INDIANAPOLIS — Braylon Mullins’s potential major payday from his game-winning shot against Duke will have to wait.
Mullins became part of men’s March Madness lore on Sunday when his deep three-pointer against Duke sent Connecticut to its third Final Four in four years. The last-second shot sunk the Blue Devils in a game the Huskies had mostly trailed.
The moment joined the short list of major tournament buzzer-beaters including Christian Laettner’s shot for Duke against Kentucky in 1992, Kris Jenkins’s championship-winning 3 for Villanova against North Carolina in 2016, and Jalen Suggs’s half-court heave against UCLA that sent Gonzaga to the national title game in 2021.
None of those shots came in the NIL era, though—which makes Mullins the first player to truly cash in on the March Madness heroics. But that is on hold for now. Mullins said on Friday in Indianapolis that he hasn’t explored any potential marketing or NIL opportunities that have come up since Sunday.
“Honestly, I gave my handle to my agent, so I haven’t really been running it so I can focus on this week and Illinois,” Mullins said. “I know it’s popping, super crazy.”
Mullins added he received “countless” messages after the shot. He was asked if his current plan is to wait until the Huskies season ends—whether that is Saturday in the Final Four or Monday in the national title game—before exploring any new opportunities.
“Yeah it is,” Mullins said. “I don’t even know how to explain it. You look everywhere and you see the shot. And then the inbox is all filled.”
Earlier in the tournament, St. John’s guard Dylan Darling landed NIL deals with Wendy’s and TurboTax after his game-winner against Kansas sent the Red Storm to the program’s first Sweet 16 since 1999.
In April 2025, Villanova’s Jenkins sued the NCAA for limiting athlete pay and restricting his NIL opportunities while he was at Villanova. In the lawsuit, Jenkins said he wanted to be fairly compensated for his shot, which has been broadcasted numerous times in the decade since he hit it. His complaint also mentioned that his game-winner led to a $22.6 million donation from Villanova alum William Finneran to the school in 2016. The case was dismissed in December.
“It’s definitely bittersweet,” Jenkins told The Athletic of his game-winner. “Because I’m happy and appreciative, but I’m also still getting exploited. I was exploited by the NCAA and the university.”
As for Mullins, even though he’s not currently focused on cashing in on the shot, his attention could shift yet another place after the season. The 6-foot-6 wing is a projected lottery pick in June’s NBA draft. Should he declare, he would spend most of his spring preparing for the draft working toward another paycheck instead of the one he already earned with his game-winner.
