CHICAGO – The Chicago White Sox today announced the CHISOX Athlete Class of 2025, welcoming nine additional NCAA Division I student-athletes who join four returning members as part of the organization’s Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) program.
In its fourth season amplifying local student-athletes’ voices and careers, CHISOX Athlete has now provided more than 30 current and former collegiate athletes with a platform outside of their respective sports to receive big-league mentorship, explore industry opportunities and increase exposure for their personal and professional endeavors.
The newest additions to the CHISOX Athlete program include:
- Drayk Bowen (Notre Dame Men’s Football, St. John, Indiana – Andrean HS)
- Jeremy Fears Jr. (Michigan State Men’s Basketball, Joliet, Illinois – Joliet West HS)
- Owen Freeman (Creighton Men’s Basketball, Moline, Illinois – Moline HS)
- Jyaire Hill (Michigan Men’s Football, Kankakee, Illinois – Kankakee HS)
- Nick Martinelli (Northwestern Men’s Basketball, Glenview, Illinois – Glenbrook South HS)
- Anna McClure (Miami of Ohio Women’s Volleyball, Champaign, Illinois - The High School of St. Thomas More)
- Hannah Milton (Western Michigan Women’s Gymnastics, Hinsdale, Illinois – Hinsdale Central HS)
- Zack Sharp (Western Michigan Men’s Ice Hockey, Naperville, Illinois – Naperville Central HS)
- Maddy Vercelli (Minnesota Women’s Dance, Shorewood, Illinois – Joliet Catholic Academy)
With consideration to recent draft declarations and college graduations, returning members of the CHISOX Athlete Class of 2025 include:
- Robbie Avila (Saint Louis Men’s Basketball, Oak Forest, Illinois – Oak Forest HS)
- Pat Coogan (Indiana Men’s Football, Palos Heights, Illinois – Marist HS)
- Berkley Mensik (Notre Dame Women’s Soccer, Algonquin, Illinois – Dundee-Crown HS)
- Abbey Murphy (Minnesota Women’s Hockey, Evergreen Park, Illinois – Mother McAuley HS)
The CHISOX Athlete program is built on a student-first approach, empowering each class with financial resources and marketing opportunities that help enhance individuals’ unique brands, platforms and passions outside sport. Just last season, Murphy—an Olympian who last week scored in Team USA’s overtime, gold-medal victory at the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship—joined program alumnus and Jamaican National Team soccer player Kiki Van Zanten and baseball trailblazer Kim Ng for a Sox-led “Women In Sports” panel discussion about growing the legacy of Title IX.
Several additions to this year’s class celebrated recent conference championships and/or national titles with their respective teams and universities. Most recently, Sharp and his teammates etched their names in the record books by leading the Western Michigan Broncos to the program’s first-ever men’s ice hockey national championship. Fears Jr., a member of the Michigan State men’s basketball team, helped the Spartans to the Big Ten Conference regular-season title in March 2025. This past season, Bowen and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team advanced to the championship game of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, while Hill continues his tenure with the Michigan Wolverines, the 2024 College Football National Champions.
CHISOX Athlete provides all athletes with personalized career mentorship from leading sports executives. First year athletes are invited to Rate Field to throw a ceremonial first pitch and enjoy a VIP ballpark experience, while returners are recognized with a pregame, on-air interview with Sox television partner Chicago Sports Network (CHSN). Athletes also benefit from top-tier marketing opportunities, including exclusive photoshoots, networking discussions and more.
For more information on CHISOX Athlete visit whitesox.com/nil.