Powerful NIL gesture from Missouri star is transforming his hometown

New Missouri outside linebacker Damon Wilson II is putting his Name, Image and Likeness money to good use after signing with the Tigers out of the transfer portal.

The former five-star out of Venice, Florida, began his career at Georgia, signing with the Bulldogs as one of the top recruits in the class of 2023. His best season came in 2024, in which he totaled career-highs in tackles (22), tackles for loss (6), sacks (3) and forced fumbles (2) in 14 games.

Despite the opportunity to take on a key role with the Bulldogs as a junior, Wilson elected to enter the transfer portal in the winter before signing with Missouri as the No. 1 transfer EDGE.

It's not clear what head coach Eli Drinkiwitz and Co. are paying their new pass rusher, but Wilson holds a $989,000 On3 NIL valuation. And he has given $10,000 of his NIL earnings back to his hometown, according to Wilson via the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Wilson shared those funds to among his Pop Warner program and the Venice High School football team.

“NIL is not going anywhere,” he said. “It’s probably gonna be here forever. Just starting a cycle of athletes who come back and give back to their community and to their local Pop Warner or youth football team, because we were all kids at one point who played football. That’s just what we’re meant to do.”

Wilson helped Venice capture a state title as a sophomore and played for another as a junior. He knows that not every college athlete can afford to give large amounts of money back to their communties, but he encourages those who can to do so.

"Some people aren’t in the position to donate a large amount," Wilson said. "But if they are, I feel like a lot of people in college football are kind of trending towards that and trying to better their own communities. That’s one thing that a lot of college football teams talk about: giving back to your community instead of just taking, taking, taking, taking all the time.”

Wilson is slated to make his Missouri debut against Central Arkansas at home on Aug. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network).