WKU Football transfer portal database

Jake McMahon and Michael Givner Jr.

January 7, 2025

A WKU cheerleader waves a flag before running out in front of the football team in the L.T. Smith Stadium on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

This story will be updated as more commitments become available.

The new era of college football has led some WKU football players to leave the Hill in search of flatter pastures.

According to the TopperTalk Podcast, 37 Hilltoppers have entered the transfer portal. Of the 37 players, 19 have committed to continuing their college careers elsewhere as of Jan. 8. Wide receiver Moussa Berry and offensive lineman Marshall Jackson returned to WKU after entering the portal.

As of Jan. 13, WKU has earned 30 commitments through the portal.

Transfers Out

Quarterback Caden Veltkamp

Veltkamp is a redshirt sophomore who started 11 games for the Hilltoppers in the 2024 season. His 3,108 yards and 25 touchdowns earned him Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year. This is Veltkamp’s second time in the portal, as he entered last season before staying on the Hill.

Veltkamp will leave the Hill for Boca Raton, Florida, transferring to FAU to play under former WKU Offensive Coordinator Zach Kittley, who is the Owls’ head coach.

Quarterback TJ Finley

WKU was Finley’s fourth stop in college football as the journeyman transferred from Texas State for the 2024 season. Finley started three games for the Hilltoppers before a leg injury in week three kept him on the sideline and allowed Veltkamp to take the top spot. Finley committed to Tulane on Dec. 16.

Quarterback Turner Helton

Helton is a 6-foot-2 redshirt sophomore who spent 2022-24 at WKU. In 2023, Helton recorded 11 completions, a touchdown and an interception. Helton started the 2023 Famous Toastery Bowl before being benched for Veltkamp later in the game. Helton will leave his uncle, Head Coach Tyson Helton, to play for his father, Clay Helton, at Georgia Southern.

Runningback LT Sanders

Sanders, a 5-foot-7 junior from Gardendale, Alabama, will continue his career in his home state at the University of North Alabama. Last season, Sanders had 21 carriers for 103 yards and a touchdown. Sanders’ most productive year as a Hilltopper came in 2022 where he rushed for 292 yards on 44 carries.

Wide Receiver Easton Messer

Messer caught 55 passes for 793 yards and four touchdowns in 2024. In three years with WKU, Messer had 98 receptions for 1,321 yards. Messer is joining Veltkamp at FAU.

Wide Receiver Jaylen Hampton

Hampton is a freshman from Atlanta who did not see any action in 2024. He will continue his college career at Charlotte.

Tight End River Helms

Helms spent the first seven games as the Hilltoppers’ starting tight end in 2024 before an injury kept him off the field for the rest of the season. Before the injury, Helms tallied 19 receptions for 228 yards and two touchdowns. He was named to the 2024 Phil Steele Postseason CUSA All-Conference Second Team Offense. Helms transferred to Georgia Southern.

Tight End Elvin Fofanah

Fofanah is a 6-foot-3 Bowling Green native who played his high school ball at Bowling Green High School. The redshirt senior appeared in five games in two years at WKU after transferring in from Lindsey Wilson College. In 2024, Fofanah caught two passes for nine yards. He transferred to Gardner Webb.

Offensive Tackle Evan Wibberly

Wibberley was a member of the 2023 C-USA all-freshman team as a redshirt freshman. He played in all 14 games for the Hilltoppers in 2024.

He is keeping his talents in the Bluegrass and will continue his football career at the University of Kentucky

Offensive Lineman Rodney Newsom Jr.

The 6-foot-3 redshirt senior played in all 14 games for the Hilltoppers in 2024 and transferred to South Carolina.

Offensive Lineman Darrell Johnson

Johnson is a junior lineman out of Indianapolis. He played in one game as a Hilltopper against Liberty in 2023. Johnson transferred to Akron.

Defensive End Deante McCray

McCray was part of the 2023 C-USA All-Freshman Team. In 2024, he tallied 59 total tackles, which was tied for fourth most on WKU. McCray will continue his college career at Florida State.

Defensive End Marcus Patterson

Patterson is a redshirt sophomore who played in every game for the Hilltoppers this year. He had 21 total tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss. He will stay in CUSA at Kennesaw State.

