Western Kentucky University football has officially added 16 new players to its 2025 roster. The group includes eight offensive players, seven on defense, and one specialist. Heading into the summer, the Hilltoppers now feature 59 new faces on their roster.
Player Highlights
Quincy Burroughs
Redshirt Junior, WR, 6’1″, 207 lbs, from Jacksonville, FL
Burroughs joins WKU following two seasons at Wisconsin, where he played in 22 games primarily as a receiver and on special teams. In 2024, he caught one pass and made two tackles over nine games. A year earlier, he had four catches for 30 yards, including a pair in the ReliaQuest Bowl against LSU. Burroughs began his college career at Cincinnati in 2022 and was a standout at Raines High School, earning All-Gateway Conference honors as a senior.
Jack Cassidy
Redshirt Junior, Kicker, 6’6″, 220 lbs, from Maghera, Northern Ireland
Cassidy arrives from Northern Ireland and brings top-tier kicking credentials. Rated a five-star transfer by Kohl’s Kicking Camps, he ranked among the top kickers and punters available post-signing day. At the Kohl’s Spring Ranking Event, he kicked two balls over 85 yards with high hang time and averaged 47 yards as a roll-out punter.
Avarion Cole
Redshirt Senior, DB, 5’11”, 190 lbs, from Charlotte, NC
Cole transfers after one season at Appalachian State, where he made five starts and recorded 29 tackles. He previously played at North Carolina A&T, racking up 70 tackles and three interceptions in 2023. A high school standout at Chambers High, Cole contributed to a state title and played in the Queen City Bowl.
Jaden Hardy
Redshirt Senior, DL, 6’2″, 334 lbs, from Savannah, GA
Hardy brings significant experience from Grambling State, where he appeared in 35 games over five seasons. He totaled 75 tackles, including 10.5 for loss, and earned Second Team All-SWAC honors in 2024. Hardy’s senior year was his most productive, with 42 tackles and a forced fumble.
Robby Harrison
Redshirt Junior, DL, 6’3″, 314 lbs, from Greenwood, SC
Harrison transfers in after two seasons with Indiana, seeing action in 10 games and recovering a fumble in 2024. Before that, he began his college career at Arizona State. A highly regarded recruit, he was a top-20 player in South Carolina and earned All-Region honors in high school.
Quincy Jenkins
Redshirt Senior, OL, 6’3″, 315 lbs, from Lawrenceville, GA
Jenkins spent time at James Madison and Campbell before coming to WKU. He started 24 games during his time at Campbell, helping lead one of the nation’s most efficient offenses in 2023. At Brookwood High School, he was an All-Region selection and Honorable Mention All-County player.
Elin Jones
Senior, DL, 6’4″, 225 lbs, from Dacula, GA
Jones joins the Hilltoppers from Johnson C. Smith University and brings size and potential to the defensive line rotation.
Elin Jones – Senior, DL, 6’4″, 225 lbs – Johnson C. Smith / Dacula, GA
Jones transferred to WKU after three seasons at Johnson C. Smith University. In 2024, he played in five games, posting 15 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, and a pass breakup. He missed the 2023 season due to injury, but had a productive 2022 campaign with 28 tackles, five TFLs, two sacks, an interception, and two pass breakups. He played high school football at Mountain View in Georgia.
Josaiah Knight – Redshirt Freshman, LB, 6’2″, 225 lbs – Mississippi State / Tallahassee, FL
Knight spent his freshman year at Mississippi State, appearing in one game. A three-star recruit out of Gadsden County High in Florida, Knight totaled 36 tackles, 16 TFLs, and 3 sacks as a senior in 2023, helping his team reach the Florida 2S playoffs. He had 56 tackles and 6 sacks the year before.
Jaden McGill – Senior, RB, 5’11”, 214 lbs – Tennessee State / Chicago, IL
McGill joins WKU after rushing for 628 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games at Tennessee State in 2024. Prior to that, he was a standout at College of DuPage, earning NJCAA Division III Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2023 with 12 rushing touchdowns and 484 kick return yards. He also starred in the national championship game. McGill played high school ball at Naperville Central and completed a prep year at St. Thomas More School.
Caleb McMickle – Redshirt Sophomore, QB, 6’1″, 202 lbs – Houston / Roswell, GA
McMickle spent two years at Houston but did not see game action due to injury and depth chart placement. A three-star prospect out of Fellowship Christian School, he threw for over 3,500 yards and 35 touchdowns in his high school career. He led his team to a 12-2 record in 2021.
Isaiah Myers – Redshirt Junior, WR, 6’4″, 190 lbs – Purdue / Cincinnati, OH
Myers joins WKU after stints at Purdue and Charlotte. At Charlotte in 2024, he played in all 12 games and recorded 13 catches for 237 yards and three touchdowns. Previously, at Independence CC, he was a First Team NJCAA All-American with 683 yards and 8 touchdowns. He was a multi-sport athlete at Princeton High School.
Caleb Nitta – Redshirt Sophomore, OL, 6’2″, 292 lbs – Virginia Tech / Leesburg, VA
Nitta transferred from Virginia Tech, where he played three games in 2024, including a start in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. He earned All-State honors at Tuscarora High School as both an offensive and defensive lineman.
Nick Reimer – Redshirt Senior, OL, 6’6″, 308 lbs – Bowling Green / Allentown, PA
Reimer played four games for Bowling Green in 2024, starting three before an injury. He previously started 35 games at Merrimack, earning First Team All-NEC recognition in 2023. A standout at Allentown Central Catholic, he was First Team All-Conference as a senior.
Zach Smith – Redshirt Freshman, LB, 6’0″, 218 lbs – SMU / Red Oak, TX
Smith comes from SMU after playing in one game in 2024. At Red Oak High School, he was a three-star recruit and a defensive force, posting 76 tackles, 13 TFLs, and 3 interceptions as a senior. He had nearly 100 tackles and 6 sacks the year prior.
Karston Upchurch – Redshirt Junior, OL, 6’5″, 280 lbs – Mississippi State / Starkville, MS
Upchurch spent 2024 at Mississippi State after an impressive JUCO career at East Mississippi CC, where he earned First Team All-MACCC honors and helped his team to back-to-back conference titles. He was rated a top-100 JUCO prospect by 247Sports and contributed to strong offensive numbers at EMCC.
Jaylen Wester – Senior, LB, 6’0″, 225 lbs – Colorado / Palmetto, FL
Wester appeared in 11 games for Colorado in 2024, making 15 tackles and forcing a fumble. He previously played at FAU, where he totaled 113 tackles over two seasons and earned All-AAC and CUSA All-Freshman Team honors. A dominant high school linebacker at Palmetto, he led his team in tackles in both his junior and senior seasons.
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