NFL star Jake Ferguson and influencer Haley Cavinder sends US into meltdown

College basketball sensation turned influencer Haley Cavinder has sent the rumour mill wild as she continues to be linked to an NFL star.

Jake Ferguson and Haley Cavinder have sent the rumour mill wild. Photo: Getty Images and Instagram

Rumoured couple Jake Ferguson and Haley Cavinder are hanging out together with the Cowboys on a bye week.

Thursday night, the Dallas tight end shared a photo with Cavinder on his Instagram story at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, continuing to fuel the rumour mill they’re an item.

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The rumours that the two are dating began last month when Cavinder shared a collage in which she was wearing a Cowboys shirt, with the caption “How bout them cowboys.”

Ferguson, 24, who was selected in the fourth round of last year’s draft, responded, “Gollleeeee how bout ‘em,” and added a heart-eyes emoji.

The grandson of legendary former Wisconsin football coach and athletics director Barry Alvarez, Ferguson starred on the University of Wisconson Badgers before making the leap to the NFL.

This season, he has 21 catches for 190 yards and a touchdown for the Cowboys.

Haley and her twin sister Hanna Cavinder first came to prominence as social media dynamos when they starred on Fresno State’s women’s basketball team, transferring to the University of Miami before last season and playing a role in the team’s Elite Eight run.

Considered two of the highest-paid college athletes, the Cavinder twins have earned an estimated seven figures in endorsement deals following the NCAA rule change in 2021, which enabled student-athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness.

Haley and Hanna also boast a whopping 4.5 million TikTok followers.

In fact, in June, it was revealed the pair had earned at least $2 million since the Supreme Court overruled the policy.

The duo are a big deal. Photo: Instagram

Cavinder is a college basketball star. Photo: Instagram

Haley Cavinder posts regularly on Instagram.

Jake Ferguson has set tongues wagging. Photo: Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images/AFP

It meant student-athletes like the Cavinder twins are now able to earn money through their celebrity status since the rule change in 2021.

While the sisters had previously said that they were done playing college hoops, Haley made the announcement last week that she plans to return for the 2024-25 season.

“As a businesswoman, she’s excited to see what type of opportunities there might be in the portal,” Haley’s agent, Jeff Hoffman, told On3.com.

“It comes from a foundation of she misses basketball more than anything in the world and as it approaches another season, even more so. She is going to hop in the portal. She’s 100% making her return to college basketball.”

This story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission.