Leaf Trading Cards is spending dollars on NIL again, this time investing in a batch of college football players.
The trading card company has gone all-in on top high school football prospects in recent months. Now Leaf how inked NIL deals with UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers, West Virginia running back CJ Donaldson and Oregon wide receiver Traeshon Holden. The trio of players are represented by Front Runner Sports.
Garbers returns to Westwood as the presumed starting quarterback for UCLA entering the 2024 season. He played in 11 games with six starts last season, throwing for 1,136 yards and 11 touchdowns while touting a 67% completion percentage. New head coach DeShaun Foster did not add another quarterback after losing Collin Schlee to the transfer portal. Garbers has opted-in to EA Sports College Football 25 and recently promoted the game.
An All-Big 12 Conference Honorable Mention selection in 2023, Donaldson finished his sophomore season at West Virginia with 798 rushing yards, enough to finish second on the team. He also racked up 11 rushing touchdowns and added nine catches for 59 yards.
Former Alabama transfer Traeshon Holden finished his first season at Oregon with a career-best 452 receiving yards on 37 catches along with six touchdowns. He also added a score on the ground and will be one of quarterback Dillon Gabriel’s top targets in the Ducks’ offense this fall. Holden has a major social media following with more than 100,000 followers.
Leaf has worked with a number of high-profile athletes in the last 35 months, signing deals with Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleavaand USC Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams. The trading card company has also signed major partnerships with LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne and UConn basketball star Paige Bueckers.
Trading cards have become a popular activation for college athletes, now trickling down to high school sports. Leaf’s recent high school signings include USC quarterback commit Julian Lewis, Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, Tennessee quarterback commit George MacIntyre and 2027 quarterback Peyton Houston.
Ethan Garbers, CJ Donaldson and Traeshon Holden are the three latest college football players to enter partnerships with Leaf Trading Cards.
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