NIL
WWE Unveils Newest NIL Class Stacked with Wrestling Royalty
Last Updated on June 16, 2025
WWE has launched the fifth installment of its name, image, and likeness “Next In Line” program featuring 12 new collegiate athletes. This latest class features some familiar names that have etched their names in professional wrestling lore.
Leading the class is Jacob Henry, the son of WWE Heavyweight Champion and Hall of Famer Mark Henry. Henry made a name for himself as a renowned weightlifting superstar before transitioning into the WWE, where he set records and won awards at the national and international levels. Jacob is a member of both Oklahoma’s football and wrestling teams.
Jacksonville State wide receiver Brock Rechsteiner is the son of WCW Heavyweight Champion Scott Steiner, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame along with his brother Rick. It is also worth noting that not only did the Steiner Brothers become one of the best tag team wrestling duos, but they also wrestled collegiately at the University of Michigan.
UCF Junior linebacker TJ Bullard is the son of former WWE wrestler Titus O’Neil. O’Neill, whose real name is Thaddeus Bullard, had played football collegiately for the University of Florida. Thaddeus also serves as a Global Ambassador for the WWE.
Colorado State’s senior defensive lineman, Hidetora Hanada, rounds out the football players in this class. Before his time on the gridiron, Hanada was an all-world Japanese Sumo wrestler. He even earned gold in the World Games in 2022.
Next In Line continues to highlight collegiate talent across various sports. This class includes track and field athletes Meghan Walker (Nebraska), Kerrigan Huyh (University of Central Oklahoma), and Zuriel Jimenez (Columbia), as well as lacrosse standout Garrett Beck (Grand Canyon). In field hockey, Bianca Pizano (Michigan State), in women’s basketball, Fatima Katembo (LSU Shreveport) and Gina Adams (Lynn University), and in women’s ice hockey, Madison Kaiser (Minnesota). Collectively, this recent class demonstrates that the talent pipeline is more robust and diverse than ever for WWE, with the hope that these athletes will soon be entering the ring.
The USC Trojans will be active in the transfer portal this upcoming offseason as they try to find complimentary pieces to their returning core of starters.
Combining the resources at their disposal and players that are returning for the Trojans, here are three reasons why USC will be a destination program for the top players in the transfer portal.
Quarterback Jayden Maiava And The Trojans’ Pass Attack
On the offensive side of the ball, wide receiver is arguably USC’s biggest need.
Their stars from this season, Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane, have already announced their intention to enter the 2026 NFL Draft. Prince Strachan and DJ Jordan made their plans known that they will hop into the transfer portal when it opens on Jan. 2. Jaden Richardson is out of eligibility.
That’s at least five scholarship wide receivers that the Trojans will have to replace. Granted, they did sign six recruits from the 2026 class.
Enter USC quarterback Jayden Maiava. The Trojans’ gunslinger re-signed and will come back for his senior year as he looks to raise his draft stock and lead the program to their first College Football Playoff appearance under Lincoln Riley. He played a big part in helping Makai Lemon win the 2025 Biletnikoff Award.
Not only can playing with a quarterback like Maiava be enticing, but being able to play in Riley’s scheme is also a big bonus.
Under Riley, the Trojans have produced three NFL wide receivers in Tahj Washington, Jordan Addison, and Brendan Rice. The latter two transferred in to play for Riley in his inaugural season in 2022. More receivers in the portal can look to Addison and Rice as prime examples of what Riley can do in terms of getting players out to the next level.
Defense On The Rise
Although USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn is reportedly heading to Penn State in the same position, the Trojans’ defense is trending in the right direction heading into 2026.
With plenty of solid returning pieces like linebacker Desman Stephens II, defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart, and cornerback Marcelles Williams, the Trojans can be selective with who they decide to bring in.
Considering nearly every position group along the defense has a transfer that has made an impact for the Trojans, they show that they know how to make the most of their newcomers.
That’s why USC could be a program to watch when it comes to top defensive transfer portal additions.
