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For the second consecutive year, Western Kentucky defensive end DeAngelo Malone has been named to the Nagurski Trophy Watch List, the Football Writers Association of America announced Tuesday. It is the second preseason watch list for Malone, who on July 19 was honored by the Bednarik Award, which recognizes the most outstanding defensive player in college football. The Atlanta native is one of five Conference USA players and one of 22 defensive ends on the initial list of 90. Meanwhile, there were no other players from Kentucky schools. Malone enters his fifth season as a Hilltopper after exercising his option for an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through four campaigns, he has become one of the most accomplished defenders in WKU history.

In 48 career games - 39 of them starts - he has made 255 total tackles (135 solo, 120 assisted) while racking up 42.5 tackles for loss and 25 sacks. Malone's 25th sack Nov. 14, 2020, against Southern Miss set the program's FBS era (since 2009) record, while his 42.5 tackles for loss entering the 2021 season stands only 0.5 behind Andrew Jackson for that record as well. In 2019 he produced 99 tackles - including an FBS era-record 21 for loss - to go along with 11.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hurries. - BG Daily News

(DS#10 OLB) rSr/2022

OLB DeAngelo Malone, Western Kentucky
News Source: BG Daily News
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07/28/21 - Jamale Carothers, rSr/2023, Western Kentucky, 5-09, 200 (DS#999 RB) + More +

Jamale Carothers is coming home. The standout fullback and 2016 Kentucky Mr. Football out of Bowling Green High School announced his transfer to Western Kentucky via Twitter on Monday after starting his collegiate career at Navy. Carothers has signed with WKU and will be eligible this fall, WKU confirmed to the Daily News. As a junior during the 2020 season in which Navy went 3-7, the 5-foot-9, 203-pound Carothers was his team's second-leading rusher with 358 yards and two touchdowns on 97 carries. He also caught four passes for 103 yards and a touchdown. - BG Daily News

(DS#999 RB) rSr/2023

RB Jamale Carothers, Western Kentucky
News Source: BG Daily News
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07/24/21 - DeAngelo Malone, rSr/2022, Western Kentucky, 6-3, 239 (DS#10 OLB) + More +

Western Kentucky defensive end DeAngelo Malone has been named the 2021 Preseason Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, the league announced Monday. UTSA junior running back Sincere McCormick was selected as the Preseason C-USA Offensive Player of the Year and UTSA junior punter Lucas Dean earned Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year honors. The accolades were voted on by the league's 14 head coaches. Malone, an Atlanta native who was named to the 2021 Bednarik Award Watch List on Monday, has made 255 total tackles (135 solo, 120 assisted) while racking up 42.5 tackles for loss and 25 sacks in his first four seasons as a Hilltopper.

Malone finished with 71 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles, nine quarterback hurries and also blocked a pair of kicks in 2020 for the Hilltoppers in 11 appearances. Malone earned 2019 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year honors and was named a first-team all-conference performer by the league's head coaches in 2019 and 2020. Malone enters his fifth season as a Hilltopper, exercising his option for an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. - BG Daily News

(DS#10 OLB) rSr/2022

OLB DeAngelo Malone, Western Kentucky
News Source: BG Daily News
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07/23/21 - Bailey Zappe, rSr/2022, Western Kentucky, 6-1, 217 (DS#8 QB) + More +

Conference USA announced its 2021 Preseason Watch List on Monday, which includes Western Kentucky football players Bailey Zappe, Cole Spencer, DeAngelo Malone, Antwon Kincade and Brayden Narveson. Each of the league's 14 teams had five selected as key players to watch ahead of the season. Zappe threw for 10,004 passing yards in four seasons with Houston Baptist and transferred to WKU this winter. In the four games of the Huskies' fall 2020 schedule, Zappe completed 141-of-215 passes (65.6%) for 1,833 yards, with 15 touchdowns and only one interception. At 458.3 yards per game, Zappe's average led all of college football and ranked 101.3 yards above the leading FBS passer - Dillon Gabriel of Central Florida, who averaged 357 yards per game - in 2020. - BG Daily News

