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The BYU football program made negative headlines this week following an accusation from a pair of former players. Crew Wakley and Isaiah Bagnah both claimed the school’s NIL collective cut funding ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Raider Damuni has since denied that allegation. He did his part to quiet the narrative surrounding the Cougars following an 11-win season.
Wakley and Bagnah were interviewed by the Salt Lake Tribune this offseason to provide insight into their unhappiness. Each stated that the collective leader met with the team in January of ’24 to inform players of salary slashing.
The reason given for the cuts was poor on-field performance. The Cougars were fresh off a 5-7 season when the NIL renegotiations began.
Early last January, the new leader of the Royal Blue Collective — the officially endorsed Name, Image and Likeness arm of BYU athletics — stood in front of the team ready to set a new tone…
“I’m not here to pay your rent or bills. I’m not here for any of that,” Min Kim said, according to BYU defensive end Isaiah Bagnah. “You guys are entitled, greedy, asking me for money.”
Bagnah said starters’ salaries were slashed by more than 50%, with the pay cuts accompanied by an ultimatum. Players could not negotiate their own NIL deals outside of the Royal Blue Collective. If they did, they’d be dropped.
Raider Damuni denies the NIL claims surrounding BYU.
The sophomore safety reposted the Salt Lake Tribune story on his X account with a caption that read, “Fake news.”
Fake News ! https://t.co/UuqqeGMh7o
— Raider Damuni 🇫🇯 (@raiderdamuni) February 25, 2025
Damuni didn’t have the same experience as his former teammates. It’s worth noting that the accusations also claimed that veterans were being paid less than younger team members given that they had more flexibility as it relates to the transfer portal.
BYU wanted to keep young talent in Provo, the duo said. Damuni certainly fits the bill.
The defensive back was rated a three-star prospect prior to joining the roster. He’s since appeared in 33 games across two seasons. Last year, he made his first career start, landing in the opening lineup twice throughout the year.
With Raider Damuni slated to play a large role in the secondary in 2025, it would obviously behoove the Cougars to keep him happy. The safety, however, seems to believe the initial NIL rumors were blown out of proportion by upset players no longer a part of the team.
Isaiah Bagnah is now training for the NFL, while Crew Wakley transferred to Purdue. Damuni figures to take over one of the spots in the defensive backfield now vacant due to Wakley’s departure. He might can expect a pay bump with the team coming off that 11-win year.