Premier 2025 quarterback prospect Tavien St. Clair is set to sign with the Ohio State Buckeyes when the Early Signing Period begins on Wednesday. Prior to putting pen to paper on his collegiate future, the Bellefontaine product inked his first NIL deal, partnering with playing card giant Panini America.
Ohio State Commit Tavien St. Clair Signs First NIL Deal With Panini America
On Tuesday, St. Clair joined an exclusive group of college football players who have inked NIL deals with Panini America. With his high school career at Bellefontaine complete, the five-star quarterback is free to start capitalizing on his Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), after competing in a state where high school student-athletes are forbidden from entering into such deals.
The future of the game is #RatedProspect.
Proud to welcome 5-Star QB @TJSaint_1 to the Panini Exclusive Family.#WhoDoYouCollect pic.twitter.com/PoEg39CfbA
— Panini America (@PaniniAmerica) December 3, 2024
St. Clair, an Ohio native who will join the Buckeyes officially on Wednesday, has signed a multi-year autograph trading card agreement. While trading cards have been a popular entrance into the NIL arena, only a handful of players have contracts with Panini America. the deal will also include “marketing activations” and memorabilia products.
In addition to the obvious financial benefits associated with deals such as St. Clair’s with Panini, the NIL era has allowed players to create a more personal relationship with the fans they entertain on fall Saturdays, something that excites one of the top prospects in the 2025 college football recruiting class.
“As I enter the next phase of my football life, I’m excited to partner with a leader in the trading card space like Panini,” St. Clair said through the official media release announcing the new deal. “Growing up you dream of having your own Panini trading card – to actually have that happening and use it as another way to be connected with Ohio State fans is incredible.”
Panini America currently has exclusive contracts with some of the top quarterbacks in college football.
Current Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, Alabama Crimson Tide standout Jalen Milroe, Texas Longhorns duo Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, Nebraska Cornhuskers true freshman Dylan Railoa, Zachariah Branch, and Vernell Brown III round out the trading card company’s roster of collegiate talent.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
While St. Clair joins those esteemed names as a Panini partner, he’s set to establish himself amongst them on the field.
The Bellefontaine passer ranks in the top five quarterbacks amongst every major recruiting site, with Rivals establishing the Ohio State commit as the number one ranked quarterback in the class.
College Football Network placed St. Clair as the sixth-ranked quarterback in our recent 2025 recruiting class QB rankings, with recruiting analyst Will Helms offering the following evaluation of his current skill set and collegiate prospects:
“Tavien St. Clair has the highest upside of any quarterback in the class, but I have a few concerns about his ability to find immediate success. Bellefontaine is hardly a football power, and there will be a considerable learning curve moving from a school with less than 650 students to Ohio State.”
“St. Clair has elite arm talent and good athleticism,” Helms added. “But, he often wins on film by being bigger and stronger than everyone around him. He’ll need to learn a bit more finesse, and for that reason, I don’t have him as a guy who should make an early impact. With some development, however, St. Clair could be a future superstar.”
College Football Network has you covered with the latest from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and every Group of Five conference and FBS Independent program.