(DS#8 QB) rSr/2022

QB Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky
News Source: BG Daily News
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07/21/21 - DeAngelo Malone, rSr/2022, Western Kentucky, 6-3, 239 (DS#10 OLB) + More +

For the second consecutive year, Western Kentucky defensive end DeAngelo Malone has been named to the Bednarik Award Watch List, the Maxwell Football Club said Monday. The Atlanta native is one of five Conference USA players on the initial list and one of 19 defensive ends. There were no other players from Kentucky schools. Malone enters his fifth season as a Hilltopper, exercising his option for an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 48 career games - 39 of them starts - he has made 255 total tackles (135 solo, 120 assisted) while racking up 42.5 tackles for loss and 25 sacks. Malone's 25th sack on Nov. 14, 2020, against Southern Miss set the program's FBS era (since 2009) record, while his 42.5 tackles for loss entering the 2021 season stands 0.5 behind Andrew Jackson for that record as well. - BG Daily News

(DS#10 OLB) rSr/2022

OLB DeAngelo Malone, Western Kentucky
News Source: BG Daily News
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07/18/21 - Thomas Aronokhale, rSo/2024, Western Kentucky, 6-3, 295 (DS#999 OG) + More +

The Western Kentucky football team has added yet another transfer this offseason. The Hilltoppers announced Friday the signing of Ohio University transfer offensive lineman Thomas Aronokhale Jr. The 6-foot-3, 295-pound Innsbruck, Austria, native announced his entrance into the transfer portal June 13 via Twitter. He announced via Twitter on July 6 he was committed to the University of Louisiana Monroe but on July 13 announced he was decommitting from the Warhawks and committing to WKU. "After re-considering my decision on where I am going to continue my academic and athletic career I want to announce that I decommit from ULM and that I am committed to Western Kentucky University!" Aronokhale wrote. Aronokhale was listed as a redshirt freshman on Ohio University's 2020 football roster and did not see any game action in two seasons with the program - the Bobcats played just three games in 2020. - BG Daily News

(DS#999 OG) rSo/2024

OG Thomas Aronokhale, Western Kentucky
News Source: BG Daily News
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07/13/21 - John Haggerty III, rSr/2022, Western Kentucky, 6-5, 220 (DS#6 P) + More +

Two Western Kentucky football players were named 2020-21 College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-Americans, the organization announced Monday. Punter John Haggerty III earned first-team honors, while Juwuan Jones garnered second-team distinction. Haggerty and Jones are the seventh and eighth CoSIDA Academic All-Americans in program history and the first since defensive back Brian Lowder in 2002. It is the first time the Hilltoppers have had multiple Academic All-Americans in the same season.

The only other Conference USA player to be a 2020-21 Academic All-American was defensive end Tyriq Harris of Charlotte. Meanwhile, there were no other players from Kentucky schools.

Haggerty's first two seasons playing American football have been the two best punting seasons in WKU's 102-season program history. The Sydney, Australia, native averaged 45.9 yards on 45 punts in 2019, then followed it up with an average of 45.7 yards on 56 punts in 2019. Of his 101 total punts, 37 have been 50-plus yards and 37 have been inside the opponent's 20-yard line, while only six have gone for touchbacks. - BG Daily News

(DS#6 P) rSr/2022

P John Haggerty III, Western Kentucky
News Source: BG Daily News
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07/11/21 - Markese Stepp, rSr/2024, Western Kentucky, 6-0, 229 (DS#90 RB) + More +

With the fact that if healthy, the 6-foot, 235-pound transfer from USC is a leading candidate to open the season as a starter. His health status, however, is also part of what makes him intriguing. He missed all but two practices this past spring because of a foot surgery that Nebraska's team doctors identified the need for. However, it's expected that he'll be ready for preseason practices starting late this month."I think I got a solid evaluation (this spring) on everybody except for Markese, who only practiced twice. But even in those two practices, and they were in helmets, I saw some good stuff," Husker running backs coach Ryan Held told the Journal Star last month during a Big Red Blitz stop in Broken Bow.

