WrestleMania is WWE’s biggest spectacle, and the week surrounding the show of shows is full of related events.
One part of the weekend will include the company holding tryouts to find the next generation of superstars, and according to a report from ESPN, some notable athletes are among those hoping to make their way into the world of sports entertainment as part of the company’s Next In Line program.
ESPN reports that 26 men and 24 women will take part in the tryout, representing 37 different schools and 13 different sports, with American football being the most represented among men and track & field among women.
One of the names involved in the upcoming tryout is former Clemson football player Kelly Bryant, who helped Clemson to both a 2017 ACC Championship as well as a College Football Playoff appearance before he transferred to Missouri. While he was not drafted to the NFL, he did play briefly for the CFL as part of the Toronto Argonauts.
College basketball standout Mark Vital will also be among those attending the WWE tryout. Vital played for Baylor, helping the team to a national championship in 2021. He is a two-time Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalist. The star recently made the transition to football, signing with the Seattle Seahawks practice squad in 2021 and the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad in 2022.
Among the women attending the tryout is track star Morgan Stewart, who won the Big 12 indoor championship for 600 yards in 2018 as part of Baylor University.
Multiple College Athletes Are Trying Out For WWE As Part Of WrestleMania Weekend
Other notable names trying out for WWE include:
- Caleb Kelly, former Oklahoma linebacker
- Kyrei Fisher-Morris, former Oregon State linebacker
- Bamidele Olaseni, former Utah offensive lineman
- Kevin Feder, former Kansas and Ohio State offensive lineman
- Breanna Covington, All-Mountain West track honoree from Fresno State
- Kasey Ebb, All-Mountain West track honoree from San Diego State
- Reggie Jagers, 2020 Olympian in discus who attended Kent State
- Darrell Mason, Minnesota State Division II national champion in wrestling
Triple H commented on WWE’s NIL program following their tryouts as part of SummerSlam weekend in Nashville, saying the company could create the “next Conor McGregor.”