MORE: What TCU Is Saying About USC’s Offense Before Alamo Bowl
MORE: USC Trojans Defensive Back Clarifies Injury Status Ahead Of Alamo Bowl
MORE: USC Trojans Breakout Candidates Following NFL Draft, Transfer Portal Departures
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NIL Resources
The Trojans are losing a lot of firepower to the upcoming draft with Lemon, Lane, and safety Kamari Ramsey being a few of the draft entries from USC.
The loss of the talented trio is offset by the fact that their absences clears up some NIL funds potentially to be used in the transfer portal.
USC won’t be in the market for a hefty transfer portal class. And if they opt for quality of quantity, it will cost them a pretty penny. But if the Trojans have shown anything, it’s that their resources are vast and abundant.
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NIXA, Mo. (KY3) – It’s a new era of college football. And Nixa High School offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell finds himself in the middle of it.
The Ozarks Sports Zone’s Danielle King sat down with Cantwell and his agent Drew Rosenhaus to discuss his recruitment and managing NIL.
Check out the latest high school sports coverage on the Ozarks Sports Zone by clicking here.
To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com. Please include the article info in the subject line of the email.
Copyright 2025 KY3. All rights reserved.
According to On3’s Pete Nakos, San Diego State EDGE Ryan Henderson plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal. Henderson just finished his fourth season with the program, putting up the best campaign of his career. He now goes onto the open market in what should be his final season of eligibility.
Henderson did not play for the Aztecs during the 2022 season as a true freshman, opting for a redshirt. Since then, he has taken the field in 33 games, three of which were starts. Forty-five tackles have followed, adding 12.5 tackles for a loss, and 10.5 sacks. You can even add a forced fumble and fumble recovery in there.
There is no doubt about which season was Henderson’s best, though. San Diego State saw him break out this past fall with nine tackles for a loss and seven sacks. Five of those sacks were in Mountain West play, with the other two coming in nonconference vs. Cal and Northern Illinois.
Henderson played high school football at North Las Vegas (NV) Canyon Springs, where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 1,289 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
A few other Mountain West schools came after Henderson during his recruitment. Arizona, then a member of the Pac-12, extended an offer during his senior season. However, he stuck with San Diego State and signed with the Aztecs.
Fast forward to the present and Henderson is on the move for the first time in his career. Finding productive pass rushers can be a chore at times for teams. Henderson can pull up what he accomplished in 2025 to prove he is someone to watch moving forward.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
More on San Diego State, 2025 season under Sean Lewis
This was year No. 2 of San Diego State under head coach Sean Lewis. An incredible turnaround took place, flipping the record’s numbers year-over-year. After the Aztecs finished 3-9 last season, they went 9-3 in 2025.
A spot in the New Mexico Bowl was earned, facing a near-College Football Playoff team in North Texas. However, San Diego State did find itself on the losing end.
Yikes. Morgan Scalley and the Utah Utes just lost one of the best players in the Big 12 Conference to the transfer portal, and that leaves a massive hole on the defensive side of the ball.
Sophomore defensive end John Henry-Daley announced his intention to transfer away from Utah after an incredible 2025 season with the Utes.
In 2025, Henry Daley posted 48 total tackles, 11.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. His sack total finished second in the league overall, trailing only Texas Tech’s David Bailey, who finished with 13.5. Unfortunately for the Utes, his season was cut short in the second-to-last week of the year against Kansas State, when he suffered a season-ending lower-body injury.
Now, for Utah, the questions start to spiral. Is it a fit issue? New coaching issue? NIL money? The possibilities are endless. Utah is fresh off a 10-2 campaign and finished well inside the Top 25 at No. 15. For John Henry-Daley to hit the portal after as dominant a season as he had, something is strange.
One theory and team to watch would be the Michigan Wolverines, who recently hired Kyle Whittingham. Michigan is known for putting pass rushers into the NFL, has an incredible NIL base, and is one of the nation’s top programs, even if it has struggled since the departure of Jim Harbaugh.
No matter which way it shakes out, losing one of the league’s premium pass rushers is a brutal blow. Even when things are going well, the transfer portal can change things in an instant.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Dante Moore wanted to clear things up regarding Troy Aikman’s remarks about an NIL donation the pro football Hall of Famer made a player at UCLA.