Seeing "good stuff" from Stepp was expected upon his arrival on campus in January. After all, he spent three seasons at USC - redshirting in 2018 before seeing consistent playing time the past two years. In 2020, he rushed 45 times for 165 yards and tied for the team lead with three rushing touchdowns. The Trojans' overall production in the run game dropped to 3.2 yards per carry from 3.9 in 2019 under second-year offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, who runs the Air Raid offense that prioritizes passing. Stepp was part of a three-man rotation at running back that split carries roughly evenly, and each averaged between 3.7 yards per carry (Stepp) and 4.6. - Lincoln Journal Star

(DS#90 RB) rSr/2024

RB Markese Stepp, Western Kentucky
News Source: Lincoln Journal Star
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06/24/21 - Bailey Zappe, rSr/2022, Western Kentucky, 6-1, 217 (DS#8 QB) + More +

Phil Steele Publications announced its 2021 Preseason All-Conference USA Teams this week, and eight Western Kentucky players were among those named by the outlet. The Hilltoppers had three offensive players, three on defense and two specialists listed. On the First Team is quarterback Bailey Zappe, who threw for 10,004 passing yards in four seasons with Houston Baptist. This offseason, Zappe transferred to WKU, along with his top three passing targets - wide receivers Ben Ratzlaff, Jerreth Sterns and Josh Sterns - and offensive coordinator Zach Kittley. In the four games of the Huskies' fall 2020 schedule, Zappe completed 141-of-215 passes (65.6%) for 1,833 yards, with 15 touchdowns and only one interception. Zappe averaged 484.3 passing yards in HBU's three games against FBS opponents - Texas Tech, North Texas and LA Tech. - BG Daily News

(DS#8 QB) rSr/2022

QB Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky
News Source: BG Daily News
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05/21/21 - Mike Allen, rSr/2023, Western Kentucky, 6-5, 288 (DS#103 DT) + More +

The Western Kentucky football team has added another transfer from a Power Five team. The Hilltoppers announced the signing of Wake Forest transfer defensive tackle Mike Allen on Wednesday. Allen is a 6-foot-5, 285-pound redshirt junior from Sugar Hill, Ga. He played in 11 games across the 2018 and 2019 seasons for Wake Forest but did not appear in 2020. Allen has six career tackles, including 1.5 for loss, and a fumble recovery. He was a four-star prospect out of Lanier High School and the 169th-ranked player in the nation in the Class of 2016 and the No. 27 prospect in Georgia according to Rivals. WKU lost a starting defensive tackle from the 5-7 2020 team earlier this offseason when Ricky Barber made the move to UCF, following former WKU defensive tackles coach Kenny Martin. - BG Daily News

(DS#103 DT) rSr/2023

DT Mike Allen, Western Kentucky
News Source: BG Daily News
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05/12/21 - Jamale Carothers, rSr/2023, Western Kentucky, 5-09, 200 (DS#999 RB) + More +

Navy football is losing its leading returning rusher, a surprising development that is a gut punch for an offense hoping to recover from a disappointing 2020 season. Multiple sources told The Capital that projected starting fullback Jamale Carothers has been dismissed from the Naval Academy because of an honor code offense. He has entered the NCAA transfer portal and will spend his senior season elsewhere. Carothers played in 20 games with 12 starts as a sophomore and junior at Navy, rushing for 1,092 yards and 16 touchdowns. The 5-foot-9, 203-pounder also totaled eight receptions for 208 yards and three scores over the previous two seasons. - Capital Times

(DS#999 RB) rSr/2023

RB Jamale Carothers, Western Kentucky
News Source: Capital Times
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04/29/21 - Kendall Abdur-Rahman, rJr/2025, Western Kentucky, 6-0, 190 (DS#999 WR) + More +

Less than a month after putting his name into the transfer portal, former Notre Dame running back/wide receiver Kendall Abdur-Rahman has a landing spot. The 6-foot, 190-pound Edwardsville, Ill., product announced on Twitter Tuesday that he'll continue his college football career at Western Kentucky. Because of the NCAA's recent change to its transfer rules, Abdur-Rahman will be able to suit up for the Hilltoppers this fall instead of having to sit out a season. Western Kentucky opens its season Sept. 2 at home against Tennessee-Martin. The Hilltoppers went 5-7 in 2020.

