%20(1)_edited.png)
Abstract
My Capstone Project examines how the top three NIL-earning athletes at the University of Alabama employ visual rhetoric on social media to negotiate identity, amateurism, and professionalism. While there has been existing research that has explored branding and self-presentation in collegiate sports, little attention has been given to how elite athletes’ visual texts function rhetorically to construct their identity and interpret shifting legal boundaries in the NIL era. Using a rhetorical analysis situated within an interpretive paradigm and guided by Social Identity Theory, this project analyzes athletes’ social media posts to identify patterns of self-concept, group affiliation, and ongoing identity negotiation. By coding visual and textual elements and comparing across athletes, the project expects to show that NIL success is tied to rhetorical strategies that blend team identity, personal branding, and professional aesthetics, revealing how athletes both reinforce and destabilize what has been considered to be the traditional category of “student-athlete.”
Project Question
In what ways do the top three NIL-earning athletes at the University of Alabama employ visual rhetoric in their self-presentations, and how can rhetorical criticism show how these texts construct identity and interpret the legal boundary between amateurism and professionalism?
Purpose
This project examines how the top three NIL-earning athletes at the University of Alabama use visual self-presentations on social media to negotiate identity, amateurism, and professionalism. Grounded in the interpretivist paradigm, it approaches these self-presentations as subjective expressions rather than measurable outcomes. By applying Social Identity Theory, the project explores how these elite athletes balance their roles as students, team members, and public figures while responding to the legal, cultural, and market pressures that shape their public personas in the NIL era.
Significance and Justification
This project is significant because it examines a unique and highly visible population whose public self-presentations have not been systematically analyzed, providing a new lens on how elite athletes negotiate identity in the NIL era. By focusing on their visual social media content, the project reveals how legal frameworks, cultural expectations, and market pressures shape athlete behavior and identity construction. These insights have broader implications for understanding the evolving boundaries between amateurism and professionalism, guiding institutions, policymakers, and the public in promoting fairness, equity, and well-being within collegiate sports and the communities that engage with them.
Methods and Procedures
This project used visual rhetorical criticism to analyze a purposeful sample of social media posts from the top three NIL-earning athletes at the University of Alabama: Ryan Williams, Ty Simpson, and Keelon Russell. Posts were collected from Instagram, TikTok, and X/Twitter and included brand ambassador content, game and practice photos, award announcements, and promotional captions, all documented as visual and textual artifacts.
Each post was coded for rhetorical appeals such as ethos, pathos, and logos as well as components of Social Identity Theory such as self-concept, role salience, and social comparison. This coding process focused on how images, layouts, symbols, and text worked together to construct identity, signal group membership, and negotiate the boundary between amateurism and professionalism.
After coding, the data was organized into themes to identify patterns in how these athletes balance personal branding with team affiliation and use visual rhetoric to reinforce credibility and appeal to audiences.
Finally, comparisons across Williams, Simpson, and Russell highlighted both shared and distinct strategies for identity construction and audience engagement within the NIL environment.
Data
In analyzing these posts, I noticed that each athlete presents a dual self: the student-athlete and the brand representative. Williams’s “Built by Bama” and Simpson’s “Fueled by Gatorade” connect personal credibility to Alabama’s reputation, showing how identity is shaped through teams, sponsors, and audiences. Their posts shift depending on context, game-day photos highlight collective pride, while sponsorship content focuses on individuality and polish, revealing the tension between amateurism and professionalism. Emotional appeals like gratitude and faith resonate most; Simpson’s “Thankful for these guys! #Unbreakable” feels authentic and drives engagement, while overly promotional posts often receive mixed reactions. This pattern suggests that authenticity, not self-promotion, anchors NIL success.
Overall, through the lens of Social Identity Theory, I see how these athletes use communication to balance belonging and individuality, shaping a new kind of “collegiate professionalism” that blends personal identity with institutional pride.
​
​Using Social Identity Theory, the top NIL-earning athletes at Alabama employ visual rhetoric to construct identities that balance group belonging and personal distinction. Their posts use ethos and authentic self-presentation to align with in-groups like Alabama and sponsors while asserting individuality, creating a hybrid identity that blurs the boundary between amateurism and professionalism.
