On Monday, WWE introduced the second class of their “Next In Line” program.
The new class has two amateur wrestlers, five football players, two basketball players (one plays both football and basketball), two volleyball players, one cheer and dance competitor, three track and field stars, and one gymnast. Further details were provided on WWE’s corporate website.
The new recruits are:
Football: Case Hatch (Arizona State), Keshaun Moore (Hampton), Luke Ford (Illinois), Malik Carr (Michigan State), and Thunder Keck (Stanford)
Basketball: Malik Carr (Michigan State) and Mikala Hall (Central Michigan)
Wrestling: Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) and Zachary Knighton-Ward (Hofstra)
Volleyball: Ericka Link (Elon) and Tyanna Omazic (Miami)
Cheer & Dance: Ali Mattox (Ole Miss)
Gymnastics: Derrian Gobourne (Auburn)
Track & Field: Chandler Hayden (Tennesse), Rachel Glenn (South Carolina) and Ruben Banks (Arkansas)
The first class of “Next In Line,” WWE’s name, image, and likeness initiative, were introduced back in December of 2021 and included the Olympic Gold Medalist Gable Steveson. It was Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development Triple H who offered further insight into the new program when the first class was announced.
“We immediately saw it as an amazing recruiting tool for us because it allows us to show athletes a path to WWE, and engage with them in a way where they can learn more about it, we can learn more about them, all while working together, and finding out if it’s a good fit before they’re even finished college, and before they need to make any decisions about what they’re going to do in that next stage of their life,” he said. “The deals might range from the lower end, which would still help them make ends meet while at school.”
According to the press release announcing the “Next In Line” program, athletes will have access to the WWE Performance Center and resources to brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing, and community relations.
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