BATON ROUGE – LSU Athletics announced on Wednesday the addition of 40 top athletes to Nike’s Blue Ribbon Elite NIL program, a partnership giving Tiger student-athletes the platform to influence product, innovation, storytelling and culture, while advancing two of the most iconic brands in sport.
In December of 2025, Nike used Baton Rouge and LSU as their launchpad for its Blue Ribbon Elite NIL program. Ten athletes were a part of the initial launch. The global sports brand also announced an extension to their five-decade long partnership with LSU Athletics through 2036.
Nine months later, the innovative collaboration has rapidly expanded to include 40 of the most elite LSU athletes in their respective sports, representing 14 different programs. The roster will continue to evolve over time, as Nike seeks to partner with new and emerging brand ambassadors.
Fans are encouraged to visit Nike Blue Ribbon Elite Website for more information about the selected athletes and this historic partnership.
“We’re excited to announce that Nike has signed an unprecedented 40 LSU student-athletes to NIL deals for the upcoming year,” said Zach Greenwell, Deputy AD/Chief Strategy Officer. “Since Nike chose to launch its Blue Ribbon Elite program on our campus last year, our partnership has been special and only continued to grow. This announcement has been the better part of a year in the making, including 14 team content shoots and many months of planning and execution from Nike, our student-athletes and the talented staff within The Brand at LSU. There is truly no better place in the country for student-athletes to showcase their talents and elevate themselves, and we can’t wait to see what comes next for these two iconic brands."
This year’s class of 40 includes six returning student-athletes from last year’s launch, along with 34 newcomers. The new additions build on the momentum of the inaugural class and expand the program’s reach across LSU Athletics.
The Full 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)
In July, 11 LSU players were featured on Nike’s inaugural Blue Ribbon Elite Football roster. The Tigers’ football class is the largest of any school in the campaign. Offensive lineman Jordan Seaton also became the first offensive lineman to sign with Nike at any level.
Four LSU athletes –Trey’Dez Green, Whit Weeks, ZaKiyah Johnson and Kylee Edwards – were also featured in Nike’s national “Back to School” NIL campaign in July as part of Nike’s Blue Ribbon Elite program. Each of the photos, videos and creative assets found on social media and LSUsports.net/Nike-Blue-Ribbon-Elite were shot in multiple locations across campus in Baton Rouge.
“Blue Ribbon Elite” is a historical nod to Nike’s original name of “Blue Ribbon Sports” when the company was founded in 1964 by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman. This partnership with Nike and LSU student-athletes goes beyond brand representation, inspiring the student body and community to collaborate through brand campaigns, product innovation and creative direction.
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.”