WWE Announces 14 Athletes It's Signed To NIL Program's Fourth Class

Whether it's big names or small, WWE is always on the lookout for new talent, especially through their NIL program. Launched in 2021, WWE's NIL has already announced three classes, with over 60 athletes signed to the program, including a whopping 15 talents for their third class this past January. And for the end of 2023, they went almost as big with their fourth NIL class.

In a press release, WWE announced they had signed 14 collegiate athletes to their NIL program today, coincidentally the second anniversary of WWE launching the initiative. While WWE didn't reveal the identity of all 14 athletes, they revealed five of the standouts, including collegiate wrestlers Lucas Davison of the University of Michigan, and Stephen Buchanan of the University of Oklahoma. A two-time All-American, the 23-year-old Davison initially competed for the University of Northwestern, graduating there twice in 2022 and 2023, before joining the University of Michigan as a graduate student. Likewise, Buchanan began his collegiate career at the University of Wyoming, going 33-19 before transferring to Oklahoma, where he would go 25-3 en route to becoming Big-12 Champion.

In addition to Davison and Buchanan, other signees announced were Bayley Humphrey of Baylor University, Adam Beghorst of Indiana State, and Slane Glover of Ohio State. All three signings represent a first for the NIL program, with Humphrey, Beghorst, and Glover serving as the first signings to come from acrobatic athletics, baseball, and male cheerleading. While all these athletes are part of the NIL program, it doesn't necessarily mean they will sign WWE contracts, with the promotion seeing only seven athletes so far transition from the NIL program to developmental deals.