Rap mogul Lil Wayne got into the NFL player representation business a little more than a year ago, and now his firm, Young Money APAA, could represent the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft — Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
Young Money APAA agents Nicole Lynn and Andy Simms are representing Williams, the winner of last year’s Outland Trophy, given to the best college interior lineman.
Lil Wayne’s Young Money APAA has signed Alabama’s Quinnen Williams (below), projected by some as the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.getty images
NFL Draft Scout senior analyst Rob Rang has him ranked No. 1 on his mock draft.
“Simply put, Quinnen Williams was the most dominant player in college football in 2018, evoking memories of former No. 2 overall pick Ndamukong Suh with his unrivaled combination of quickness and power,” Rang said. “As just a redshirt sophomore, the expectation is that Williams is just scratching the surface of his potential.”
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Young Money has also signed Georgia outside linebacker D’Andre Walker, Georgia wide receiver Mecole Hardman, North Carolina State wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, Texas linebacker Gary Johnson, South Carolina offensive tackle Dennis Daley and Akron defensive end/outside linebacker Jamal Davis.
Agents Cody Recchion, Wesley Spencer, Ken Sarnoff, Simms and Lynn are representing the players.
■ REP 1 SIGNS TOP PROSPECTS: Rep 1 Sports Group has signed a number of top prospects for this year’s NFL draft, including Alabama left tackle Jonah Williams and Stanford wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside.
“Jonah is a franchise left tackle from the moment he is drafted — as technically advanced and mentally tough as any draft has produced — and he’s only 21,” said Ryan Tollner, who is representing Williams with Chase Callahan.
“For the team that drafts him, he will elevate the entire O-line for a decade plus, which should put him in consideration for the first pick in the draft.”
NFL Draft Scout editor Ric Serritella has Williams ranked No. 3 and Rang has him ranked No. 9 on their mock drafts last week.
Rang said last week that Williams, a 6-foot-5, 301-pound junior who started at right tackle as a freshman before moving to left tackle, is the best offensive lineman in this year’s draft. “While perhaps an inch or two shorter than preferred, Williams’ quickness, balance and core strength are top notch and he is as proven as it gets, starting the past three seasons.”
Arcega-Whiteside is also an early entry in this year’s draft and comes from an athletic family — both his father, Joaquin Arcega, and his mother, Valorie Whiteside, were professional basketball players in Spain. Born in Spain, Arcega-Whiteside majored in international relations at Stanford and was an intern for former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
On the field, Tollner says, Arcega-Whiteside is “a big, physical receiver with speed and exceptional productivity at Stanford.” Arcega-Whiteside scored 14 touchdowns for the Cardinal in 2018 and is seen as a potential late first-round pick.
Rep 1 has also signed two tight ends who are early NFL draft entrants and could go in the second round — Dawson Knox from Ole Miss and Kahale Warring from San Diego State.
Additionally, Rep 1 has signed several players who have accepted invitations to the Senior Bowl, including Washington State offensive tackle Andre Dillard, Utah linebacker Chase Hansen, Alabama center Ross Pierschbacher, Stanford linebacker Bobby Okereke and Utah punter Mitch Wishnowsky.
Rep 1 represents several NFL quarterbacks, including Carson Wentz of the Eagles and Jared Goff of the Rams, and signed another quarterback from Wentz’s alma mater, Easton Stick of North Dakota State. Additionally, Rep 1 has signed Washington cornerback Jordan Miller.
Tollner and Callahan are representing the players.
■ EXCEL SNAGS SWEDISH GOLFER NOREN: Excel Sports Management has signed Swedish golfer Alex Norén, a member of the victorious 2018 Ryder Cup team and a winner of 10 European Tour events. Excel golf agent Lance Young will represent him. He formerly was represented by IMG.
Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.
