The name, image and likeness era of college athletics is still in its infancy, but you're going to be hard-pressed to find a more suited sponsorship deal than this. Alabama DB Ga'Quincy "Kool-Aid" McKinstry has teamed up with Kool-Aid for a partnership that, appropriately enough, resulted in the two swapping their social media accounts.
"In honor of our new partnership, we've swapped names with Kool-Aid McKinstry and given him the power of OH YEAH" the brand's Twitter bio read.
"Honored to partner with Kool-Aid the Brand," said McKinstry's new Twitter bio. "I will be sharing the OH YEAH title with the Kool-Aid Man!"
If this kind of NIL deal seemed like an inevitability, you wouldn't be wrong. Appearing on "CBS This Morning" early in August, McKinstry said he was hopeful for a partnership with his favorite drink company
"I am a big Kool-Aid fan," he said. "It's something I always dreamed of, it's something I always dreamed to be a part of, so hopefully that can happen one day in the near future."
NIL laws changed in many states across the country this summer, allowing players to begin cashing in on sponsorship deals. McKinstry certainly has the name recognition within the college football community. Although just a freshman, he was a five-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class. 247Sports Composite listed him as the No. 1 cornerback prospect and the No. 18 recruit overall.
