WWE NXT General Manager Ava officially announced the signing of five new talents to the NXT roster on Monday ahead of Tuesday night’s episode. The Vanity Project (Jackson Drake, Brad Baylor, and Ricky Smokes), Eli Knight, and Keaneau Carver have all joined the brand following recent main roster call-ups.
The signings come after several NXT stars moved to the main roster in recent weeks, including Je’Von Evans (Raw), Trick Williams (SmackDown), and Jordynne Grace (SmackDown). Oba Femi has also exited NXT after vacating the NXT Championship last week.
All three members of The Vanity Project were WWE ID prospects beginning in late 2024 and have been regular performers on WWE EVOLVE. Drake currently holds the WWE EVOLVE Championship and has made multiple NXT appearances throughout 2025, including a gauntlet match against Ricky Saints in July. Baylor and Smokes work together as the tag team Swipe Right.
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Knight joined the WWE ID program in October 2025 and has worked for promotions including Reality of Wrestling and GCW. He recently competed on the December 23 episode of NXT against Tavion Heights in the WWE Speed Championship No. 1 Contender’s Tournament.
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Carver, whose real name is Kevin Robertson, is a former Temple University defensive tackle who signed with WWE in June 2023. He competed in the 2023 NXT Breakout Tournament and has been a regular on WWE EVOLVE since its 2025 return.????????????????
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