Baton Rouge, LA – A significant milestone has been reached in high school football as Elijah Haven, the starting quarterback for The Dunham School, has officially signed a groundbreaking Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal with the Matt Bowers Auto Group based in New Orleans. Haven, who is currently a sophomore and the top-ranked player in the 2027 recruiting class according to 247Sports, has made headlines as he continues to showcase his remarkable talent on the field.
The announcement of this “first of its kind” NIL deal was shared on social media during a recent episode of The Jordy Culotta Show, raising eyebrows in the sports community. Just over a month ago, Haven led his team to the state championship game, marking a thrilling end to a successful season for The Dunham School.
While the Matt Bowers Auto Group has ties to the Ole Miss program, Bowers himself emphasized that this agreement does not indicate any pressure related to Haven’s future college decisions. “I don’t know where he wants to go to college. He’s in the 10th Grade !! I will ask him. This is a local thing to promote his accomplishments,” Bowers stated, highlighting that the main focus is on supporting the young athlete rather than steering him towards any specific school.
This deal comes at an important time for the landscape of college football recruiting, especially for local programs like LSU. With the recent challenges faced in securing top recruits, the LSU program will need to adapt and remain competitive in this rapidly evolving NIL environment if they hope to keep prospects like Haven close to home.
As Haven continues to develop and showcase his skills, all eyes will be on him to see how this partnership impacts his high school career and future athletic endeavors.
