Arkansas freshman Darius Acuff signs historic Reebok signature shoe deal
Arkansas freshman Darius Acuff Jr has become the first NCAA men’s athlete to secure a signature shoe deal with a major US brand after signing with Reebok.
The 19-year-old guard agreed to the unprecedented contract amid a spectacular debut season that has propelled his team to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Jide Osifeso, head of basketball at Reebok, confirmed the landmark agreement to ESPN.
It marks the manufacturer’s first signature shoe for a men’s basketball player since former NBA All-Star John Wall.
Record-breaking freshman campaign
The highly coveted prospect recently swept the board in regional honours, being named SEC Player of the Year after an extraordinary regular season.
He etched his name into the collegiate history books by becoming the first player to lead the Southeastern Conference in both points and assists per game since the legendary Pete Maravich in the 1969-70 season.
Those phenomenal individual performances translated directly to team success, with the Razorbacks capturing the SEC Tournament title earlier this month.
Given his unprecedented collegiate production, draft analysts currently project the dynamic playmaker to be selected eighth overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.
March Madness heroics
The teenage sensation has carried his formidable form onto the national stage, amassing 60 points across his first two postseason appearances.
That exceptional scoring tally surpassed Kentucky great Pat Riley’s previous SEC record of 58 points for a player’s first two career NCAA tournament matches.
Furthermore, the rising star became only the second player in half a century to average 30 points and five assists over their opening two tournament fixtures, matching Billy Donovan’s achievement.
He also joins Chris Paul as the only freshmen since 1973 to begin their NCAA tournament careers with consecutive games of at least 20 points and five assists.