After opting out of the 2020-21 college football season and declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft, former University of Oregon offensive lineman Penei Sewell has signed with Athletes First for representation. Joe Panos, Justin “Scoop” Schulman, and David Dunn are the lead agents for Sewell, according to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal.
Brian Murphy, Athletes First president, posted the news on his Instagram page. “This is EXACTLY why we started [Athletes First] – to have the honor of working with amazing families who embrace personal relationships in addition to professional expertise,” the caption read. “We all wish there was a normal NCAA football season, but we will turn lemons into lemonade and give @penei_sewell and other amazing young men a fall of impeccably training as players and men in preparation for realizing their NFL dreams.”
Sewell, the 2019 Outland Trophy award winner, which is awarded to the best offensive lineman in the country, is widely regarded as the best offensive tackle prospect in the 2021 draft class and is currently projected to be selected among the first few selections. ESPN’s Mel Kiper and Todd McShay both have Sewell as the number two overall prospect on their 2021 NFL draft rankings.
Athletes First is no stranger to having their clients selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. The agency represented eight first round selections in last year’s draft, including Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert (sixth overall), Arizona Cardinals LB Isaiah Simmons (ninth overall), Atlanta Falcons CB A.J. Terrell (16th overall), Miami Dolphins OT Austin Jackson (18th overall), Jacksonville Jaguars DE K’Lavon Chaisson (20th overall), Los Angeles Chargers LB Kenneth Murray (23rd overall), San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (25th overall), and Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love (26th overall). Athletes First’s eight first round selections and 30 selections overall ranked first among all agencies. The agency also had three players selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft and four players selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Sewell is at least the third 2021 draft-eligible player to sign with Athletes First. The agency signed former Colorado State wide receiver Warren Jackson and former Washington edge rusher Joe Tyron in August after they opted out of the 2020-2021 season and declared for the 2021 NFL Draft.