Less than a year removed from winning a national championship with the Texas Longhorns, University of Texas catcher Reese Atwood has become the newest name, image and likeness (NIL) athlete for the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), becoming the second college softball player to sign a partnership deal with the league.
The signing follows the AUSL’s earlier NIL deal with Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens, continuing the league’s effort to partner with college softball’s most prominent names ahead of its upcoming second season.
Atwood was part of the Longhorns squad that captured the program’s first-ever national title in June 2025, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI in the championship-clinching win over Texas Tech.
Her contributions that postseason were some of the most memorable of her career as she recorded 13 RBIs during the Austin NCAA Regional–the most by any player in program history–and her two-out single helped set the tone for the eventual champs.
That postseason was a fitting conclusion to a decorated junior campaign in which Atwood led Texas in RBIs (89), home runs (21), total bases (157), and OPS (1.326) across all 68 games. She became the first Longhorn in program history to record multiple 20-home run seasons, and earned the NFCA Catcher of the Year award and the Johnny Bench Award. In 2024, she set five Texas single-season program records, including 23 home runs, 90 RBIs, and a .862 slugging percentage, taking home National Player of the Year honors from both Softball America and D1Softball.
Atwood was named to the U.S. National Team’s November 2025 training camp roster before earning a spot on the 2025-26 Down Under Series roster, marking her first experience playing for the national team. In Australia, she played alongside current AUSL athletes at various stages of their professional careers. She recorded one hit and drew three walks as the United States swept the four-game series.
Now a senior, Atwood is hitting .403 with 10 home runs and 38 RBIs through the early stretch of the 2026 season, including a two-homer game against Ohio State in February.
The AUSL opens its second season on June 9, just days after the conclusion of the Women’s College World Series.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
