Darius Acuff Jr. is putting up numbers in March that usually come with a plane ticket to the next round and a meeting with every NBA decision maker in the building. Now he has something college stars almost never get before they turn pro: a signature shoe.
Acuff, the 19 year old Arkansas freshman and reigning SEC Player of the Year, has landed a signature shoe with Reebok, becoming the first NCAA men’s athlete to receive a signature shoe from a major U.S. brand while still in college, according to Reebok head of basketball Jide Osifeso.
For Reebok, the deal is also a throwback milestone. Acuff is the first men’s basketball player to have a signature shoe with the brand since John Wall.
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The timing lines up with the version of Acuff the sport has been watching all month. He has scored 60 points in Arkansas’ first two NCAA tournament games, leading the Razorbacks into the Sweet 16. In the process, he passed Kentucky’s Pat Riley for the most points by an SEC player in his first two career NCAA tournament games within a single year.
His early tournament stat line has also put him in rare historical company. Acuff is the second player in the past 50 years to average 30 points and five assists per game in his first two NCAA tournament games, joining Billy Donovan. He is also the second freshman since freshmen became eligible in 1973 to begin his NCAA tournament career with consecutive games of at least 20 points and five assists, joining Chris Paul in 2004.
The shoe news adds another layer to an already loaded resume. Acuff led the SEC in both points and assists per game this season, the first player to do that since Pete Maravich in 1969 to 70. Arkansas also won the SEC tournament this month.
On the NBA side, Acuff is already viewed as a top tier 2026 draft prospect, ranked No. 8 on one major big board for that class. That matters because signature shoes are usually reserved for pros with years of league visibility, not freshmen trying to finish midterms between practice and film sessions.
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Reebok has been more active lately in building a basketball roster again, but the Acuff deal still stands out because of the timing. Elite prospects commonly sign endorsement agreements before the draft. A signature model, while still playing college ball, is the uncommon part.
There’s also a recent reference point in the endorsement world. In August 2024, Cooper Flagg signed an endorsement deal with New Balance as a 17 year old high school senior, then became the No. 1 pick of the Dallas Mavericks the following summer. Deals like that are now normal for top prospects. A signature shoe for an active college player has not been.
Acuff and Arkansas are not exactly in a quiet stretch of the calendar, either. The Razorbacks are headed to the Sweet 16, where the spotlight only gets harsher and the competition only gets older and bigger. The on court job remains the same: keep Arkansas moving. But the off court headline is already set. Acuff is now a college star with a signature shoe on the way, and a brand has attached its next basketball statement to a player who is still playing meaningful games in March.
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