Jackson Koivun, Miles Russell join major champions in Upper Deck Young Guns class
- Golf NIL
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
by Golf NIL Staff
February 5, 2026
Upper Deck announced today that Jackson Koivun and Miles Russell will headline the 2026 Young Guns rookie class alongside Nelly Korda, Hideki Matsuyama, and Lydia Ko—a measure of how far college and high school golfers have come with NIL deals, now sharing a checklist with major champions.
Koivun, ranked No. 1 in the Golf NIL College Men's Rankings with a $1.75 million Golf NIL Valuation, is the world's top-ranked amateur and has already earned a PGA Tour card through the University Accelerated program. He's backed by Betterment, Titleist, FootJoy, and Foresight Sports.
Russell, 17, No. 2 in the Golf NIL High School Boys Rankings with a $750,000 Golf NIL Valuation, won AJGA Player of the Year in 2023 and 2025, joining a short list of repeat winners that includes Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. He's committed to Florida State and has NIL deals with several brands, including TaylorMade and Nike.
World No. 1 amateur Jackson Koivun (left) and two-time AJGA Player of the Year Miles Russell (right) join Upper Deck's 2026 Young Guns class | Debby Wong/ZUMA Press Wire
It was a different landscape in Tiger Woods’ era.
When Woods dominated amateur golf in the mid-1990s—winning three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles and the NCAA championship—he couldn’t accept a dollar from endorsements under NCAA rules and only signed major deals after turning pro in 1996. Today’s amateurs are building real NIL market value before they leave school, a shift that completely changes when and how they monetize their worth.
The 2026 Upper Deck Golf set includes Young Guns cards, featuring outburst parallels and gold 1-of-1s. To celebrate 25 years in golf, Upper Deck will include 25 autographed Tiger Woods rookie buybacks from his 2001 set, each signed, numbered, and stamped with a commemorative 25th anniversary mark.
Woods had to turn pro to get his first card. Koivun and Russell are getting theirs while still in school. The set releases February 18.
