15 College Athletes Who Deserve Signature Sneakers Right Now

The NCAA is synonymous with making a boatload of money and not sharing the wealth with any of its amateur athletes. As universities get richer and richer, a lot of the players are happy just to get a free ride, go to parties, and hopefully make it to the next level.

But, just for once, what if all those rules were eliminated? Which players would deserve signature sneakers before they even became professionals? With Johnny Manziel's current fight with the NCAA over whether he did or didn't accept money for over 4,000 signed pieces of memorabilia—we cut to the chase. Here are players, if allowed, who should have their name on a pair of kicks already. From basketball and football studs to college pitchers, here are 15 College Athletes Who Deserve Signature Sneakers Right Now.

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School: Kansas
Sport: Basketball
Sponsor: adidas

Wait, what? Andrew Wiggins hasn't even played an official NCAA basketball game yet, and he deserves his own signature sneaker? Of course.

Look, this whole "one-and-done" rule is forcing players that would have jetted straight to the NBA into playing a single season at the collegiate ranks. With Wiggins being the number-one overall recruit, it's more than likely he'd have NBA teams and sneaker brands courting him. Who doesn't want to declare the next great player?

School: Arizona
Sport: Basketball
Sponsor: Nike

The Arizona Wildcats hold a special place in the hearts of sneakerheads. From the days of Mike Bibby running the court in Nike Air Foamposite Ones, basketball fans can expect Arizona to get exclusive Nike love, and the next star to hit the school is Aaron Gordon.

Gordon hasn't played a game at the university, but he comes in with big shoes to fill. So why not give him his own? He did win two California state championships and was named the state's Mr. Basketball twice. If he could get his own pair of Foams, or even something completely new, for nostalgia's sake, we think it would sell well.

School: North Carolina State
Sport: Baseball
Sponsor: adidas

Not enough baseball stars have a signature sneakers these days, so how about a kid who throws hard, good stuff? It's a great experiment—especially with left-hander Carlos Rodon.

In his freshman season at North Carolina State, Rodon didn't lose once, and posted a 1.57 ERA. If those numbers wouldn't want you wearing his sneakers, we don't know what else would.

School: Oklahoma State
Sport: Basketball
Sponsor: Nike

Marcus Smart could have made his way to the NBA this season, but he decided to come back to play another season at Oklahoma State. Maybe he wants to party it up for another year, or he could be better-developing his skills.

Either way, give this man a sneaker for not running to the NBA Draft when he easily could have. Even if Nike wouldn't, we're sure T. Boone Pickens, a key investor at OSU, has enough money to make it happen.

School: Ole Miss
Sport: Basketball
Sponsor: Nike

Will Marshall Henderson be reinstated by Ole Miss? Only time will tell. But his on-court antics, his high-energy personality, and ability to hit clutch shots (while screaming at opponents and the crowd), has already made him a legend.

If Henderson is able to play in the 2013-14 season, fans from more than the SEC would want to lace-up a signature pair of kicks from the most badass player in college sports. Even if they’re a pair of Vans Prison Issues.

School: Alabama
Sport: Football
Sponsor: Nike

If an NFL team needs a great running back, they often mine the talents of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Trent Richardson and Mark Ingram have both proved to be immense talents at the next level, and the next in line to continue their legacy is T.J. Yeldon, who already captured the BCS National Championship as a freshman.

Alabama is a huge next school, and looks to be another favorite to make a run for another National Championship with Yeldon in the backfield. Imagine a houndstooth pair of kicks? There isn't a power runner more fitting of these sneakers than Yeldon.

School: Louisville
Sport: Football
Sponsor: adidas

Did you watch the Louisville Cardinals beat the Florida Gators in the 2013 Sugar Bowl and bring a BCS title back to the much-maligned Big East? If so, you know what Teddy Bridgewater can do. If not, here's a little bit of information on the Cardinals signal-caller and gunslinger: Bridgewater can flat-out throw the ball and make any throw presented to him.

With Charlie Strong's defense backing up Bridgewater, it's not crazy to think he'll make a run at this year's Heisman. He also has a certain swagger that he brings to his high-powered offense. If adidas, his school's sponsor, hooked him up with a pair of kicks, we'd put our money that folks outside of Kentucky would cop.

School: USC
Sport: Football
Sponsor: Nike

Everyone in the Pac-12, except USC fans, hates Marqise Lee. The standout wide receiver has torn up defenses all across the West Coast, and no one can guard him. If you're looking for the next prototypical NFL wideout, Lee is your man—which makes him ideal for endorsements.

For once, if a USC player could legally receive "illegal benefits," it deserves to be Lee. If only the Trojans and Lane Kiffin could finally live up to the hype they've been brewing in SoCal, it might fly from the shelves.

School: Duke
Sport: Basketball
Sponsor: Nike

Jabari Parker has had a contract with Nike since he was a sophomore in high school when the Swoosh sought out Parker's Illinois school to outfit them in fresh gear. Kind of crazy, right?

Parker is now enrolled at Duke, and will get his score of exclusive Nike sneakers and clothes, but why shouldn't the brand give Parker his own sneakers? There have been Duke players in the past who have received signature sneakers in the NBA, so it wouldn't be unprecedented for Parker to score his own kicks. But how about him rocking it in college? He would make the ACC jealous.

School: Ohio State
Sport: Football
Sponsor: Nike

Pop quiz: name the only undefeated team during the 2012-13 season college football season. Nope, it wasn't the National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide—it was the Ohio Buckeyes, who were quarterbacked by Braxton Miller.

Miller might remind you of Terrelle Pryor, which is high praise, considering Pryor led the Buckeyes to BCS wins. Ohio State is the third largest university by enrollment in the United States. With an almuni base that large, putting out a signature pair of Braxton Millers would be a no-brainer. Especially as his squad runs through a weak Big10 this season.

School: Louisville
Sport: Basketball
Sponsor: adidas

The easiest way to get notoriety in sports is to win. Plain and simple. Louisville’s emotional run to the NCAA Championship this past season was aided by Russ Smith’s sensational guard play, and—unlike many college basketball stars—Smith is back for his senior year.

For that fact alone, Smith deserves a signature sneaker. But if you need another reason, besides his speed and wicked handle, a nickname like Russdiculous would be pretty rad slapped across a pair of adidas sneakers; his school’s sponsor.

School: Clemson
Sport: Football
Sponsor: Nike

It seems like every season Clemson has a shifty speedster turning football into a track meet. Over the past couple seasons, that man has been Sammy Watkins, and the incoming junior has folks in Death Valley thinking about a National Championship this season.

If laced-up with a pair of orange and purple pair of Nike sneakers, they would be the go-to for those looking for lightweight kicks with enough stability to juke all over the field.

School: South Carolina
Sport: Football
Sponsor: Under Armour

Everyone's seen it: Jadeveon Clowney laid the hit of the 2012-13 college football season on Michigan's Vincent Smith—knocking his helmet clean off. Clowney's reputation has grown like wildfire since then, and he's now projected to the number-one overall draft pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Why wouldn't anyone want a pair of Clowney kicks? This year should be sensational, and we predict that The Ol' Ball Coach will throw his visor a little less with Clowney on the field.

School: Oregon
Sport: Football
Sponsor: Nike

De'Anthony Thomas initially committed to USC before Oregon and Chip Kelly were able to come down and snatch the Black Mamba away and bring him up to Eugene—letting him cement his legend as an Oregon Duck.

Since then, Thomas has electrified crowds at Autzen Stadium and across the Pac-12. Going into his junior season, Thomas has already amassed a tally of 36 touchdowns—doing it on the ground, through the air, and in the return game. Will he be the first Duck to win a Heisman? If Uncle Phil Knight would hook him up with an extra, extra-exclusive pair of Quack Mambas, he should be a shoe-in for the award.

School: Texas A&M
Sport: Football
Sponsor: Nike

Johnny Manziel was the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy. Not only is he helping bring back Texas A&M football in a major way, but he’s also giving the NCAA the biggest middle finger of its life.

Manizel, who allegedly signed a buttload of autographs that may or may not have been for cash, clearly doesn’t care about the NCAA’s ode to amateurism. So what better way to celebrate Johnny Football’s lack of concern towards college athletes getting paid than giving him his own signature shoe/football cleat? Kids all over would love a pair of spikes that would help them scramble and collect huge paychecks. And we’re all for it.