Defensive Lineman Dallas Walker IV

Walker is a redshirt junior who transferred to WKU from Texas A&M for the 2023 season. Walker tallied 49 total tackles and four tackles for loss in 2024. He will take a second shot at SEC football as he transferred to Auburn.

Defensive Lineman Hosea Wheeler

Wheeler is a redshirt junior and is a 2024 All-CUSA First Team member. His stellar 2024 campaign included 75 tackles and five tackles for loss. He was a member of the 2023 All-CUSA second team. Wheeler will continue his college career at Indiana.

Defensive Lineman Jayden Loving

Loving is a redshirt junior who played in five games last season before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the year. In 2022, his first season with WKU after transferring from Bethune Cookman, Loving recorded 36 tackles. He transferred to Wake Forest.

Defensive Back Alexander Ford

Ford played in 12 games this year, tallying 15 total tackles. He played in five games for the Hilltoppers in 2023 and earned a spot on the 2023 All-CUSA Freshman Team. He will stay in CUSA at Kennesaw State.

Linebacker Darius Thomas

A redshirt junior, Thomas bounced back from a 2023 injury for a solid 2024 season. He had 54 tackles and four sacks. He will take his talents on a two-hour trip up I-65 and continue his career at Louisville.

Kicker Lucas Carneiro

Dubbed “Lucas the Leg” by his teammates, Carneiro had a career year in 2024. He went 18-for-19 on kicks in the season, with his only miss coming on his first attempt. Carneiro also went six-for-six on kicks over 50 yards.

He was named the 2024 CUSA Special Teams Player of the Year and a 2024 Lou Groza Award Semifinalist – the award for the best kicker in college football. Carneiro transferred to Ole Miss.

Transfers In

Quarterback Maverick McIvor

McIvor signed with WKU following three years with the Abilene Christian Wildcats. McIvor threw for 3,828 yards and 30 touchdowns last season, numbers that were fourth and sixth respectively in FCS.

Wide Receiver Jairus Mack

Mack is a redshirt junior who transferred to WKU from Charlotte. He had 19 catches for 418 yards in 2024.

Wide Receiver/Running Back La’Vell Wright

Wright gave himself the present of a new team when he committed to WKU on Christmas Day. The former three-star recruit spent three years with Kentucky, where he recorded 238 yards and a touchdown. Wright transferred to Austin Peay in 2024 where he recorded 609 rush yards and five touchdowns.

Defensive Lineman Jayden Gray

Gray comes to the Hill after two seasons on the roster of fellow Conference USA foe Louisiana Tech. The redshirt senior started two games last season, posting 14 tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks. The former three-star recruit also played a season at Iowa State

Defensive Lineman Jakeem Fletcher

Fletcher is a redshirt sophomore who transferred to WKU from Alabama State. He tallied 40 total tackles and a forced fumble last season for the Hornets.

Defensive Lineman Venson Sneed Jr.

Sneed is a redshirt sophomore who transferred to WKU from Indiana. Last season with the Hoosiers, he played in three games and tallied three tackles. In 2023, his redshirt freshman season, he played in all 12 games for Indiana.

Defensive Back Jaylen Lewis

Lewis is a redshirt sophomore cornerback who transferred to WKU from Temple. He had 43 total tackles, an interception and a forced fumble for the Owls in 2024.

Edge Dominic Oliver

A redshirt senior, Oliver joins the Hilltoppers after four seasons at San Diego State. The former three-star recruit comes to the Hill following a career-best 2024 season, tallying 15 tackles.

Offensive Lineman Jemeil Jackson

Jackson comes to WKU after spending last season with Central Michigan. The former Chippewa played three games with two starts before being sidelined with an injury. Jackson spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Fort Valley State and was a two-time All-CCA All-South Region selection.

Offensive Lineman Laurence Seymour

Seymour is a redshirt junior offensive lineman who transferred to WKU from Akron. Seymour played in seven games for the Zips in 2024. Before Akron, Seymour spent three seasons at Miami.

Wide Receiver Kody Epps

WKU added an experienced wide receiver in Epps after spending the last five seasons at BYU. Despite missing the 2021 season due to injury, Epps recorded 819 yards and seven touchdowns during his time with the Cougars, including a 459-yard, six-touchdown season in 2022. Last season he played six games with four starts.

Offensive Lineman Jaylin Rogers

The sophomore comes to WKU after spending his first season at Holmes Community College. The 6-foot-1, 279-pound lineman was part of a Bulldogs team that went 7-3.

