WWE announced its inaugural class of Next In Line recruits.
On Wednesday, WWE confirmed the first 15 names included in its new NIL (Next In Line) program; the class includes TikTok stars and Fresno State basketball stars the Cavinder Twins and Oklahoma State wrestling star AJ Ferrari.
From WWE:
STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– WWE (NYSE: WWE) today unveiled 15 college athletes who will be among the first to participate in the company’s newly formed NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) program that provides a clear pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE.
The inaugural “Next In Line™” class includes athletes from 13 universities, seven NCAA conferences and four sports. In addition to the United States, the class includes representation from myriad countries spanning from Canada and Nigeria. The following 15 athletes join Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson in WWE’s first-of-its-kind NIL program:
Name
School
Sport
Height/Weight
Hometown
Carlos Aviles
Ohio State
Track & Field
6’ 6”, 305 lbs.
Ventura, Calif.
Haley Cavinder
Fresno State
Basketball
5’ 6”
Gilbert, Ariz.
Hanna Cavinder
Fresno State
Basketball
5’ 6”
Gilbert, Ariz.
A.J. Ferrari
Oklahoma State
Wrestling
6’, 200 lbs.
Dallas, Texas
Lexi Gordon
Duke
Basketball
6’
Fort Worth, Texas
Aleeya Hutchins
Wake Forest
Track & Field
5’ 5”
Toronto, Canada
John Krahn
Portland State
Football
7’, 400 lbs.
Riverside, Calif.
Glen Logan
LSU
Football
6’ 5”, 305 lbs.
Kennar, La.
Isaac Odugbesan
Alabama
Track & Field
6’ 4”, 275 lbs.
Lagos, Nigeria
Mason Parris
Michigan
Wrestling
6’ 2”, 275 lbs.
Lawrenceburg, Ind.
Masai Russell
Kentucky
Track & Field
5’ 5”
Potomac, Md.
Jon Seaton
Elon
Football
6’ 1”, 285 lbs.
Hillsborough, N.J.
Joe Spivak
Northwestern
Football
6’, 300 lbs.
Lombard, Ill.
Dalton Wagner
Arkansas
Football
6’ 9”, 330 lbs.
Spring Grove, Ill.
Riley White
Alabama
Track & Field
5’ 6”
Hoover, Ala.
WWE’s NIL program was announced last week following the NCAA’s historic new policy that took effect on July 1, 2021, which has ushered in the NIL era allowing college athletes the ability to monetize their name, image and likeness. The comprehensive program serves to recruit and develop potential future Superstars, and further enhances WWE’s talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds.
All athlete partnerships will feature access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., in addition to resources across the organization including brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing and community relations. Upon completion of the NIL program, select athletes may earn an exclusive opportunity to be offered a WWE contract.
Learn more about the “Next In Line” program at WWE.com/NIL.
Earlier this year, WWE also signed Gable Steveson to a multi-year contract under the NIL rules; he was drafted to the RAW brand and is currently enrolled at the University Of Minnesota.
Read More: Gable Steveson On What Drew Him To WWE, Appearing At SummerSlam, More
