All-America wrestler Lucas Davison from Michigan and Big 12 champion wrestler Stephen Buchanan from Oklahoma are among a new class of 14 athletes signed by WWE to its name, image and likeness program.
WWE's fourth class of NIL athletes includes the two wrestlers, five track and field athletes, two gymnasts and the promotion's first signees in baseball (Adam Berghorst from Indiana State) and cheerleading (Slane Glover from Ohio State). The group includes eight men and six women, and it has representatives from 13 schools and 10 NCAA leagues.
Davison is a two-time All-America selection as a heavyweight at Northwestern before coming to Michigan, and a four-time NCAA qualifier at 197 pounds. Berghorst earned All-America honors at Wyoming before transferring to Oklahoma, where he won the 197-pound title at the Big 12 championships.
The group includes football players Josh Pearcy from Rice, a two-time captain who had 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 2022; and William & Mary defensive lineman Momen Zahid, who had 2.5 sacks this season. The 6-foot-7, 260-pound Berghorst played both football and baseball at Michigan State before transferring to Indiana State for baseball.
Michigan State gymnast Skyla Schulte earned second-team All-America honors in 2022 for the Spartans.
WWE has signed 60 college athletes from 15 different sports to its "Next In Line" NIL program since December 2021. Seven college athletes have signed developmental contracts with the promotion, including Olympic gold medal wrestler Gable Steveson (Minnesota) and football player Joe Spivak (Northwestern).
WWE launched its NIL program to identify talent earlier in their athletic careers and begin the preparation process for careers in the ring.
