Something bigger than a standard NIL deal is starting to form around Darius Acuff Jr. Reebok is getting ready to launch the Reebok Acuff 1, giving the Arkansas star a rare place in college basketball before he ever leaves campus.
That alone makes this story stand out. Acuff Jr. is on track to become the first college athlete to announce a true signature shoe while still in school. He also becomes Reebok’s first male basketball signature athlete since John Wall, which says plenty about how strongly the brand believes in his future.
Timing-wise, it also makes sense. Acuff Jr. just finished a freshman season that will forever be remembered in SEC record books. He was Arkansas’ career single-season scoring leader, led the SEC in points and assists per game (last player to do both was Pete Maravich in 1969-70), and held the record for most SEC Freshman of the Week awards given. He joined Anthony Davis and Brandon Miller as only the second and third players in program history to win SEC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in the same season.
Reebok pushed the news further with an Instagram teaser that read “Acuff 1 On the Way.” The Reebok Acuff 1 has no release date yet, but it should arrive through Reebok Basketball once official details go live.
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