2017 USATF Outdoor Championships

Which College Athletes Have Turned Pro? And Where?

Which College Athletes Have Turned Pro? And Where?

Updates on which college athletes have turned pro and with which shoe companies.

Jun 23, 2017 by Johanna Gretschel
Which College Athletes Have Turned Pro? And Where?
This article is a compilation of which former collegiate athletes have turned pro, and with which agencies or shoe companies. If we are missing someone notable, send Johanna Gretschel an email at jojo@flosports.tv.


MJ Erb, along with Marc Scott, Josh Thompson, and Henry Wynne (previously announced below) signed professional contracts with Kimbia Athletics, the management agency announced on Monday. Erb, a former Ole Miss All-American, will train under Saucony's Elite Athlete Development Team with coach Tim Broe. The steeplechase standout ended his senior year at Ole Miss with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA championships and a seventh-place finish at the USATF Outdoor Championships.


Christian Coleman ​of the University of Tennessee signed with ​Nike ​at USAs, shortly before making the world team in both the 100m and 200m. The NCAA record holder for 100m will contest only the shorter event in London. is represented by Emanuel Knudson's agency, HSI and was a four-time NCAA champion this year in the 60m, indoor 200m, outdoor 200m and 100m.


Chris Belcher of NC A&T appeared on the USA 100m finals start line in a brand-new Nike kit after competing in the semi-finals in his school uniform. He was third in the NCAA 100m and third in the USA 100m to book his ticket to the World Championships.


Fred Kerley of Texas A&M signed with Nike after winning the USATF 400m title. The two-time NCAA champion set the 400m collegiate record this year in 43.70.


Deajah Stevens of the University of Oregon announced she is turning pro. No official word yet on who her agent or sponsor is, but we think it might be On Track Management. The 2016 Olympic finalist for 200m is headed to worlds in both the 100m and 200m, the latter event she won over Olympic medalist Tori Bowie at USAs.


Craig Engels of Ole Miss has signed with Nike and will join the Nike Oregon Project. He is represented by Matt Sonnenfeldt for Flynn Sports Management. Engels, the third-placer in the NCAA 1500m, was fourth in the USAs 1500m and the first man outside of qualifying to London.


Marc Scott of Tulsa debuted a Nike Bowerman TC jersey at the London Diamond League and has likely joined their Portland-based training group. Scott won the 2017 NCAA 10K title.


NCAA 400m champion Chrisann Gordon of the University of Texas signed with adidas. The native Jamaican recently earned her first individual berth to an international championship by placing second in the 400m at Jamaican Trials; she has previously won gold and silver as part of the Jamaican 4x400m relay at the 2015 World Championships and 2016 Olympic Games.


LSU All-American Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake has signed with adidas. English by birth, Mitchell-Blake left Great Britain for Jamaica with his parents when he was 13 years old but will now represent the United Kingdom in international competition. He won the 200m at British nationals and will contest the event at the World Championships in London.


NCAA indoor 400m champion Shakima Wimbley, formerly of the University of Miami, has signed on with adidas and is managed by Total Sports US. She was runner-up at NCAA outdoors this year behind Gordon and placed fifth in the USAs 400m, which means she will likely be named an alternate for Team USA's 4x400m relay pool in London.


LSU's Michael Cherry debuted a new Nike kit at the London Diamond League meeting shortly after setting a new personal best of 44.66 for 400m in Lausanne. He also won his first race as a pro in London. Cherry was third at the NCAA 400m and sixth in the USAs final, meaning he will likely compete in London again for the World Championships as part of the Team USA's 4x400m relay pool.

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NCAA 400m hurdles champion Eric Futch of Florida debuted an adidas kit at the London Diamond League meeting. He won the USATF title in the 400m hurdles to make his first World Championships team.


Another 400m hurdler in Byron Robinson of the University of Texas also signed with adidas. The 2016 Olympian is managed by On Track Management.


NCAA record holder Kyra Jefferson has signed with Nike. The former Florida Gator set the collegiate record for 200m with a time of 22.02 in what was a shocking result over Deajah Stevens, who tripped and fell of her own accord. 


2016 NCAA indoor mile champion Kaela Edwards of Oklahoma State debuted an adidas kit in the rounds of the 1500m at USAs.


Edward's Oklahoma State teammate, Savannah Camacho, will join the Brooks Beasts training group. The multiple-time All-American over 800m plans to move up to the 1500m.


BYU's All-American 800m specialist Shea Collinsworth debuted a Nike Oregon Track Club (OTC) Elite singlet in the 800m rounds at USAs. 




2016 NCAA indoor mile champion Henry Wynne of UVA signed with the Brooks Beasts.



Oklahoma State All-American Josh Thompson ran the 1500m at USAs in a Nike Bowerman Track Club singlet. This year, Thompson was fourth at the NCAA outdoor 1500m and sixth in the NCAA indoor mile, but may pursue the steeplechase in the future.




NC State All-American Megan Moye will join the NYNJ Track Club as a Hoka One One athlete. She is represented by Flynn Sports Management.


Texas A&M All-American Aaliyah Brown has signed with Total Sports US and does not yet appear to have a sponsor. Other new additions to Total Sports US include Virginia Tech's Hanna Green, a three-time NCAA runner-up in the 800m, and Sage Watson of the University of Arizona, who won the 2017 NCAA title in the 400m hurdles. Watson ran in the Olympics for Canada last summer and has qualified to represent her country at the World Championships this summer. She competed at the Canadian nationals in her Wildcats jersey so it appears she is not yet signed by a shoe company.




New additions to Icon Management include All-American sprinters Kyree King of the University of Oregon, who is tabbed to represent Team USA in the 200m in London after Christian Coleman announced he will pull out of the event, and Aldrich Bailey, Jr. of the University of Texas. Neither appear to have a sponsor yet.