Adidas adds seven recruits to its 2026 adizero 7 class

Adidas is making another aggressive push into high school name, image and likeness, and South Florida is right in the middle of it. The brand announced its 2026 adizero 7 class on Friday, signing seven of the country's top high school football recruits to NIL deals, according to On3. Two of the seven come straight out of the BallerTube backyard, which makes this one worth a closer look for local fans.

South Florida lands two of the seven

The headline for this market is A'mir Sears, a five star cornerback in the Class of 2028 from Pembroke Pines who plays at Columbus. Sears is one of the highest profile names in the group and a player national recruiting analysts have tracked for a while. He remains uncommitted, which only raises his profile as one of the most coveted defensive backs in his class, and now he carries a national brand deal before he has even picked a college.

He is joined by Nick Lennear, a five star wide receiver in the Class of 2027 from Miami Carol City who is committed to the Miami Hurricanes. Lennear staying home to play for the Canes was already a notable storyline in South Florida recruiting, and the adidas deal adds another layer to a profile that keeps climbing. Two local athletes on a national brand's flagship roster is a real marker of how deep the talent runs in this region.

Who else made the adizero 7 class

The class is loaded beyond the local pair. David Jacobs, a five star plus EDGE from Roswell, Georgia who plays at Blessed Trinity Catholic and is committed to Ohio State, is the highest rated player of the group and ranks among the top overall prospects in the country. Trae Taylor, a quarterback committed to Nebraska in the Class of 2027, rounds out the headliners and carries the highest On3 NIL valuation in the class at 703,000 dollars, a figure that places him near the top of the high school football NIL rankings.

The rest of the group fills out a deep class. Jamier Brown, a wide receiver in the 2027 cycle committed to Ohio State, is part of the group, as is Braylon Clark, who ranks among the top prospects in his class according to On3. Honor Faalave-Johnson completes the seven. On3 reports that the class features five of the top 44 players in the 2027 cycle, underscoring how selective adidas was in building this roster.

What the adizero 7 program is

The adizero 7 class is adidas's flagship high school football NIL roster, a program the brand has used in recent years to plant its flag early with the sport's best young players. The strategy ties into the broader grassroots football scene, including seven on seven competition, and it sits alongside the brand's deep bench of professional partners. Adidas has steadily expanded its high school NIL classes cycle over cycle, signaling a long-term bet that locking in relationships with athletes during their prep years pays off as those players move on to college and the pros.

Why On3 NIL valuations matter here

For readers new to the term, an On3 NIL valuation is an estimate of an athlete's annual name, image and likeness worth based on a mix of performance, audience and market factors. It is not a contract figure, but it is a useful snapshot of where a player sits in the NIL market. Taylor's 703,000 dollar valuation leading this class shows how much earning power top quarterbacks command, even before signing day, and it helps explain why brands like adidas are racing to sign prospects this early.

The South Florida pipeline keeps producing

For BallerTube's core audience, the takeaway is simple and local. Columbus and Carol City are two of the most productive football programs in the state, and both just put a player on a national brand's premier NIL roster. Early brand deals like these change the calculus for the region's best athletes, giving them national platforms, real income and a head start on building a personal brand before they ever set foot on a college campus.

What comes next

The members of the adizero 7 class will represent adidas through their upcoming high school seasons and recruiting cycles. For the committed players, the deals add fuel to storylines already in motion at Ohio State, Miami, and Nebraska. For an uncommitted star like Sears, the spotlight only grows as his recruitment heads toward a decision. BallerTube will keep tracking both South Florida signees as their seasons and their recruitments play out.