Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is the next big thing in college football. The young sensation stood out as a freshman last season, delivering some big performances in key playoff games. Now, he’s been rewarded with an NIL deal from Adidas. That move led some Nike fans (and even former athletes) to speak out about the brand’s lack of football representation in recent years.
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To say Smith lived up to expectations during his freshman season would be an understatement. The 5-star recruit out of high school racked up 1,315 receiving yards on 76 receptions for 15 touchdowns. It was an unreal display from the wideout. Smith regularly created space off the line and made defenders look foolish as they tried to guard him.
That’s why Adidas is jumping on the prospect and signing him to an NIL deal. Here’s what Smith had to say about the partnership in a recent press release.
“It’s crazy to be partnering with a brand that has such a talented roster of players and that I’ve been wearing since I was a young kid. We’re not done yet,” stated the 19-year-old.
Adidas does indeed have an impressive lineup of athletes partnered with the brand. Especially recently, they’ve managed to secure some of the most popular NFL players in the sport. Players like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Trevor Lawrence, to name a few. Now, Smith, a future NFLer, joins the lineup.
That’s why Dez Bryant, a former partner with Nike and Jordan, took to social media to question how his brand fumbled so badly.
“Nike about to lose all credibility. How did they lose Jeremiah Smith to adidas?” Bryant questioned.
Nike about to lose all credibility How did they lose Jeremiah Smith to adidas?
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) July 2, 2025
It’s a good question to ask. In recent years, the Nike swoosh has actually lost its cultural credibility. A logo and company that was once viewed as the global intersection of sports culture has declined in cultural impact. It’s all due to a multitude of reasons like restriction of supply, lack of innovation, and worsening economic conditions.
When fans saw Bryant’s comment on Smith, they reacted in agreement that the footwear brand has lost its credibility. “Nike lost credibility a long time ago,” one wrote.
“Bro, I’m sitting here wondering the same damn thing, Adidas dropping bags but Nike can match,” another commented.
Others took the time to educate on why Adidas is having such a resurgence compared to Nike recently.
“Adidas is the future of shoes man. Majority of Nikes most known athletes are on the verge of retiring, while Adidas is investing in young players. Basketball shoes are a prime example of this,” someone professed.
“The same way they lost every other Ohio St WR to them! They’re being outbid by Adidas because Nike believes you should take a discount to rep their brand as a privilege …. Doesn’t make sense smh,” another chimed in.
Adidas is the future of shoes man. Majority of Nikes most known athletes are on the verge of retiring, while adidas is investing in young players. Basketball shoes are a prime example of this.
— Bryson Akins (@BrysonAkins) July 2, 2025
Nike has never had a large market of NFL athletes attached to the brand. Aaron Donald, Odell Beckham Jr, and Russell Wilson are their most popular athletes in recent years. All are either older or retired.
Furthermore, Nike’s market share has been going down while Adidas’ has been going up. According to Reuters, Nike’s market share went from 15.2% to 14.1% from 2023 to 2024. Meanwhile, Adidas during that same span has seen an increase from 8.2% to 8.9%.
All in all, it might be surprising on the surface to see Smith join the three stripes instead of Nike. But economic trends and recent NFL player choices suggest we should’ve seen it coming. Bryant may have a point about Nike losing credibility, because it seems they already have in recent years.
