Rickea Jackson, Detroit Edison product, scores NIL deal touted as record for Lady Vol

Former Detroit Edison star Rickea Jackson was projected as a first-round WNBA draft pick before deciding to return to Tennessee for her fifth season of college basketball.

And, while she won't be able to cash in on a professional contract, she will be able to cash in on a new name, image and likeness deal that is being touted as the largest given to a female student-athlete at Tennessee.

Jackson, a 6-foot-2 forward, signed an NIL deal with Mercedes-Benz of Knoxville and "will have use of a 2022 Mercedes Benz CLA 250 coupe and also will attach her name and image to Mercedes-Benz of Knoxville’s marketing efforts throughout the coming year," according to a news release, which did not include the value of the deal.

“Rickea Jackson represents everything we want to align with in this new NIL space for student-athletes: excellence, performance and leadership,” Lee Ann Furrow-Tolsma, president and CEO of Furrow Automotive Group, which includes the Mercedes-Benz of Knoxville brand among others, said in the release. “Rickea is an outstanding player, and the perfect Lady Vol to represent our brand.”

Jackson led the Lady Vols in scoring, averaging 19.2 points and 6.1 rebounds (good for second on the team) in her first season at Tennessee after transferring from Mississippi State, where she led her team in scoring for three seasons. She was an all-Southeastern Conference selection this past season, and earned recognition on a number of All-American teams.

Jackson was a Miss Basketball award winner in Michigan as a senior at Detroit Edison in 2019, where she helped lead her team to three state titles.