LSU 5-star commits in the latest animal-print cleats and a newspaper headline reading "Unfair Advantage? Nation's Best Young Receivers Wear adidas."

Although if their commitments remain, neither Henry Jr. nor Keys will be able to sport adidas cleats on-field for their future Nike-sponsored schools, the duo can wear and promote the three stripes away from team activities and across their social media accounts.

With 55,000 followers on Instagram, Henry Jr. will be a sought after brand ambassador in his senior season and beyond. Keys currently has an Out2Win score of 80 and a 18.2% social media engagement rate, highlighting his own potential for NIL partnerships.

This year, the receiver duo joined a stacked young athlete roster for adidas that includes the recently-signed Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola and top NFL Draft picks Travis Hunter - who signed with adidas ahead of winning the 2024 Heisman Trophy - plus Abdul Carter, Jalon Walker, Shemar Stewart and Emeka Egbuka, among others.

The brand's NFL presence already includes the likes of superstars Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, Micah Parsons of the Cowboys, Aaron Rodgers of the Steelers, Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Lions, Chris Jones of the Chiefs and Brock Purdy of the 49ers.

Henry Jr. and Keys still have one more season of high school ahead of them in the Fall and they'll be the rare case of football stars on Friday nights with their own shoe deals.