Theoretical Implications
In addition to my studies, Tom Hickman (2025) found that fan engagement with NIL collectives is driven by social identity and perceived importance, highlighting the need for tailored strategies to connect with different fan types. Also, Xue and Karuturi (2025) similarly showed that relationship strength and post engagement increase audience response to athlete-sponsored content. My project adds to this literature by showing that NIL athletes’ rhetorical strategies not only shape fan behavior but also reinforce their personal and social brand identities.
Practical Implications and Recommendations
NIL athletes’ social media posts actively shape their identities, balancing team affiliation, personal branding, and professional credibility. Friends, family, and fans can better understand the pressures athletes face and the strategies they use to maintain authenticity while promoting themselves. Athletic departments should create mentorship programs connecting NIL athletes with alumni or marketing professionals. This guidance can help athletes manage social media, balance team and personal identity, and navigate NIL opportunities responsibly.
Limitations and Future Directions
One limitation of this project is the small sample size, as it focused only on the top three NIL-earning athletes at Alabama, which limits how broadly the findings can be applied to other athletes or programs. Moving forward, I would like to explore how rhetorical strategies in social media posts affect NIL-earning athletes more broadly, including their behavior, opportunities, and public perception. Additional research could investigate how these self-presentations influence endorsements, fan engagement, and identity development across different sports and athlete populations.
References
-
Lewisch, P. (2003). A theory of identification. International Review of Law and Economics, 23(4), 439–451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.irle.2003.07.006
-
Hogg, M. A., Terry, D. J., & White, K. M. (1995). A Tale of Two Theories: a Critical Comparison of Identity Theory with Social Identity Theory. Social Psychology Quarterly, 58(4), 255–269. https://doi.org/10.2307/2787127
-
Hollabaugh, W. L. (2023). Name, Image, and Likeness and the Health of the Young Athlete: A Call to Action for Sports Medicine Providers and the Athletic Healthcare Network. Sports Health, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/19417381231212645
-
Stets, J. E., & Burke, P. J. (2000). Identity Theory and Social Identity Theory. Social Psychology Quarterly, 63(3), 224–237. JSTOR. https://doi.org/10.2307/2695870
-
Harwood, J., & Roy, A. (2005). APA PsycNet. Psycnet.apa.org. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2005-09506-009
-
Rai, J. S., Tanveer Kajla, Itani, M., & Cho, H. (2025). Social Media in Sport: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda Using the Theory, Context, Characteristics, and Methodology Framework. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 49(5). https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.70102
-
Nazri, S. N. A., & Kassim, A. (2023, September). Issues and Functions of Code-switching in Studies on Popular Culture: A Systematic Literature Review . INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL of LANGUAGE EDUCATION and APPLIED LINGUISTICS. https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/117515320/3009-libre.pdf?1723955124=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DIssues_and_Functions_of_Code_switching_i.pdf&Expires=1758927263&Signature=UIr9bcUaSw8wvd16aYAeBAMVNMxmeEgwJQb~f-8t07AzBR9ZB5epPiDoTOEWRqh7UhkCl96dIRM1nW6Jx1AKfuFo824iXNWRbIzMSKEAW-3XpFYGihcKPfK5oNCHArlnC92i3gNEGt73ZoYLHGofeFQcm7cUCjQmjtNzMcB6xw8wIej65PxPOYjG3HZVA3fDnKiHt8iKU5oXd0XKA3wV0N3sKrEETNGQfH79tguLbFjm-Ux-TjEuzl37ooKCWdbyoSLIRrEgzVGWNUW2fnQUBM8w6lPOE0jljZQkxSnT1uwPHFoMswFHZCZJ-
-
Mastromartino, B., Naraine, M. L., & Wear, H. (2025). The Nexus of Sports Fandom and Sports Wagering: A Scoping Review. UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal, 29(1). https://doi.org/10.9741/2327-8455.1499
-
Xue, Fei, and Srividya Karuturi. “Examining the Effectiveness of College Athlete Influencers: A Social Impact Theory Perspective.” Journal of Global Sport Management, 11 July 2025, pp. 1–26, https://doi.org/10.1080/24704067.2025.2522663.
-
Hickman, Tom. “Exploring Fan Dynamics in NIL Collectives: Insights into Engagement and Contribution.” Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedingas, vol. 09, 1 Jan. 2025, digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/amtp-proceedings_2025/9/, https://doi.org/10.20429/amtp.2025.55. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.