The Nov. 2 episode of 'The Bachelorette' will feature a connection forming between Michelle Young and Clayton Echard. Here's more to know about the hunky suitor.

Clayton Echard is the newest guy to win over Michelle Young's heart on this season of The Bachelorette. A preview for the show's Nov. 2 episode shows Michelle conversing with Clayton during a group date, and the sparks are flying. "From when I first saw you, the confidence that you exuded, I was like, 'Oh man, I need to take some notes,'" Clayton tells Michelle in the sneak peek.

"You seem more relaxed today and I loved seeing your personality come out," Michelle gushes. In a confessional, she adds, "I appreciated Clayton bringing a different element to our conversation tonight. He makes me smile. He does make me laugh, and that's a big thing that I'm looking for." Learn more about Clayton below!

1. Clayton Is The Star Of Season 26 of 'The Bachelor'

ABC has not confirmed who the new star of season 26 of The Bachelor is yet, but host Jesse Palmer let the news slip with an Instagram post. After weeks of rumors swirling that Clayton had been chosen, Jesse confirmed the news by posting a photo of himself and Clayton on Instagram on Oct. 12. "Meet my younger, bigger, better looking brother from another mother," he captioned the photo, along with the hashtag #TheBachelor.

Additionally, photos have been leaked online of Clayton filming his season of the show. Obviously, this means that Clayton won't go all the way on Michelle's season. However, he clearly makes it far enough that the showrunners are confident in his ability to win over the audience!

2. Clayton Was A Football Player

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Clayton Echard on season 18 of 'The Bachelorette.' (ABC/Craig Sjodin)

Not only did Clayton play college football at Mizzou, but he was an undrafted rookie in 2016 and signed to the Seattle Seahawks. The former tight end alls himself as a "washed-up athlete now trying his luck in orthopedic sales" in his Instagram bio, but he did earn himself a spot at the Seahawks training camp. Back in 2016, he played in all four of Seattle's preseason games and made it past the first round of cuts. "It was a unique experience that I was blessed to be a part of," he wrote on LinkedIn.

3. Clayton Works As A Medical Sales Associate

According to Clayton's LinkedIn page, he's worked in sales for medical device company Stryker since July 2016. He has been based in the Columbia area since January 2018, and was in St Louis prior to that. Stryker, a Michigan-based company, is "one of the world's leading medical technology companies and, together with its customers, is driven to make health care better. The company offers innovative products and services in orthopedics, medical and surgical, and neurotechnology and spine that help improve patient and hospital outcomes," according to its website.

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Clayton Echard and Michelle Young meeting on 'The Bachelorette.' (ABC/Craig Sjodin)

4. Where Did Clayton Go To College?

Clayton graduated from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 2015. He received a Bachelor's degree in Health Sciences, with minors in Spanish and Business. He is currently in the process of obtaining his Master's of Business Administration in Health/Health Care. He is taking virtual courses at Southeast Missouri State University and is currently on track to graduate in 2023.

5. Clayton Is Close With His Mom

In Clayton's introductory package for The Bachelorette, there was a video of his mom sending a special message to Michelle about her son. The two appear to be very close. Clayton's mom works as a teacher, which is why the football player is so inspired by Michelle's work in the same field.