adidas Builds The Future Of Football With Star-Studded Rookie Class And New Innovation Lab
adidas is doubling down on the future of football—bringing together elite young talent and cutting-edge performance design under one roof. The brand recently hosted a new wave of top NFL Draft prospects at its Portland headquarters, unveiling its 2026 NFL Rookie Class alongside a bold new Innovation Lab built to redefine on-field performance.
At the center of the moment is a 14-player rookie class stacked with some of the most anticipated names in the upcoming draft. Headlined by Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, the group signals a major push forward for adidas Football, boasting one of the brand’s strongest pipelines of projected first-round talent to date.
The class also features standouts like Arvell Reese, Carnell Tate, Caleb Downs, Reuben Bain Jr., and Kenyon Sadiq—a mix of powerhouse prospects from top-tier college programs and adidas partner schools.
More than just a signing moment, the gathering doubled as adidas Football’s first-ever Pro Day—an immersive, behind-the-scenes look at what life inside the brand’s ecosystem actually looks like. From product testing and custom fittings to brand strategy sessions and styling, athletes were introduced to the full scope of adidas’ performance and cultural playbook as they prepare for the league.
Mendoza’s presence anchors the class in legacy-making energy. After leading the Indiana Hoosiers football to a national championship—the program’s first in the College Football Playoff era—and becoming the school’s first-ever Heisman winner, the projected No. 1 overall pick is stepping into the next phase of his career with adidas already embedded in his story through NIL.
“adidas has been part of my journey since Indiana,” Mendoza shared. “Being here in Portland, seeing the innovation and the vision—it just confirmed this is where I belong.”
Beyond the roster, adidas used the moment to introduce its newly revamped Innovation Lab—a collaborative space where athletes and designers work in real time to push the limits of performance gear. The facility is designed to translate athlete data and movement insights directly into product, accelerating the future of sportswear.
Rookies got hands-on access to next-gen designs, including the ADIZERO HORIZON cleat and a new wave of CLIMACOOL 3D-printed footwear—both engineered to maximize speed, airflow, and responsiveness on the field.
The class also became the first to experience Project R.A.P. (Radical Athlete Perception), adidas’ experimental platform focused on building sport-specific products through advanced additive manufacturing. The concept aims to create hyper-personalized gear tailored to individual athletes, unlocking an entirely new dimension of movement and feel.
The Full 2026 adidas NFL Rookie Class
- Elijah Sarratt — WR, Indiana University
- Fernando Mendoza — QB, Indiana University
- Arvell Reese — LB, Ohio State University
- Carnell Tate — WR, Ohio State University
- Caleb Downs — S, Ohio State University
- Reuben Bain Jr. — DE, University of Miami
- Jordyn Tyson — WR, Arizona State University
- Makai Lemon — WR, USC
- Kenyon Sadiq — TE, University of Oregon
- Jacob Rodriguez — LB, Texas Tech University
- Denzel Boston — WR, University of Washington
- KC Concepcion — WR, Texas A&M University
- D’Angelo Ponds — DB, Indiana University
- Jonah Coleman — RB, University of Washington
As part of the adidas family, the 2026 rookie class joins an already stacked roster of NFL talent, including Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons, Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence, and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
With a new generation of stars and a lab built for the future, adidas isn’t just signing talent—it’s engineering what comes next.
Photos Credit: Courtesy of adidas
