BYU Football Player Rejects Former Teammates’ Allegation of Unfair NIL Practices

This week, the BYU football program found itself in the spotlight after accusations from two former players. Crew Wakley and Isaiah Bagnah both claimed the school’s NIL collective reduced funding ahead of the 2024 season.

Raider Damuni has denied these claims, taking action to quell the narrative about the Cougars following their 11-win season.

Wakley and Bagnah spoke to the Salt Lake Tribune in the offseason to share their dissatisfaction. Both said the collective leader addressed the team in January 2024, notifying players about salary cuts.

The cuts were justified by the team’s poor performance on the field. The Cougars had just finished a 5-7 season when the NIL renegotiations took place.

In early January, the new head of the Royal Blue Collective—BYU’s officially endorsed NIL group—stood in front of the team to set a new tone.

“I’m not here to pay your rent or bills. I’m not here for any of that,” said Min Kim, as reported by BYU defensive end Isaiah Bagnah. “You guys are entitled, greedy, asking me for money.”

Bagnah revealed that the starting players’ salaries were cut by more than 50%, with the cuts accompanied by an ultimatum. Players were prohibited from negotiating their own NIL deals outside of the Royal Blue Collective. Those who did would be dropped.

Raider Damuni rejects the NIL accusations surrounding BYU. The sophomore safety shared the Salt Lake Tribune story on his X account, writing “Fake news” in the caption.

Damuni had a different experience than his former teammates. It’s also important to note that the accusations included claims that veterans were being paid less than younger players because the younger ones had more flexibility with the transfer portal.

BYU sought to retain young talent in Provo, according to the duo. Damuni, certainly, fits this mold.

The defensive back was rated as a three-star recruit before joining the team and has since played in 33 games over two seasons. Last year, he made his first career start and appeared in the starting lineup twice during the season.

With Damuni expected to play a significant role in the secondary in 2025, it would be wise for the Cougars to keep him satisfied. However, the safety seems to think that the initial NIL rumors were exaggerated by disgruntled former players.

Podcasts about this topic gained attention. Isaiah Bagnah is now training for the NFL, while Crew Wakley transferred to Purdue. Damuni looks set to take over one of the defensive back positions vacated by Wakley’s departure. He might even see a pay increase after the team’s strong 11-win season.