SDS Roundtable: With NIL on the way, what commercial would you want to see an SEC player star in?

Each SDS roundtable discussion involves the SDS staff providing individual answers and comments to questions covering a wide range of sports and non-sports topics. In this discussion, we ask the question: With the NCAA clearing the way for athletes to profit off their NIL, what is the one commercial you want to see an SEC player star in?

A bit of background …

The NCAA, at long last, reluctantly has agreed to recommendations allowing college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness. There will be rules and limits and stipulations because we’re still talking about the NCAA. And we’re still a year from anything official being put in place. But progress is progress. Starting in 2021, athletes will be able to profit off “third-party endorsements,” including commercials. Some SEC-area restaurant owners already have said they’d love to have SEC stars endorse their business. Which commercial would we like to see an SEC player in?

Jon Cooper, SDS co-founder

Sorry, but I’m going out-of-conference here and going with Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Granted, he’d have to come back for his senior season, but with over 81,000 followers, Lawrence can become the spokesman for Revlon Beauty Products. Lawrence is arguably the most marketable athlete in college athletics, and with that many followers, he could get a few thousand dollars per Twitter post, i.e. #ad. Lawrence, and that big-league hair, could make some real coin with Revlon.

Connor O’Gara, Senior national columnist

Let’s go off the radar here.

Stetson Bennett IV, above, needs to be advertising for some local law firm. No, I don’t care that he’ll likely never start a game for Georgia. That’s even better. That name was born to show up on a random commercial during a Georgia game with him saying, “Were you wronged in an accident? I’m Stetson Bennett IV, and I want to help you get the money you deserve.” He’d be rocking a pinstripe suit that’s one step from looking like a mob boss, and it would instantly become the most popular commercial in Athens.

Give me that or a commercial with Coach O selling gumbo and instead of feeding it to his family, he just keeps pouring more bowls for Myles Brennan to eat.

Michael Bratton, News editor

I’d love to see this rule lead to Alabama’s kickers being featured in some sort of commercial promoting an accuracy course like a shooting range or even helping an ophthalmologist fixing their eyesight so they can actually see the middle of the goal post to help their kicking.

Chris Wright, Executive editor

Bratton always has jokes. I doubt Nick Saban would go for it, but the idea is pretty funny.

There are several SEC alums running Fortune 500 companies. A few readers suggested Apple CEO Tim Cook feature Auburn athletes in a few ads.

Keeping it local, I like the idea of Arkansas grad and Walmart founder Sam Walton using Sam Pittman and the Arkansas offensive line as greeters and security.

Just about every lineman on the roster goes 6-6 and 300 pounds. The hulking players aren’t allowed to wear Arkansas gear, but they could easily get around that by telling customers who bought Arkansas gear at Walmart “nice shirt.”

And should a customer wear an Alabama shirt into the store? That’s where the Hogs get to flex their muscles a bit and provide some security.

Previous roundtable discussions:

• If you could change 1 thing about college football, what would it be?
• What are you watching right now?
• Who is your favorite SEC football player of all-time?
• What are your 3 favorite postseason moments involving SEC teams?
• Which 4 SEC athletes are on your Mount Rushmore?
• What is your most painful sports memory?
• The greatest team I ever saw …
• Which school’s all-time position group is the best in SEC history?
• Who are your way-too-early picks to make the College Football Playoff?
• If and when the SEC expands, which 2 teams should it add?
• Who is your pick to win the SEC East, SEC West in 2020?
• Who is your favorite player from every SEC program?
• Who is your favorite SEC personality to follow on Twitter?
• Which SEC program produced best pro sports duo?
• Which prop bet would you risk stimulus check on?
• Which former assistant is first to beat Nick Saban?
• Which SEC helmet absolutely needs to be redesigned?
• Which Day 2 or 3 SEC pick will have best NFL career?
• Which SEC player could go No. 1 overall in 2021?
• What’s the biggest spring question you have that wasn’t answered?

Chris Wright

Managing Editor

A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.