Colquitt County (Ga.) 2024 defensive lineman Tyshon Reed Jr., an intriguing recruiting target out of the Peach State, picked up an offer from Western Kentucky this week, announcing the opportunity from the Hilltoppers over social media on Monday, Feb. 13.

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The 6-foot-3, 215-pound recruit out of Moultrie, GA. talked to InsideHilltopperSports.com about how it felt to collect an offer from Western Kentucky and revealed his overall interest in the Hilltoppers' football program.

Reed said it feels great to hold an offer from the Hilltoppers as he just found out they were interested in his talents yesterday. He said he doesn't know much about Western Kentucky's program yet.

"It feels great honestly," Reed said. "I'm not exactly sure how long they've been interested but I just found out yesterday."

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Reed said he's already connected with the Hilltoppers' coaching staff as he conversed with WKU assistant director of football operations Travis Taylor recently. Reed added that he's interested in learning more about Western Kentucky and is planning to visit very soon.

"I talked to Coach Travis Taylor if I'm not mistaken," Reed said. "I would love to learn more about the program and I'm extremely eager to come visit."

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Blanche Ely (Fla.) 2024 free safety and strong safety Jordan Saintilus, an intriguing recruiting target out of the Sunshine State, picked up his second D1 offer from Western Kentucky this week.

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The 6-foot-1, 173-pound prospect out of Pompano Beach, FL. sat down with InsideHilltopperSports.com to detail his interest in the Hilltoppers after collecting the opportunity.

"It feels great to receive my second D1 offer from Western Kentucky University," Saintilus said. "The Hilltoppers have been involved in my recruitment since last spring when they were recruiting the former safety in front of me, Harlem Howard."

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Saintilus said he connected with WKU assistant coach and defensive backs coach Da'Von Brown and enjoyed their conversation. What stood out to Saintilus about Coach Brown was how transparent he was and how he provided him with the tools to join the Hilltoppers.

"The WKU coach I connected with was Coach Von," Saintilus said. "What I liked about Coach Von's personality was he told me nothing but the absolute truth. He told me everything I needed to improve on and what to focus on to become a Hilltopper and better. I absolutely loved hearing the truth to better myself and create a better path. I want to thank Coach Von for giving me the steps."

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Saintilus said he's eager to learn more about the Hilltoppers' football program and is in the process of planning a visit to Western Kentucky for some point in the future.

"I am very eager to learn more about the Hilltoppers' program," Saintilus said. "Yes, I absolutely am planning on visiting Western Kentucky as soon as possible."

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Dunnellon (Fla.) 2024 cornerback and wide receiver Chris Henry, an intriguing recruiting target out of the Sunshine State, picked up an offer from Western Kentucky this week.

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The 6-foot-1, 175-pound recruit out of Dunnellon, FL. spoke with InsideHilltopperSports.com about how it felt to pick up an offer from Western Kentucky, detailing his interest in the program.

Henry said he connected with WKU assistant coach and defensive backs coach Da'Von Brown and he enjoyed their conversation.

"It feels really good because it's one of my first real big colleges," Henry said. "I talked to Coach Brown. He was just talking about how he liked how I'm from Florida and how Florida boys play with swag."

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Henry also said he's interested to learn more about the Hilltoppers' program and is planning to visit Western Kentucky at some point in the future.

"I am very eager to learn more about them," Henry said. "Yes, I'm planning to visit WKU."

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Fort Pierce Westwood (Fla.) 2024 ATH Braylon Vincent, an intriguing recruitment target out of the Sunshine State, picked up an offer from Western Kentucky this past week.

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The 6-foot-0, 180-pound prospect out of Fort Pierce, FL. sat down with InsideHilltopperSports.com to discuss his interest in the Hilltoppers after collecting the offer.

"It feels great," Vincent said. "They've actually been one of the top schools on my list because my trainer Wonderful Terry played there. He told me it's an excellent and high standard program."

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Vincent said the Hilltoppers have been involved in his recruitment process for a while now. He added that he connected with one of the newest additions to WKU's coaching staff in former Ole Miss analyst Da'Von Brown. He said they had a great conversation and he's honored to be considered for the Hilltoppers' roster.

"They've been involved for a while," Vincent said. "And I talked to Coach Von Brown. I am honored and truly appreciative of the opportunity to even be considered."

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Vincent additionally revealed that he is planning to visit Western Kentucky soon. Also holds offers from Akron, Bowling Green, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Liberty and Pittsburgh.

@robholmesiv1 with more on the Hilltoppers 74-69 win over UTEP on Saturday night. Another stellar performance from Dontaie Allen

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Western Kentucky running back Jakairi Moses, who has been a Hilltopper since the 2017 season, announced he was entering his name into the transfer portal on Friday afternoon.

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Over the course of his career at Western Kentucky, the former two-star recruit has recorded 887 yards on 181 attempts for three touchdowns.

