No doubt benefiting from being at the University of Texas, Cole Hammer recently signed such a deal with Optimum Nutrition, for which one of the top-ranked amateurs in the game is touting its nutritional drink.Īs a senior, Hammer is not able to take full advantage of the new NIL opportunities like younger players, but he will undoubtedly get a jump on his professional career when that arrives this spring. If things go well, it is a good bet that this arrangement will translate into a traditional endorsement deal. “It’s definitely a game changer for college athletes,’’ Hammer said. We’ll see how it works out for everybody in more of a global sense as far as an individual athlete. I still have a few months to take advantage of the opportunities.