Setting the Tone: Can Landry Brede Become Ohio’s New Blueprint for NIL Done Right?
Ohio stepped into a new era this year when the state finally opened the door for high school athletes to participate in NIL. And while a lot of the early conversation centered on hypothetical recruiting chaos or quick-hit deals, one partnership looks and feels different. It looks like development. It looks like intention. It looks like a young athlete betting on craft over clout.
That athlete is Landry Brede.
Landry describes himself in three words: determined, hardworking, dominant. Those aren’t buzzwords for him. Those words are the through-line of a journey that started on the defensive line before a pivotal switch brought him into the trenches on the offensive side. That move, he says, “shaped” him and connected him to a brotherhood he now holds with deep pride.
Landry is not just big, not just strong, and not just physical. He is detailed. He studies players like Kelvin Banks, admiring his precision and consistency. He talks about footwork, angles, hand placement, and he means every syllable. He understands the difference between being on the field and actually shaping it.
“A bad first step can throw off the whole play,” he said. “It changes the angle, leverage… everything.”
That obsession with detail is why his NIL partnership with LB Design (Founded by LeCharles Bentley) makes so much sense. This isn’t a logo swap or a transactional moment. It’s a continuation of work he has already been doing for four years, using tools like the X-Bag and the Pass Protection Plate to refine the technical layers of his game.
“This is more than just a deal,” he said. “It’s a relationship. LB equipment has elevated my game. Working with someone who has played and trained at the highest level is an opportunity I’m grateful for.”
His first training session with LeCharles Bentley left a mark.
“It blew my mind,” Landry said. “The details of each little thing… the first steps, driving out of your stance. It completely changed my perspective on the position.”
That perspective now includes not only the physical aspects of offensive line play but the mental side as well — the processing, the anticipation, the rapid adjustments that separate average linemen from elite ones.
“The mental side is crazy,” he said. “You really have to be mentally sharp.”
Head coach Matt Gray has also been a foundational piece of Landry’s development. Brede credits him not just for coaching but for mentorship, consistency, and selflessness during the recruiting process.
As he looks toward college, Landry’s ambitions are grounded in humility and hunger. He wants to be ready. He wants to take each day seriously. He wants to maximize the opportunity in front of him.
“I think I can be as great as anyone else as long as I put in the work,” he said. “You’re not always going to want to train, but if you want to be the best, you sacrifice.”
In an NIL landscape that often prioritizes hype over development, Landry Brede represents something different. Something refreshing. Something honest.
He is the example of what NIL can be when aligned with values, craft, and long-term vision.
This is a great piece. How awesome is it to see how much mentorship plays into a young athlete’s development, especially from LeCharles Bentley to even Coach Matt Gray. His mindset going into college feels like exactly what separates good athletes from great ones. Best of luck to Landry!
Good luck to him!