Tahaad Pettiford Reveals Major NIL Announcement Amid Auburn’s Historic Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt De Lima | Last updated Mar 7, 2025 5:10 PM ET

Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford, one of the nation's top college basketball players, signed a NIL deal with Under Armour on Friday. The recent SLAM Magazine cover player joins several big-time sports athletes like Dwayne Johnson, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid and Jordan Spieth.

Pettiford, a freshman with the Tigers, is averaging 11.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.0 steals per game. No. 1 Auburn is 27-3 this season and will face Alabama on Saturday. At 15-2 in conference play, the Tigers lead the Southeastern Conference.

“I just feel like we have players that don’t get enough recognition,” Tahaad said in his interview with SLAM.

“We have players that without them, we wouldn’t be in the position that we are now. If they didn’t come here, we might not be No. 1 because of what they do for us. I just feel like their time is going to come, and when it comes, I feel like they’re going to be ready.”

Pettiford, a former four-star recruit, committed to the Tigers over offers from Seton Hall, St. John's, Rutgers, UConn and more. The nation's No. 31 recruit in 2024, Pettiford, was joined by forward Jahki Howard, giving Auburn the 15th-ranked class.

Auburn is projected to be the top overall seed, according to Joe Lunardi Men's Bracketology.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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