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When Jamier Brown committed to Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes back in November 2024, hardly did he expect to get entangled in so much drama. Brown is one of the best players in the entire country. So, isn’t it obvious that he would try to cash in on that opportunity? That’s when the NIL factor comes into play. But this led Brown to face serious objections from Ohio State. That’s because Day’s program is one of the six states that restricts its high school players from earning money through the NIL. But Brown was desperate to explore the NIL field and filed a lawsuit. And here came the latest update. On October 21, Pete Thamel tweeted, “Update: Jamier Brown won a Temporary Restraining Order yesterday for both he and high school athletes in the 818 schools in Ohio to benefit their NIL. Also, Brown signed a trading card deal with Leaf today. OHSAA will hold emergency vote on the issue soon.” So, indeed a good news for Brown. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad The original tweet was from October 14, as Thamel wrote, “NEWS: Jamier Brown, the country’s No. 2 prospect in Class of ’27, is the centerpiece of a lawsuit filed in Ohio seeking injunctive relief to be able to benefit from his NIL while in high school. Ohio is one of six states that prohibit high school NIL.” His fight to allow high school athletes in Ohio to profit from NIL has been approved for now. As per the reports, a Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge, Jaiza Page, issued a temporary restraining order ruling in favor of Brown. The OSU commit sued the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) last week. According to his attorney Luke Fedlam, Brown’s case hits all the marks for a TRO—success probable, irreparable damage looming, potential harm to others, and the public interest at stake. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad “The court does find that granting this will allow for expanded opportunities for high school students and youth across the state of Ohio, and there are benefits in that,” Page said. Fighting this case so far, Brown has already been running late. He has missed out on opportunities worth $100,000. After getting the green signal from the court, Brown did not have to wait for long as he signed a deal with Leaf, the trading cards giant. In the wake of the 45-day TRO, OHSAA executive director Doug Ute revealed an emergency NIL vote for schools, with dates to be set when the Board convenes October 23-one vote per school, cast by the principal. Meanwhile, not to forget, Brown’s fight is not just for himself. Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports The reason behind Jamier Brown’s desperation to win the lawsuit As per MaxPreps, Brown is ranked in the top 3 in Greater Western Ohio for 1 stat. So far this season, the 6’0” Wayne Varsity star has racked up 61 yards, 4 receptions, and 30.5 receiving yards per game in the two games he has played. He is a five-star recruit who might be the next great Ohio State receiver once he gets to campus. So, Brown is likely to become the NIL magnet. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad However, the struggle is not only for him, as even his family is not spared. As Brown’s attorney pointed out, “I think Jamier’s family is similar to a lot of families that recognize that there are significant opportunities to elevate their name, image and likeness. He’d be able to help his family while still focusing on school and competing and playing sports in high school at the highest level.” Most of the high school athletes do not come from privileged backgrounds. So, it often gets difficult for them to pursue their football passions. We have seen Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar going through the same struggle. While Brown has fought the NIL battle, when Aguilar was playing at Freedom High School, spending $100 per week on long train rides felt heavy on Joey’s pockets. So, he even considered going to firefighter school. But his dad, Jose, made a sacrifice of going broke to ensure that Aguilar continues with his football dreams.
