College athletes all over are cashing in on NIL deals, and Clemson star quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei is making history with his new Dr Pepper partnership. Thanks to this deal, Uiagalelei will become the first college athlete with a national TV ad when his Fansville spots air.

The Clemson star spoke to ESPN about the deal:

“For me, NIL has been a great opportunity to be able to work with brands, to be able to do stuff like this,” Uiagalelei said in an interview with ESPN.com. “If I was playing college football five years ago, I wouldn't be able to do this. It's a great opportunity for people now to be able to build off their brand, make money and work on different partnerships like Dr Pepper. I'm super excited about it.”

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Uiagalelei said Dr Pepper approached him about the partnership. He said yes because he likes the drink, the Fansville campaign and he wants to work with brands that are “authentic” to him. The Clemson quarterback filmed multiple commercials in a hotel in South Carolina, with the first one hitting the air on Aug. 23. He enjoyed the experience and felt like a “real actor.”

Uiagalelei has some big shoes to fill at Clemson with Trevor Lawrence off to the NFL. Of course, the young quarterback already showed off his immense talent while filling in for Lawrence for two games last season as a freshman. In starts against Boston College and Notre Dame, the young star threw for 781 yards and four touchdowns with zero interceptions. He also rushed for a pair of scores.

Uiagalelei is a hulking figure at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, and he's poised to be one of the best players in the country and a Heisman Trophy candidate. In addition to this Dr Pepper deal, he also has an NIL deal with Bojangles.