Oklahoma Sooners' budding star shows the good side of NIL after incredible humanitarian effort for Oklahoma City community

While the results haven't quite been there on the football field for the Oklahoma Sooners, they have repeatedly aced every question off the field ever since Brent Venables took over in 2022. Venables prides himself on developing players as people and building a culture that is bigger than football.  Last season, Danny Stutsman made waves […]

AJ Schulte — College Football Trending News Writer
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Ryan Fodje (70) and Daniel Akinkunmi (75) runs drills during an Oklahoma (OU) football practice at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
Ryan Fodje (70) and Daniel Akinkunmi (75) runs drills during an Oklahoma (OU) football practice at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While the results haven't quite been there on the football field for the Oklahoma Sooners, they have repeatedly aced every question off the field ever since Brent Venables took over in 2022. Venables prides himself on developing players as people and building a culture that is bigger than football. 

Last season, Danny Stutsman made waves with an incredible NIL gesture of his own, donating his payments to the walk-ons on the roster to help them continue their dreams of playing football. 

This year, another pair of Sooners are thinking bigger with their NIL deal. Offensive lineman Daniel Akinkunmi, a redshirt freshman, and basketball star Jeremiah Fears have combined to create an NIL deal with Canes to help benefit the Oklahoma City community. 

In his announcement, Akinkunmi said their NIL deal with Canes will "help provide food, clothing, and essential resources to those in need." 

We focus so much on the negatives of NIL and the downsides of players "competing for paychecks" without seeing the positives of what it can be. Akinkunmi and Fears' latest deal serves as a reminder of what these deals can do, not just for players but for entire communities as well. It's remarkable to see the power of what determined community service can do. 

Akinkunmi was a three-star recruit in the Sooners' class of 2024, coming over from the United Kingdom to play football for Oklahoma. He redshirted last season and played just eight snaps in the Sooners' victory over Maine in Week 10. However, he remains in contention for one of the starting guard spots for Oklahoma in 2025. 

Jeremiah Fears, meanwhile, is one of the top prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft, with many mocking Fears in the top five of the upcoming NBA Draft. 

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