TIGER RAG NEWS SERVICES
LSU has announced the addition of 40 top Tiger athletes from 14 sports to Nike’s Blue Ribbon Elite Name, Image & Likeness program.
In December of 2025, Nike used Baton Rouge and LSU as their launchpad for its NIL program. That list has grown. And Nike has extended its partnership with LSU through 2036.
“We’re excited to announce that Nike has signed an unprecedented 40 LSU student-athletes to NIL deals for the upcoming year,” LSU deputy athletic director Zach Greenwell said. “Our partnership has been special and only continued to grow. This announcement has been the better part of a year in the making.”
Here is this year’s class of 40:
- Cade Arrambide (Baseball)
- Erik Arutiunian (Men’s Tennis)
- Sariyah Bailey (Soccer)
- Abdi Bashir (Men’s Basketball)
- Ty Benefield (Football)
- Aniyah Bigam (Track & Field)
- Harlem Berry (Football)
- Jayce Brown (Football)
- Lamar Brown (Football)
- Grant Buckmiller (Track & Field)
- Kailin Chio (Gymnastics)
- Mouhamed Dioubate (Men’s Basketball)
- Caden Durham (Football)
- Kylee Edwards (Softball)
- Casan Evans (Baseball)
- MiLaysia Fulwiley (Women’s Basketball)
- Ava Galligan (Soccer)
- Tima Godbless (Track & Field)
- Trey’Dez Green (Football)
- Landon Hood (Baseball)
- Jere Hribar (Swimming)
- Zakiyah Johnson (Women’s Basketball)
- Kaliya Lincoln (Gymnastics)
- Husan Longstreet (Football)
- Konnor McClain (Gymnastics)
- Ella McDonald (Women’s Tennis)
- Cooper Moore (Baseball)
- Mackenzie Pickens (Softball)
- Madison Pickens (Softball)
- DJ Pickett (Football)
- Jurnee Robinson (Volleyball)
- Jordan Seaton (Football)
- Logan Schmidt (Baseball)
- William Schmidt (Baseball)
- Omar Serna (Baseball)
- Árni Sveinsson (Men’s Golf)
- Ayla Tuua (Softball)
- Princewill Umanmielen (Football)
- Bino Watters (Baseball)
- Whit Weeks (Football)
What They’re Saying
Abdi Bashir Jr. (Men’s Basketball) – “Being a Nike athlete means the world to me. I’ve worn Nike for as long as I can remember, so to now represent the brand while competing at LSU is everything I could have dreamed of. It gives me an incredible platform to showcase who I am and hopefully inspire younger athletes to dream big and believe opportunities like this are possible.”
Ty Benefield (Football) – “Being part of this collaboration between LSU and Nike is such a blessing. Becoming a Nike athlete is something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid, so to achieve that now and be surrounded by so many great athletes is truly a dream come true.”
Zakiyah Johnson (Women’s Basketball) – “To be seen and believed in by a brand as big as Nike is surreal. I’m grateful they saw something in me and gave me this opportunity, and being able to represent Nike while continuing to grow as an athlete and a person at LSU makes it even more special.”
Konnor McClain (Gymnastics) – “Nike is a brand recognized and respected around the world, so having the opportunity to represent Nike is incredibly special. Being able to do that while also representing LSU makes it even more meaningful. I’m extremely grateful to have the support of two brands with such a strong presence in sports and to represent them on such a big stage.”
Jurnee Robinson (Volleyball) – “What I love about working with Nike is that they believe in me while still allowing me to be myself. Being able to bring my personality into how I represent the brand is really special.”
Omar Serna (Baseball) – “To see all of the athletes I watched and idolized growing up become a Nike athlete, it is so surreal to become one myself. It has always been a dream in the back of my mind, that pushes me to become better. This is such an honor and I am incredibly excited to see where it takes me.”
Árni Sveinsson (Men’s Golf) – “To have this opportunity at a young age, with so much still ahead of me, is really special. Nike represents being elite, and that’s what I strive for every day. To compete at the highest level wearing the Swoosh is something I’ll always cherish.”
Ayla Tuua (Softball) – “Having a brand like Nike believe in my potential at LSU gives me so much confidence in myself and in my decision to come here. Nike is a brand I’ve always wanted to represent, so to have that become a reality here at LSU makes it even more special.”
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