Camden High’s D.J. Wagner, the nation’s No. 1 recruit, signs NIL deal with Nike
Wagner was one of five student-athletes to ink NIL deals with Nike on Monday. The senior point guard is expected to play his college ball at the University of Kentucky.
Camden High School senior D.J. Wagner is among five student-athletes to sign NIL deals with Nike Basketball, according to a Monday press release by the company.
Wagner, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound guard is currently the No. 1 ranked recruit in the nation, according to ESPN. Wagner is also the son of former NBA lottery pick Dajuan Wagner and the grandson of former NBA champion Milt Wagner.
The youngest Wagner, who led Camden to the New Jersey Group 2 state championship last season as a junior, is expected to choose between the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville for college. Kentucky, a Nike school, is coached by John Calipari, who coached Dajuan at the University of Memphis in 2002. Meanwhile, Milt was hired by Louisville, an Adidas school, as director of player development and alumni relations back in May.
Signing a NIL deal with Nike would seem to indicate Wagner is Lexington bound. Wagner and Camden teammate Aaron Bradshaw, a five-star center recruit, are due to attend Kentucky’s Big Blue Madness event on Oct 14, according to a report from Travis Branham of 247Sports.
» READ MORE: ‘A rare talent’: 24 hours in Louisville with Camden’s D.J. Wagner, the nation’s No. 1 recruit
“I’ve seen the impact this game — and the people who play it — can have on the community, and I’m looking forward to taking it to the next level with Nike in Camden and beyond,” Wagner said in the Nike release.
Wagner was joined by fellow high schoolers JuJu Watkins, a senior guard from Los Angeles, and Bronny James, the oldest son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. Two women’s college basketball players, University of Iowa junior guard Caitlin Clark and Stanford senior guard Haley Jones also signed with Nike Basketball.