How NETWORK Found Its Lane in NIL Before Anyone Else

As NIL reshapes athlete representation, NETWORK built its edge early—targeting high school talent, guiding the transition to college, and creating a pipeline that now includes some of the top football prospects in the country.

NETWORK client and Miami Hurricane star, Malachi Toney at his Youth football camp over the weekend | Alshine Mondesir II, Instagram: @time2shinefilms

The NIL era has created opportunity.

It’s also created confusion.

For every athlete capitalizing on their value, there are others navigating a system filled with unclear guidance, short-term deals, and, in many cases, giving up significant percentages of their earnings before they fully understand the business.

That’s the environment CEO and founder Justin J. Giangrande saw forming early.

Before launching NETWORK, Giangrande helped build and operate a sports marketing business alongside Gary and AJ Vaynerchuk, overseeing operations and brand partnerships under the VaynerMedia umbrella. That experience — sitting at the intersection of athletes, culture, and distribution — gave him a different lens on what athlete marketing could become.

But the real inflection point came in 2021.

At a time when NIL rules were still fragmented (and largely nonexistent at the high school level) Giangrande began building relationships with elite prospects like Bryce Young and Malachi Nelson, while studying one of the few states where high school NIL was permitted: California.

Soon after, he signed Nelson — becoming one of the first to represent a high school athlete in the NIL era.

That decision didn’t just give NETWORK an early win. It created a little separation in an untapped market.

“If you can be the best sports marketing company at the college level, you can create a new lane by owning the transition from high school to college,” Giangrande said. “That’s where the education happens. That’s where the relationships are built.”

From Individual Talent to a National Pipeline

While many agencies chased established college stars — where the money was immediate — NETWORK built its model earlier, targeting the most uncertain (and often most mismanaged) phase of an athlete’s career.

That early bet has since scaled into one of the most quietly loaded rosters in NIL.

NETWORK now represents 42 athletes nationwide, spanning high school, college, and emerging professional talent — with a footprint across key recruiting pipelines like California, Florida, Georgia, and Texas.

At quarterback alone, the agency has represented three consecutive National High School Quarterbacks of the Year — Malachi Nelson, DJ Lagway, and Julian Lewis.

But the depth goes beyond a few headline names. Alongside representing Michael Vick and many other big names in the football amd basketball space.

The client list spans blue-chip recruits and impact college players across the country, including Ethan Feaster, Davi Belfort, Travis Smith Jr., Caleb Odom, Deuce Geralds, Devin Carter, Aaron Chiles, Ryan Pellum, Shemar James, and CJ Cypher — along with rising prospects like DJ Jacobs, George Lamons, Jamir Lee, and Kweli Fielder.

DJ Jacobs is currently the No. 1 rated player in the 2027 class per 247sports and currently committed to Ohio State.

On the women’s side, athletes like Alexis Ewing, Rachel Glenn, Kennedi Owens, and Harmoni Turner signal a broader approach.

Instead of chasing one-off stars, NETWORK has built something closer to a pipeline — one that captures athletes before the market fully understands their value.

Built Different: Boutique Over Volume

That positioning also comes with restraint.

In a market where some representation groups scale quickly by taking on as many athletes as possible — often stretching resources thin — NETWORK has leaned into a more controlled model.

Each athlete is assigned dedicated support, with a focus on daily development — from social growth to brand positioning — not just deal flow.

“We treat every athlete like they’re our No. 1 client,” Giangrande said.

That structure is backed by a team of 18 staff members across the country, built to guide athletes through the most volatile transition in their careers — when their value is rising fastest, but their understanding of the business often isn’t.

Thinking Like an Entertainment Company

Giangrande doesn’t view NETWORK as a traditional sports agency.

He points to top entertainment agents and industry leaders as inspiration — building businesses around talent, not just negotiating on their behalf.

That mindset showed up early through brand and culture partnerships, including work with artists like Quavo and Lil Yachty, where athlete marketing intersected directly with mainstream audiences.

The same philosophy now drives how NETWORK approaches NIL. Not just maximizing deals, but truly caring about the personal development and growth of each client they work with.

Why This Model Is Starting to Matter

NIL isn’t just creating opportunity.

It’s exposing gaps in education, in representation, and in long-term planning.

And the athletes who navigate it best aren’t always the ones with the biggest offers.

They’re the ones with the clearest strategy.

From early identification to long-term development, NETWORK isn’t just competing for talent.

It’s competing for timing entering the process earlier, when decisions matter more and information is limited. Continue to expect to see NETWORK as one of the mainstays in this space. It is refreshing to see such an athlete-first model in a space where many put the needs of the firm/individual first.