A BYU football player has rejected allegations made by a former teammate about unethical NIL practices.
This week, the BYU football program faced controversy after accusations from two former players, Crew Wakley and Isaiah Bagnah. They claimed the school’s NIL collective reduced funding ahead of the 2024 season.
Raider Damuni has since refuted the allegation, helping to quiet the negative narrative surrounding the Cougars following their 11-win season.
Wakley and Bagnah shared their grievances in an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune during the offseason. Both said the collective’s leader met with the team in January 2024 to announce the pay cuts.
The explanation for the reductions was poor performance on the field. The Cougars had finished a 5-7 season before the NIL renegotiations started.
Early last January, Min Kim, the new head of the Royal Blue Collective — BYU’s official NIL arm — addressed the team to establish new expectations…
“I’m not here to pay your rent or bills. I’m not here for any of that,” Kim said, according to defensive end Isaiah Bagnah. “You guys are entitled, greedy, asking me for money.”
Bagnah claimed that the salaries of starters were slashed by over 50%, with an ultimatum attached. Players were told they could not negotiate their own NIL deals outside the Royal Blue Collective, or risk being dropped.
Raider Damuni denies the NIL claims involving BYU. The sophomore safety shared the Salt Lake Tribune article on his X account with the caption, “Fake news.”
Damuni did not have the same experience as his former teammates. Notably, the accusations also mentioned that veterans were paid less than younger players, as the younger ones had more flexibility with the transfer portal.
BYU reportedly wanted to retain younger talent in Provo, according to Wakley and Bagnah. Damuni clearly fits that mold.
The defensive back was a three-star recruit before joining the team. He has since played in 33 games over two seasons, starting twice during the previous year.
With Damuni expected to play a key role in the secondary in 2025, it is important for the Cougars to keep him satisfied. However, Damuni believes the initial NIL rumors were exaggerated by disgruntled players who are no longer on the team.
