Ole Miss defensive lineman Will Echoles proved he can be one of the most disruptive players in college football last season. This season, the goal is to be even more disruptive and solidify his spot as one of the best defensive linemen in the country.
Now he has the kind of NIL deal that matches it. On Monday, On3 NIL announced a new partnership with SeatGeek, and Echoles is part of the latest roster of brand ambassadors.
It is a national group, the kind SeatGeek has leaned into for three years now, and Echoles fits right in with the names around him. Alabama corner Dijon Lee, LSU corner PJ Woodland, Texas edge Colton Vasek and Georgia defensive lineman Elijah Griffin are all part of the campaign.
Echoles is now in that same tier, which says plenty about how he is viewed across the sport.
SeatGeek’s college sponsorship lead Joey Goodrich told On3 that the company has found a formula that works.
“Three years in, this has become one of the most reliable, and most measurable, ways we drive ticket sales for our school partners,” Goodrich said.
The setup is simple. Athletes promote custom discount codes on social media, and fans get ten percent off tickets, up to $25. Learfield and Playfly helped organize the agreements and will manage the relationships. It is a straightforward deal, but it is also another sign of Echoles’ rise.
Goodrich said the company has learned how to pick the right athletes for these campaigns.
“NIL gives us a way to work directly with athletes, and fans are far more likely to act on a recommendation from a player they watch every Saturday. Each season we learn more about which athletes and which formats actually move tickets, and we build the next year around that.”
Echoles fits the profile. In 2025, he was a one man wrecking crew. He finished with 68 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, six pass breakups and five sacks. He was Sugar Bowl Defensive MVP. He is now a Preseason All American. And because he stayed in Oxford, he is one of the top names in the 2027 NFL Draft conversation.
This deal only reinforces that. NIL has created plenty of noise, but the players who consistently land national partnerships tend to be the ones who matter most on Saturdays. Echoles is one of them. He has the production, the reputation and the staying power.
SeatGeek sees him as someone fans listen to. Ole Miss sees him as a cornerstone of its defense. The NFL sees him as a future early pick.
And now the NIL world sees him the same way.