The former high school QB enrolled early at Notre Dame in the spring semester of 2019. His only game action at ND came last season in a 52-0 blowout of South Florida on Sept. 19. He did not record a statistic of any kind in that game. Abdur-Rahman, a junior academically in the fall, could have as many as four years of eligibility at his new school, having redshirted in 2019 and having received the blanket COVID exemption in 2020. - South Bend Tribune

(DS#999 WR) rJr/2025

WR Kendall Abdur-Rahman, Western Kentucky
News Source: South Bend Tribune
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04/23/21 - Bailey Zappe, rSr/2022, Western Kentucky, 6-1, 217 (DS#8 QB) + More +

Western Kentucky transfer quarterback Bailey Zappe was voted the 2020 Southland Conference Fall Player of the Year, the league announced Tuesday. Zappe played four games in the fall for his previous institution, Houston Baptist, and then announced his decision to come to WKU in December. In an abridged 2020 season, the success of HBU's air raid passing offense made headlines throughout the country. In only four games, the Victoria, Texas, native completed 141 of 215 passes (65.6%) for 1,833 yards, with 15 touchdowns and one interception. At 458.3 yards per game, Zappe's average led all of college football and ranked 101.3 yards above the leading FBS passer (Dillon Gabriel of UCF, 357 yards per game) in 2020. - BG Daily News

(DS#8 QB) rSr/2022

QB Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky
News Source: BG Daily News
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04/17/21 - Dalvin Smith, rSr/2025, Western Kentucky, 6-2, 188 (DS#250 WR) + More +

Dalvin Smith is ready to come back strong from injury once again. The Glasgow graduate and Western Kentucky tight end has been back on the field at Houchens-Smith Stadium this spring for the Hilltoppers after seeing his 2020 season cut short because of a broken leg. "It feels amazing to be back out there with my teammates again," Smith said. "I'm just trying to help us get better every day." The 6-foot-3, 195-pound redshirt freshman saw his first significant action at the college level last fall and was coming on strong before the injury, playing in five games and catching four passes for 58 yards. Two of those were for scores - a 24-yard reception in the team's home opener against Liberty and a 26-yarder in a homecoming loss to Marshall. He also played against UAB and Chattanooga the following two weeks, but was injured midway through the first quarter against the Mocs.

Now, he's back and has been making plays throughout spring for the Hilltoppers. "It's good to have him back out there," said WKU co-offensive coordinator/inside receivers coach Bryan Ellis, who served as offensive coordinator the last two seasons. "It is a complete joy to coach Dalvin Smith. He's, first off, a phenomenal human being, a phenomenal kid. I'd adopt him as my son if his family would let him. That's how much I think about him. "Football-wise, he's a freak. He's 6-2, maybe even pushing 6-3, he's 190 pounds. He runs close to 22 mph. He's got a great catch radius, he's got really long arms, long limbs, he can really jump. He was a great basketball player in high school. The thing for him is the learning curve." - BG Daily News

(DS#250 WR) rSr/2025

WR Dalvin Smith, Western Kentucky
News Source: BG Daily News
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04/17/21 - Clay Davis, rSr/2022, Western Kentucky, 6-1, 230 (DS#999 OLB) + More +

Western Kentucky linebacker Clay Davis has announced his decision to end his football playing career. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound redshirt senior was attempting to make a comeback this spring after a knee injury sustained in 2020 fall camp left him out for the entire season. Davis tore his ACL and meniscus again during spring practice March 30. "The past 8 months has been an emotional rollercoaster for me. On August 27th, I had my first surgery to repair my ACL and meniscus. I rehabbed and grinded in the training room to get back with my teammates for spring practices," Davis wrote in a post on Twitter. "About 3 weeks into spring on March 30th, I retore my ACL and meniscus. After prayers and long talks with family, I have decided it is in my best interest to medically retire from the game of football. This has not been an easy decision for me, but it is the best one. I do not plan to be completely done with football. I am and will be searching for a GA coaching position. I want to thank you all of you for all of your support, prayers, and words of encouragement. The Hill will always be my home." - BG Daily News

(DS#999 OLB) rSr/2022

OLB Clay Davis, Western Kentucky
News Source: BG Daily News
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