During an interview on the Sports Media podcast with Richard Deitsch earlier this month, Aikman said he is “done with NIL” after not receiving any gratitude for a “sizable check” he donated to UCLA for a player who later transferred.
“I gave money to a kid, I won’t mention who,” Aikman told Deitsch. “I’ve done it one time at UCLA, never met the young man. He was there a year, he left after the year. I wrote a sizable check, and he went to another school. I didn’t even get so much as a thank you note. So, it’s one of those deals, to where I’m done with NIL. I want to see UCLA be successful, but I’m done with it.”
Though Aikman did not name Moore, many assumed it was the former five-star recruit, who transferred from UCLA to Oregon after his freshman year.
The Los Angeles Times reported UCLA’s collective, Men of Westwood, did not disclose donor information to players receiving NIL deals and that Aikman was thanked by then-coach Chip Kelly and athletic director Martin Jarmond.
Moore said he has never spoken to Aikman, but expressed gratitude to the former UCLA and Dallas Cowboys legend if he was who Aikman was referring to.
“If he sent it to me, I didn’t know it was him,” Moore said. “I didn’t see it. When it comes to people thinking it’s me, of course, everybody’s going to think it’s me. It’s quarterback-to-quarterback. I don’t want that false narrative being put out there that I didn’t say thank you. I didn’t hear nothing from him. I didn’t see nothing from him. So, if he sent it, thank you, but I don’t know what he’s talking about.”
No. 4 Texas Tech (12-1) vs. No. 5 Oregon (12-1)
- When: Thursday, January 1
- Time: 9 a.m. PT
- Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
- TV: ESPN and ABC
- Stream: You can watch this game on DIRECTV (free trial) or with Sling (a Sling day pass to watch this game and more is just $4.99). Streaming broadcasts for this game will be available on these streaming services locally in Oregon and Washington, but may not be available outside of the Pacific Northwest, depending on your location.
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech was back in the national spotlight Tuesday ahead of its first appearance in the Capital One Orange Bowl, meeting with media who have arrived in Miami Gardens from across the country.
The 45-minute media session was an opportunity for many of the Red Raiders to see Hard Rock Stadium for the first time ahead of Thursday’s 11 a.m. CT kick in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals against Oregon. The Ducks followed later in the day to close out the Media Day portion of the Orange Bowl festivities.
The Red Raiders previously held a nearly hour-long walkthrough practice earlier in the morning on the campus of Florida Atlantic University. It was one of two practices the Red Raiders will have in Florida ahead of the Orange Bowl as Texas Tech will go through its typical “Fast Friday” workout Wednesday morning similar to its schedule during the regular season.
Below is coverage of the Red Raiders from Media Days as well as behind-the-scenes footage from our TexasTech+ cameras.
RED RAIDERS IN THE NEWS
Dec. 30, 2025 – “We found our guy:” Texas Tech’s gamble on HS legend pays off (ESPN.com)
Dec. 30, 2025 – ‘It’s like euphoria’: How Jacob Rodriguez mastered the art of the punch-out fumble (CBSSports.com)
Dec. 30, 2025 – How Skyler Gill-Howard remains one of Texas Tech’s best leaders while injured (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
Dec. 30, 2025 – Behren Morton and the journey that shaped him (Dave Campbell’s Texas Football)
Dec. 30, 2025 – Caleb Douglas back in Florida, excelling with Texas Tech (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
Dec. 30, 2025 – Why former Texas star is backing Texas Tech in CFP (Houston Chronicle)
Dec. 30, 2025 – How Bryce Ramirez turned a walk-on opportunity into a Texas Tech legacy (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
Dec. 30, 2025 – Which Texas Tech team is better – 2008 or 2025? (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
Dec. 29, 2025 – Behren Morton carries name for two families (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
Dec. 29, 2025 – Big time boosters transformed Texas Tech, but that’s not all it took to reach CFP (The Athletic)
Dec. 29, 2025 – Ben Roberts and the making of a Red Raider Dynasty (Dave Campbell’s Texas Football)
Dec. 29, 2025 – Can Texas Tech’s Cody Campbell fix college sports? (ESPN.com)
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