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Texas Tech's NiJaree Canady debuts adidas player edition softball cleat, makes NIL history

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz02/19/26NickSchultz_7

Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady is making NIL history. She is the first college softball player to launch a player edition cleat through her partnership with adidas.

Canady announced the ADZERO Instinct 2.0 PT NiJa on Instagram this week. It features red crystal stripes, as well as a personalized name and number. The cleat also includes a nod to Canady’s home in the sockliner.

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Canady will debut the cleat at the Mary Nutter Classic this week, starting with Thursday’s game against Fresno State. It will also be available for purchase later this season, adidas said.

“Such a dream come true!!” Canady wrote in her Instagram post. “So incredibly blessed and thankful to have the opportunity to come out with my own cleat!!”

Canady’s NIL deal with adidas dates back to her arrival at Texas Tech last year after she transferred from Stanford. She was part of the inaugural “Team Mahomes” class of NIL athletes in partnership with Red Raiders great Patrick Mahomes and continued that partnership this school year, adidas announced in November.

Texas Tech soccer standout Sam Courtwright joined Canady as returning athletes from last year’s “Team Mahomes” class. Quarterback Behren Morton, men’s basketball guard Christian Anderson and track’s Malachi Snow were the newcomers for the 2025-26 season.

Canady also has a $963,000 On3 NIL Valuation, which ranks as the highest in college softball. On3’s Pete Nakos reported she also signed a new deal with the Texas Tech-focused NIL collective, The Matador Club, worth seven figures.

Back for her second season with the Red Raiders, NiJaree Canady helped lead the program to a Women’s College World Series berth last year. She was a Softball America First Team All-American and the D1Softball National Pitcher of the year as Texas Tech made it to the championship series. Across 46 appearances, including 39 starts, she had a 34-7 record with a 1.11 ERA and 319 strikeouts in the circle.

Canady is off to a strong start to the 2026 college softball season. Through seven appearances, she has a 4-1 record and a 1.57 ERA. She has also appeared in nine games as a hitter and notably hit a grand slam in Texas Tech’s second game of the season against North Texas.