The five-game losing streak is over as the Hilltoppers notch a 81-74 win over UTSA on Thursday night

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Reginald Allen has officially signed. Listed on his profile as a WR, but the Hilltoppers like him at LB.

Story on Allen from @drew_toennies


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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Head Coach Tyson Helton has announced the hiring of Andre Crenshaw as the Hilltoppers' new running backs coach.

Crenshaw comes to The Hill from South Dakota State where he served as running backs coach during the team's run to winning the 2022 FCS National Championship

"I am truly blessed and excited to be a part of a program that has seen the amount of success that Western Kentucky has," said Crenshaw. "Year after year, I've watched Western Kentucky produce one of the top offenses in the country. Now having the opportunity to be a small part of that legacy is a blessing. Thank you to Coach Helton and his family for being so welcoming. He is a true man of faith and a tremendous leader of men. I'm ready to get to work."

Hired ahead of the 2021 season, Crenshaw spend two seasons with the Jackrabbits, leading one of the best running backs rooms in the country. In his first season with SDSU, he mentored Pierre Strong Jr., who led the FCS in rushing with 1,686 yards. Strong went on to be selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. During the national championship season, Crenshaw's star pupil was Isaiah Davis, who produced 1,451 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.

Before arriving in South Dakota, Crenshaw coached running backs at Southeast Missouri State during the pandemic-shortened season. Despite playing only eight games that year, Crenshaw helped running back Geno Hess gain 708 yards rushing with 12 touchdowns.

Crenshaw began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Dakota Wesleyan before moving on to Morehead State for two seasons and spending the 2017 campaign at Tennessee Tech. In 2018, he moved to Missouri Western where he helped the Griffins average 219.5 rushing yards per game, ranking among the top-25 of all Division II programs.

A native of Lancaster, California, Crenshaw attended the University of Oregon from 2006-09 where he played running back and earned his bachelor's degree in sociology. He later earned a master's degree in educational policy and administration from Dakota Wesleyan in 2015.

BOCA RATON, Fla. – WKU Hilltopper Basketball battled for a full 40 minutes on Saturday afternoon, but an uneven 3-point shooting night caused the Hilltoppers to fall 70-63 to No. 21 Florida Atlantic. The Owls extended their winning streak to 20 games, the longest active streak in the nation.

“There’s no moral victories, but I wanted to see us fight,” said head coach Rick Stansbury. “I wanted to see us stay together for 40 minutes and not splinter. It’s easier said than done, but it seems like that’s happened in the second half a lot. We’re coming here playing a team that’s won 20 in a row, longest streak in the country. They’re a really good team. But, I couldn’t have been more proud of this team’s effort. Most importantly, they stayed together and they kept battling.”

The first 15 points of the game were scored from beyond the arc, creating a 9-6 lead for FAU. The two 3-pointers the Hilltoppers sank to start off the game would be their lone two for the entire game. WKU scored five straight to take a one-point, 13-12 lead by the 13:02 mark.

Midway through the period, it became a back-and-forth game. FAU stepped up behind the arc, netting three in four attempts. Each time the Owls made a triple, Jordan Rawls and Dayvion McKnight had a response in favor of the Hilltoppers.

WKU was able to score seven straight over the course of two minutes to take a lead of 30-28 with 50 seconds left on the clock. Unfortunately, two turnovers by the Hilltoppers led to the Owls scoring seven of their own to close out the half and regain a lead of 35-30.

After halftime, FAU initially scored a 3-pointer, but then Emmanuel Akot came alive for the Hilltoppers. He scored six straight over a minute and a half to cut into the Owl lead, making it just 38-36.

Florida Atlantic’s Johnnell Davis had the biggest response, netting two 3’s as the Owls went on an 8-2 make their advantage larger at 46-38.

As the Owls pushed their lead to nine, WKU strung together six straight points to cut it to three with 3:13 remaining. The Tops would cut it to three once more, 63-60, with 1:56 on the clock, but never came closer.

Tough calls down the stretch didn’t go the Hilltoppers’ way as Vladislav Goldin also scored his first points of the night. He scored all six of his points in the final 2:23 of the game, and his teammates only scored three in that time frame.

Florida Atlantic hit 13 triples compared to WKU’s two; six different Owls made a shot beyond the arc with all 10 guys who played putting at least four points on the board.

Akot scored all 16 of his points in the second half, stepping up in a big way for the Red and White. Jordan Rawls had a game-high 17 with 13 of those coming in the first half. He added three assists and two steals as well.

Jamarion Sharp pulled down a career-high 14 boards and did an excellent job on defense against Goldin, holding him to six points and four rebounds.

Brandon Weatherspoon went 4 of 6 from behind the 3-point line, leading the Owls in scoring with 14 points while grabbing six balls off the glass.

WKU will start a three-game homestand on Thursday night beginning with the UTSA Roadrunners. The 7 p.m. CT game will be streamed on ESPN+.

