Houston Cougars Signee Keisean Henderson Inks Massive NIL Deal
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The Houston Cougars scored one of the biggest recruiting wins not only in the entire 2026 recruiting class, but also the commitment and subsequent signature of a player made history by bringing in the highest-ranked recruit in program history.
The player in question is not a surprise, as five-star quarterback Keisean Henderson decided to stay home and sign with the Cougars despite having offers from some of the top programs in the country, like Alabama, LSU, and Oregon.
The Houston product ranked as the No. 1 overall player, top quarterback, and top player from the state of Texas in the 2026 recruiting cycle by 247Sports. Henderson recorded 3,741 passing yards and 44 touchdowns in his senior year and made things official when he signed with the Cougars back in December. And now the future Cougar signal caller is making noise in the NIL world.
Keisean Henderson Signs Exclusive Deal with Panini America
On Tuesday, Henderson inked an exclusive, multi-year partnership with Panini America, the company announced. The Cougars signee will be featured in Panini’s line of collegiate trading card products and will take part in Panini marketing activations.
Henderson joins a star-studded list of players who partner with Panini America, including Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin, and Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Keelon Russell, among others.
The Senior Vice President of Marketing and Athlete Relations at Panini America, Jason Howarth, commented on the partnership with Henderson, citing the excitement in being able to strike a deal and partner with the Houston signee.
“We are excited to welcome Keisean to the Panini America family, he is both a dynamic player on the field and it has been fun to get to know him off the field, we look forward to working with and supporting him as he transitions to the collegiate level at the University of Houston,” Howarth said. “We think fans will really enjoy the trading cards we have planned for Keisean.”
Henderson was also able to make a statement on his exclusive deal with Panini, also talking about his excitement to work with the major trading card company and to see the final product of his own trading card.
“Partnering with Panini is a great opportunity for me,” said Henderson. “Seeing what they’ve done in the NIL space and with other athletes is very exciting, and I can’t wait to see my first Panini trading cards.”
The five-star quarterback will join a Cougars quarterback room with returning starter Conner Weigman, who recorded 2,705 passing yards along with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2025, and incoming transfer, former Syracuse quarterback Luke Carney, who enters his second season of college football.