Linebacker Montreze Smith Jr.

Smith Jr., a former three-star, spent his first year with Duke. In four games, he managed only one tackle.

Offensive Lineman Max Thurston

The 6-foot-5, 288-pound lineman comes to the Hill after his first season at Georgia Military College. He appeared in seven games for the 10-2 Bulldogs.

Tight End Jackson West

West spent the last four seasons at Florida State. The former Seminole appeared in 24 games in 2023 and 2024 and nine games in 2021. He was sidelined in 2022 due to injury, but his play in 2023 earned him Florida State’s Most Improved Player. He has also been named to the All-ACC Academic Team and the ACC Honor Roll.

Offensive Lineman Brandon Hollis

Hollis, a sophomore, transferred to WKU from Coahoma Community College. He played in seven games in 2024.

Offensive Lineman Willis Anderson

Anderson is a 6-foot-6, 315-pound lineman who transferred to WKU from East Central Community College.

Tight End Justin Wolf

Wolf is a 6-foot-4 senior who spent 2024 at Kansas State. Before KSU, Wolf spent 2020-23 at FCS Wagner College. He played in 21 games for the Seahawks and tallied seven receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown.

Wide Receiver Brandon Buckhaulter

Buckhaulter spent two years at UAB following a stint at Ole Miss. He played in three games in 2024 before an injury sidelined him for the season. In 2023, had five catches for 103 yards including a 75-yard touchdown.

Wide Receiver Matthew Henry

Henry is a 6-foot-1, 175-pound receiver who transferred to WKU from Western Illinois. He had 63 receptions for 1,179 yards and six touchdowns in 2024.

Defensive Back Braxton Myers

Myers is a 6-foot-1 cornerback who played last year at Southern Miss. Before his time at Southern Miss, Myers spent a semester as an early enrollee at Ole Miss and a season at Purdue.

Kicker John Cannon

Cannon is a 5-foot-9 redshirt senior kicker who transferred to WKU following a four-year stint at South Florida. Cannon went 12-for-16 in 2024 with a long of 53 yards. Before becoming a Bull, Cannon was given First Team All-State honors in the state of Florida during his sophomore year of high school.

Defensive Back Jalen Emery

Emery is a former three-star recruit who spent his first four years at Houston. The 5-foot-10 redshirt senior played in 21 games over three seasons and had 37 total tackles. As a redshirt freshman in 2022, Emery led all Houston freshmen with 26 tackles and his seven pass breakups were tied for most by freshmen in the American Athletic Conference.

Defensive Lineman Eric Etienne

Etienne is a 6-foot-1 sophomore who posted 13 tackles and two sacks in one year at FCS Norfolk State. As a senior in high school, he tallied 63 tackles and four sacks.

Linebacker Kennon Loftin

Loftin is a 6-foot-2 junior who joins WKU from the junior college level at Jones College. He played in 16 games over two seasons and had 46 tackles. In seven games last season, Loftin had 31 tackles and three tackles for loss.

Defensive Lineman Rylen Su’a-filo

Su’a-filo joins WKU after three seasons at FCS Southern Utah. He had 27 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and a sack over 12 games in 2024. Su’a-filo was named to the All-UAC (United Athletic Conference) Second Team in 2023, tallying 28 tackles and five tackles for loss.

Offensive Lineman Weston Wallace

Wallace is coming off his second season for Georgia Southern. The 6-foot-4 redshirt senior played in every game for the Eagles with one start in 2024. In 2023, on the other side of the ball as a defensive lineman, he had 12 tackles. Before Georgia Southern, Wallace started his career at Georgia.

Wide Receiver Kelby Williams

Williams joins WKU from Old Dominion. He is a 6-foot-2 senior who caught 28 passes for 503 yards and three touchdowns. Before Old Dominion, he played at Trinity Valley Community College.

Defensive Lineman Mackavelli Malotumau

Malotumau is a 6-foot-1 senior who spent two seasons at Nevada. He tallied 25 tackles and a sack in his 19 games with the Wolfpack. Before Nevada, he spent a season at Utah Tech.

Tight End Trace Patterson

Patterson joins WKU after two seasons at Feather River College. The 6-foot-5 redshirt sophomore caught 39 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns in 2024 and earned All-Conference honors in the Northern California Football Conference.