Ohio State football players have signed NIL deals with two of the nation’s largest restaurant chains.
Left guard Donovan Jackson, center Luke Wypler, right guard Matt Jones and right tackle Dawand Jones have partnered with Applebee’s for an endorsement deal while all five of the Buckeyes’ starting offensive linemen and running back TreVeyon Henderson have signed NIL deals with Chipotle.
Financial terms of the deals have not been disclosed.
Jackson, Wypler, Jones and Jones are being paid by Applebee’s to promote the restaurant’s All You Can Eat Boneless Wings special, which started at Applebee’s last week. All four Buckeyes shared tweets promoting the special on Sunday night, while Applebee’s also sent out a tweet promoting their partnership with the Buckeye blockers.
Lets keep the momentum goin squad Celebrated our win at @applebees with their All-You-Can-Eat Boneless Wings! #AYCE #Applebees #ad pic.twitter.com/rXbHh85hVu
— Donovan Jackson (@D_jack78) September 5, 2022
Look at this perfect wing.
— Wypler (@LukeWypler) September 5, 2022
Even more perfect when
it's endless and eaten
after a big W! Head into@applebees for All-You-
Can-Eat Boneless Wings
now. #AYCE #Applebees#ad pic.twitter.com/TKo5GQIh7W
That Ranch Drip Though. Just Celebrated Our Big Win With @applebees All-You-Can-Eat Boneless Wings! #AYCE #Applebees #ad pic.twitter.com/x14T0OG77X
— Matt Jones (@GrindTime55) September 5, 2022
YOU need to head to @applebees for All-You-Can-Eat Boneless Wings! The perfect meal to celebrate our big W. And if there are enough wings for us, there are definitely enough for you.#AYCE #Applebees #ad pic.twitter.com/QMx8uUar1t
— Dawand Jones (@dawandj79) September 5, 2022
One of the best offensive lines in the country celebrating a big W with our All-You-Can-Eat Boneless Wings! Head on into Applebees for the next big college game in your neighborhood! #AYCE @dawandj79 @GrindTime55 @LukeWypler @D_jack78 pic.twitter.com/Uw2CmjwKsV
— Applebee's Grill + Bar (@Applebees) September 4, 2022
The offensive linemen expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work with Applebee’s during a promotional photoshoot at a local Applebee’s that Eleven Warriors was invited to attend.
“As someone who's eaten Applebee's for almost my entire life, I knew it was something I had to get on,” Jackson said.
While many of the high-profile endorsement deals for Ohio State football players in the first 14 months of NIL have gone to skill-position stars like Henderson, C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the offensive linemen were appreciative that Applebee’s wanted to work specifically with them.
“I know we're not the sexiest position on the field, but we’re big guys who like to eat, so what a great deal for us to be able to come here and enjoy some great wings with our teammates,” Wypler told Eleven Warriors. “As the year goes on, I'm hoping to be able to focus on football, but these opportunities are great, and I'll jump at every opportunity I have to work with a great company and great organization like Applebee's.”
The Applebee’s deal isn’t the only new NIL deal for those four offensive linemen, though, as they also joined Henderson and left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. in partnering with Chipotle. All six of them participated in filming an advertisement that was narrated by two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin and was shared on social media by the Ohio State athletic department’s official Twitter account.
TreVeyon Henderson & @ChipotleTweets getting us ready for game day!
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) September 2, 2022
Special assist from Ohio State legend, Archie Griffin. Lets go! #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/kSzpNa6Gby
As a part of Chipotle’s Real Food for Real Athletes campaign, the six Buckeyes shared their go-to Chipotle orders with the public:
TreVeyon Henderson: Burrito with white rice, pinto beans, steak, fresh tomato salsa, cheese, and guac
Donovan Jackson: Burrito with white rice, double chicken, tomatillo-red chili salsa, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, and guac
Paris Johnson: Bowl with half white rice, half brown rice, double chicken, fresh tomato salsa, roasted chili-corn salsa, sour cream, and cheese
Dawand Jones: Burrito with white rice, double chicken, tomatillo-red chili salsa, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, and guac
Matt Jones: Burrito with white rice, half chicken, half steak, fresh tomato salsa, roasted chili-corn salsa, sour cream, cheese, and lettuce, and a bag of chips with sour cream on the side
Luke Wypler: Bowl with half white rice, half brown rice, chicken, sour cream, cheese, and lettuce
As for their choice of wings at Applebee’s, Wypler, Matt Jones and Dawand Jones all said their favorite flavor is honey BBQ while Jackson said his favorite is garlic parmesan.
“I hit hard, but these wings hit harder,” said Matt Jones, who told Eleven Warriors he had not received any NIL deals before his deals with Applebee’s and Chipotle.
Henderson and the Buckeye offensive linemen are the first college football players to sign NIL deals with Chipotle.
“With one of our Restaurant Support Centers in Columbus’ Arena District and more than 200 locations in Ohio, we have a lot of Buckeye pride at Chipotle,” Chipotle chief marketing officer Chris Brandt said in a news release.
The Buckeye offensive linemen are the first college athletes to sign NIL deals with Applebee’s this season, though the restaurant chain partnered with Kansas fullback Jared Casey for a commercial last year after he caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the Jayhawks’ upset win over Texas.
