Though fans will have to wait until the Season 18 premiere of The Bachelorette to meet contestant Clayton Echard, the 28-year-old former football player has been making Bachelor Nation headlines as ABC’s surprising pick to lead the new season of The Bachelor.
A number of Katie Thurston’s Bachelorette guys seemed to be in the running for the latest Bachelor gig. However, after production wrapped on Michelle Young’s season, Echard was spotted with a camera crew filming what appeared to be promo shoots for Season 26 of the reality series.
ABC has yet to confirm the casting rumors, but a shortlist of Echard’s potential contestants was released in a now-deleted post on the show’s official Facebook page.
As fans await the reveal of who will lead Season 26, get to know the 33 women looking to win the next Bachelor’s heart below!
The Bachelor, Season 26 Premiere, Early 2022, ABC