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Reed mentions some NIL "late round draft pick" comparison offers when he entered his name in the transfer portal this offseason. Of course, one of the biggest reasons he stayed at WKU was being offered comparable NIL money.

A lackluster 2nd half from the Hilltoppers leads to their fourth-straight loss at FIU, more from @robholmesiv1

Belle Vernon (Pa.) 2024 ATH Braden Laux, who visited with the Hilltoppers this past October, picked up an offer from Western Kentucky this week.

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The 6-foot-4, 210-pound recruiting target out of Pittsburgh, PA. sat down with InsideHilltopperSports.com to discuss how it felt to haul in an offer from a school like Western Kentucky and revealed his interest in the program.

Laux said it felt great to collect an offer from the Hilltoppers, revealing he connected with WKU assistant director of scouting Quinn Warren and liked how easy it was to connect with him. Laux additionally revealed he's interested in returning to The Hill for another visit.

"It was great to get an offer from WKU," Laux said. "Quinn Warren was the one I spoke to the most and I liked how it was easy to connect and talk with him."

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Laux stopped by Western Kentucky for a gameday visit this past October, catching the Hilltoppers in action against Troy. Laux said being on campus was a great experience as there was a lot of school pride and an exciting atmosphere.

"It was a great experience," Laux said. "There was a lot of school pride around the campus and the atmosphere was very exciting."

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Laux said some of his favorite moments from his gameday visit were the big catches from WKU's receivers as well as quarterback Austin Reed's performance.

"My favorite moments were some of the big catches the receivers made," Laux said. "I thought Austin Reed was a great quarterback and passed a lot."

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Laux and his teammates helped lead Belle Vernon to their first state championship win in program history, defeating Neumann-Goretti 9-8. The Panthers finished the season with a 12-2 record and a 3-0 mark in conference competition.

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This past season, Laux recorded 71 completions out of 136 attempts for 1,025 yards and 11 touchdowns. Laux also contributed on the ground, rushing for 482 yards and eight touchdowns on 96 carries.

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Palatka (Fla.) 2023 defensive back Chavaris Dumas, who was offered by the Hilltoppers on Dec. 6, is coming off a visit to Western Kentucky this past week.

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Dumas told InsideHilltopperSports.com that he had a great visit with the Hilltoppers and liked how everybody is willing to help, stick together and form a bond with one another.

Dumas, who initially connected with former WKU assistant coach and secondaries coach Keynodo Hudson and former wide receiver Matthew Smith, said he could really tell both coaches were genuine and had a great knowledge of the game. Dumas said his recruitment with the Hilltoppers hasn't changed with Coach Hudson leaving the program. He said he has no other visits planned.

Dumas additionally said that what stands out to him about Western Kentucky is the achievements and the resume to back it up.

Keeping up with incoming transfer and those that have left this offseason....

IN:

Marquis Black, DL, Nebraska
Blue Smith, WR, Cincinnati
Ze'Vian Capers, WR, Auburn
Jimmy Holiday, WR, Tennessee
Daniel Edwards, WR, Illinois
Mike Moment, OL, Alcorn State
Trevor Borland, TE, Buffalo
Nonte Davis, DL, UT-Martin
Branson Barron, QB, Weber State
Jayden Loving, DL, Bethune Cookman
Elijah Young, RB, Missouri
Devon Lynch, LB, Shepherd University (DII)
Dallas Walker, DL, Texas A&M
Mason Williams, OL, Harvard

OUT:

Gunner Britton, OL - Auburn
Rusty Staats, OL - Texas Tech
Joshua Simon, TE - South Carolina
Joey Beljan, TE - Cincinnati
Brayden Narveson, K - NC State
Darius Ocean, QB - Valdosta State
B.J. Wagner, CB - Northern Arizona
Craig Burt, WR - Missouri State
Dakota Thomas, WR - Akron
Matthew Flint, LB -
Luke Slusher, OL - East Tennessee State
Dante Walker, DE
Kye Robichaux, RB - Boston College

Per WKU:

An injury update on Luke Frampton:

“WKU Hilltopper Basketball’s sixth-year senior guard Luke Frampton suffered a tear to his ACL in Saturday’s game against Charlotte. He will undergo season-ending surgery next week.”

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Allen was on campus over the weekend on a visit with the Hilltoppers. While listed as a WR, @drew_toennies confirmed that WKU is recruiting Allen as a LB.

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WKU grabs productive LB from the DII ranks

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Young will have two years of eligibility remaining after finishing his third year at Missouri this past season. He played in a reserve role during his time with the Tigers, rushing for 333 yards and one touchdowns throughout his career.

He is from the Knoxville, Tennessee area and was ranked a 5.6, three-star coming out of South Doyle (Tenn.) High School. He was the 22nd best prospect in the state of Tennessee in the 2020 recruiting class.

Tops go 0-fer in overtime in disappointing 85-74 loss at Louisiana Tech, more from @robholmesiv1