Casa Amor bombshells get one job: disrupt the couples that already formed. Corey Sawyer Jr. entered Love Island USA season 8 on day 17 and was gone by day 20, but a three-day run was enough time for his background, professional basketball, a clothing brand, and an NFL-star father, to circulate widely.
Corey Sawyer Jr. is 24 years old, originally from Orlando, Florida, and currently living in nearby Longwood. He owns a clothing brand.
From College Basketball to Puerto Rico
Sawyer played two seasons of college basketball for the Eastern Illinois Panthers, averaging 8.9 points per game during his junior year in 2023-24. His senior season, 2024-2025, was mostly cut short by injury, a frustrating way to close out a college career. Rather than end there, he was drafted in 2025 to play professional basketball for the Mets de Guaynabo, a team based in Puerto Rico’s Baloncesto Superior Nacional league.
That path, a college career interrupted by injury followed by a pro contract overseas, isn’t the traditional path fans expect from reality TV bombshells, most of whom lean on modeling or influencer work rather than an actual competitive sports résumé. Alongside basketball, Sawyer owns and runs a clothing brand, though the brand’s specific name hasn’t been confirmed in any reporting on him so far, one detail about his business that remains genuinely undocumented rather than simply unmentioned here.
The Family Football Connection
Sawyer’s father, Corey Sawyer Sr., was a decorated defensive back at Florida State University, earning All-American honors as part of a national championship team before being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1994. He played five seasons in Cincinnati and finished his NFL career with the New York Jets in 2000.
Growing up, Corey Jr. followed his father into football before switching to basketball at age seven, a detail that reframes his own path less as an athlete chasing his father’s game and more as someone who found his own sport early and stuck with it.
The Casa Amor Run, and the Couple He Almost Broke Up
Sawyer’s season 8 appearance was brief by design, but it wasn’t inconsequential. Casa Amor bombshells exist to test existing couples’ loyalty, and Sawyer tested one of the season’s most important pairings directly: Trinity Tatum, who had been coupled with Bryce Dettloff since the first day of the season, connected with Sawyer over a shared interest in fashion. Trinity said in a confessional that Corey gave her “different feelings” compared to Bryce, and the two went to the photobooth together for a kiss, a real wobble in a relationship that had looked settled up to that point.
It didn’t last. Sawyer was dumped from the island on day 20, just three days after entering, and Trinity ultimately recommitted to Bryce. The two went on to win the season outright at the July 12, 2026 finale, taking home the $100,000 prize. That makes Sawyer’s brief run a genuine near-miss rather than a footnote: for a few days, he was a real threat to the couple that ended up winning the entire show. He also has a family tie to the franchise beyond his own season, as a cousin of Daniela, a cast member from Love Island USA season 6. See our full Love Island USA season 8 guide for how the whole final four shook out.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Corey Sawyer Jr. from Love Island USA?
Corey Sawyer Jr. is 24 years old. He’s originally from Orlando, Florida, and currently lives in Longwood, Florida. He entered Love Island USA season 8 as a Casa Amor bombshell on day 17, well after the original islanders had already formed their initial couples, which is the role that put him directly in the path of one of the season’s most established pairings.
Is Corey Sawyer Jr. related to an NFL player?
Yes. His father, Corey Sawyer Sr., was an All-American defensive back at Florida State University on a national championship team before being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1994. He played five seasons in Cincinnati and finished his NFL career with the New York Jets in 2000. Corey Jr. actually played football himself growing up before switching to basketball at age seven.
What does Corey Sawyer Jr. do for work?
Sawyer owns and runs a clothing brand, though its specific name hasn’t been confirmed in reporting on him. He also played two seasons of college basketball for the Eastern Illinois Panthers, averaging 8.9 points per game as a junior in 2023-24 before an injury cut short most of his senior season, and was drafted in 2025 to play professional basketball for the Mets de Guaynabo in Puerto Rico’s Baloncesto Superior Nacional league.
How long was Corey Sawyer Jr. on Love Island USA?
He entered as a Casa Amor bombshell on day 17 of season 8 and was dumped from the island on day 20, a three-day run. In that short window, he connected with Trinity Tatum, who had been coupled with eventual season winner Bryce Dettloff since day one, briefly threatening the relationship that went on to win the whole season.
Did Corey Sawyer Jr. break up Trinity and Bryce?
No, though he came close. Trinity said Corey gave her “different feelings” than Bryce and the two shared a kiss during Casa Amor, but Trinity ultimately recommitted to Bryce once Casa Amor ended. Bryce and Trinity went on to win Love Island USA season 8 and its $100,000 prize at the July 12, 2026 finale.