NEWPORT, Ky. — Lloyd Memorial 2025 forward EJ Walker is grateful to have a name, image and likeness deal with still another year remaining of high school basketball.
"When I was younger I never thought I would be able to do that," said Walker, who has narrowed his list to a dozen college basketball programs. "So it's pretty cool."
Walker along with Cooper 2025 tight end Austin Alexander and Covington Catholic 2024 tight end Willie Rodriguez, a University of Kentucky signee, have NIL deals with Newport-based Nevels Fitness Agency.
"All this NIL stuff is pretty new obviously and it's done a lot for me and my family," Rodriguez said. "It's really a great opportunity and I think it's helping overall me and Nevels and everything. I think it's a great combination."
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association started to allow NIL this past summer, joining dozens of states approving such a measure. The KHSAA doesn't track data how many high school student-athletes have NIL deals.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association membership voted down an NIL proposal in 2022.
Just across the Ohio River, Nevels Fitness Agency is growing its brand with NIL deals with three star high school athletes.
"My job here is not to just get you bigger, faster, stronger, more explosive and a better athlete but it's also to put you in the best situation that I can to make you be successful and achieve your dreams," said Nevels Fitness Agency owner Jordan Nevels, a 2005 Highlands graduate.
The partnerships are part of a challenging and yet energetic atmosphere, according to the student-athletes.
"We built a relationship with Jordan and he's like family to us," Walker said. "It just means a lot to do this with him."
Nevels said NIL is an "absolute game-changer" in the high school sports landscape.
"Back in the day you couldn't receive money," he said. "And it was illegal obviously and you could lose everything for doing it. Now that it's wide open it's such a game-changer because kids can value and cash in on themselves."
Cooper, Rodriguez and Walker are among an estimated 300-plus high school athletes across several sports with NCAA Division I scholarship offers at Nevels Fitness Agency.
"I think you really see it growing in Northern Kentucky," Rodriguez said. "A lot of kids coming here from a lot of different high schools over in the Cincinnati area also. So I really think it's blowing up and I think everybody enjoys it."
Nevels, who opened his performance training facility last year, said he has a vested interest in each student-athlete that walks through the doors.
"Most NIL deals are companies that are just looking for highly-rated kids that can market their products," Nevels, who helped to lead the Bluebirds to the 2004 Class 3A football state title.
"They don't know the kid. They don't know anything about them. They just know he's a three, four, or five-star (recruit). Here we're actually developing the kids. We train them. We help you get to be a four or five-star and then we're able to give you an NIL deal at the same time."
Rodriguez, who enters the UK football program later this spring, was the first student-athlete that Nevels signed to an NIL deal in mid-January.
Rodriguez promotes Nevels Fitness Agency on social media. He showcases his training, workouts and Nevels' protein product. The Rodriguez family is also part of an upcoming informational seminar for families who want to learn about the college recruiting process.
"Having Willie be an NIL representative of Nevels Fitness is absolutely amazing," Nevels said. "There's nobody better that I would pick than him. And it's even cooler because we're still working together now to try and go to that next level and make it to where when he lands at UK it's a big splash."
Nevels said college coaches from Stanford to Oregon and other Power Five programs are reaching out on a daily basis. The attention will also help other student-athletes who haven't received an opportunity yet.
"If you have a Willie (Rodriguez), you have an Austin (Alexander), if you have an EJ Walker - who else do you have?" Nevels said. "Because now you're word means everything. "It's the old saying where the honey draws the bees. We have the honey and we're blessed with those type of kids that are drawing all of these schools in."
Nevels has a vision that goes a step further than just NIL and improving student-athletes for the next level. He said the agency part of it comes into play where his brother, attorney Kris Nevels, may potentially represent the athlete at the pro level.
"We help them grow to be a three, four, five-star," Jordan Nevels said. "They go onto college. They're blessed. They do well. Then they go to the major leagues but we can represent them as well as their agency. We can be their representation. So now you're not bringing in an outsider that you don't know. You're bringing somebody that you've grown with. You've been with them for four, five, six, seven years. You're family."
That connectivity is just one example of high school sports is evolving in the NIL world.
