Every summer, Love Island USA fills a villa in Fiji with singles, and every summer a few of them turn out to have spent their college years in a locker room. Season 8 had one of the strongest athletic casts yet: a track star with Big Ten and Big 12 titles, a Division I volleyball player, a former FBS running back, and a late-arriving basketball guard with an NFL bloodline. Two of them made it all the way to the finale.
With the season wrapped and the reunion in the books, here’s a look back at the college athletes of Season 8: where they played, how far they got, and what their run says about the power of an athlete’s personal brand.
Sincere Rhea: Track and Field (Penn State, Miami, Texas Tech)
Sincere had the most decorated college résumé in the cast. A hurdler, he competed for three Power Four programs. At Penn State he won a Big Ten indoor title in the 60-meter hurdles. At Miami he ran one of the fastest 110-meter hurdle times in program history. At Texas Tech he helped the Red Raiders win Big 12 hurdle titles.
His race in the villa had more obstacles. He and Melanie Moreno were one of the first couples to pair up, after he chose her over Aniya. Their connection hit turbulence on movie night, when it came out that he had been leading on both Melanie and Sol. The couple held on, though, and Melanie and Sincere finished third.
👉 Explore men’s track and field programs on RallyFuel
Aniya Harvey: Volleyball (Florida Atlantic)
Aniya played volleyball at FAU from 2020 to 2024 and brought a competitor’s resilience into the villa. She was passed over on premiere night, and she turned that into one of the summer’s best storylines. After Casa Amor, she and Carl connected and quickly became fan favorites.
Viewers rewarded them. Aniya and Carl finished as runners-up, the highest finish of any former college athlete this season.
👉 Explore women’s volleyball programs on RallyFuel
Sean Reifel: Football (San Jose State)
Sean was a running back on San Jose State’s 2017 roster, though he never played in a game for the Spartans. Walk-ons and reserves know that a college athletics background builds identity, discipline and work ethic whether or not your name ever shows up in the box score. Sean entered the villa on Day 1 as a 29-year-old from Easton, Pennsylvania.
👉 Explore college football programs on RallyFuel
Corey Sawyer Jr.: Basketball (Eastern Illinois)
Corey arrived mid-season as a Casa Amor bombshell, and he had plenty of athletic pedigree. He played two seasons at Eastern Illinois (2023-24 and 2024-25) and averaged 8.9 points per game as a junior. An injury the summer before his senior year limited him to 14 games. His route to Charleston was unusual: after high school he moved to Puerto Rico to play in professional leagues, then chose college over going pro right away.
Athletics runs in the family. His father, Corey Sawyer Sr., was an All-American defensive back on a national championship team at Florida State before the Cincinnati Bengals drafted him in 1994. Corey’s stay in the villa was short. He arrived on Day 17 and was gone by Day 20. That was still enough time for fans to discover his background, including his pro basketball career, his clothing brand and his NFL dad.
👉 Explore men’s basketball programs on RallyFuel
Honorable Mention: Beatriz Hatz, Paralympic Long Jumper
Beatriz didn’t compete in the NCAA, but she may be the most accomplished athlete in the entire cast. She made history as the show’s first amputee Islander. She was born without a fibula in her right leg, and she is a two-time Paralympian who won long jump bronze at the 2024 Paris Games. Her time on the show gave millions of viewers a close look at what an elite para-athlete is.
The Bigger Lesson: Your Athlete Brand Travels
These Islanders have one thing in common: their athletic identity followed them everywhere. Within hours of each debut, fans were digging up college stats, highlight clips and school profiles. Eastern Illinois even published a story on its official athletics site the day after Corey’s first episode. A college career doesn’t disappear when eligibility runs out. It becomes the foundation of a personal brand.
That’s the heart of NIL. The audience a college athlete builds has real value, whether that athlete is a conference champion or a walk-on. The athletes who benefit most are the ones who build direct relationships with fans while they’re still competing, not after a TV show makes them famous.
That’s where RallyFuel comes in. We connect fans and athletes through verified, transparent NIL deals, so supporters can back the athletes they believe in, directly.
Want to learn more?
- New to NIL? Start with the NIL Glossary.
- See how RallyFuel works for athletes and fans.
- Keep reading on the RallyFuel NIL Blog.
Where fans fuel champions. 🏆
