Former Clemson QB Kelly Bryant, other collegiate stars plan to tryout for WWE gig

WWE will be hosting former Clemson QB Kelly Bryant and Baylor basketball standout Mark Vital as a part of 50 aspiring athletes looking to cash in on an upcoming tryout in Los Angeles this week leading up to WrestleMania 39, according to multiple reports.

26 women and 24 men will all compete in a series of performance drills and whoever — if any — WWE officials feel is worthy of a contract will get one and report to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando for official training.

Bryant, who helped Clemson to ACC championship and College Football Playoff berths in 2017 before transferring to Missouri, went undrafted after turning pro and spent time in the CFL. Vital, who was part of Baylor’s 2021 national championship team, spent time in the NBA before transitioning to a tight end in the NFL that included brief practice squad stints with the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs in 2021 and 2022.

They aren’t the only ex-collegiate athletes that are notably attending the tryout. Former Oklahoma linebacker Caleb Kelly, Oregon State linebacker Kyrei Fisher-Morris, Utah offensive lineman Bamidele Olaseni and Ohio State offensive lineman Kevin Feder will all be in attendance.

Outside of mainstream college sports, Kent State alum Reggie Jagers, a 2020 Olympian in discus and Darrell Mason, a former Division II national champion wrestler for Minnesota State will also attend.

WWE has a laundry list of current and former talent that were notable at the collegiate level. Brock Lesnar, a former Division I heavyweight wrestling champion, has been a star with the company for the better part of two decades with multiple WWE Championship runs, aside from his UFC stint. His past accomplishments are well-known, but the list doesn’t stop with Lesnar.

Current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns was a star defensive end at Georgia Tech. Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair was a standout track star at Tennessee. Former NXT and World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler was a star wrestler and is second all-time in Kent State career victories.

The group of names goes on, but the point remains the same. WWE loves their trainees having a prominent collegiate background, which is why Bryant and Vital are the headlining names for this week’s tryout.

WrestleMania 39 will be held during a two-day event on April 1 and 2, and will be headlined by Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes. Reigns looks to hold onto his spot at the head of the table, while Rhodes, the 2023 Royal Rumble winner, looks to solidify his undesirable to undeniable narrative and dethrone Reigns’ 940+ day reign as world champion.