Western Carolina looks for 'Breakthrough' Season

Team Overview

Head Coach

Kerwin Bell (17-16, 4th year)

2023 Record

7-4 overall, 5-3 SoCon (4th)

Last Playoff Appearance

The Catamounts last appeared in the FCS playoffs back in 1983 where they advanced all the way to the national championship game after notching wins over Colgate (W, 24-23), at Holy Cross (W, 28-21) and at Furman (W, 14-7) to reach the national championship game, which was played at The Citadel’s Johnson-Hagood Stadium in Charleston, S.C. The Catamounts would end up dropping a 43-7 contest to Southern Illinois. That lone playoff appearance remains the only FCS playoff appearance in program history.

Returning Starters and Starters Lost

Returning Starters: 14
- Offense: 5
- Defense: 6
- Special Teams: 3
Starters Lost: 12
- Offense: 6
- Defense: 5
- Special Teams: 1

Redshirt Sports Predicted Finish

3rd in the Southern Conference

Ranking in Redshirt Sports FCS Preseason Top 25

No. 14

Key Offensive Performers Returning

QB Cole Gonzales: 204-of-310 passing, 2,803 yds, 28 TDs, 8 INTs
RB Branson Adams: 89 rush att, 539 yds, 3 TDs, 6.1 YPC/36 rec, 266 yds, 4 TDs, 7.4 YPR
C Blake Whitmore: Has started 22-straight games over the past two seasons
WR AJ Colombo: 31 rec, 438 yds, 5 TDs, 14.1 YPR
RT Derek Simmons: Started first six games of 2023 season before suffering a season-ending injury at Chattanooga
LG Xavier Graham: 6 starts in 2023 before season-ending injury
WR Calvin Jones: 27 rec, 348 yds, 2 TDs, 12.9 YPR

Key Losses on Offense

RB Desmond Reid
WR Censere Lee
TE Ajay Belanger
OL Tyler Smith
OL Christian Coulter
WR David White Jr.

Key Defensive Performers Returning

DB Samaurie Dukes: 29 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 3 INTs
DB CJ Williams: 44 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 6 PBUs, 1 INT
FS Ed Jones IV: 40 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FR, 2 QBHs, 1 FF
LB Hayward McQueen Jr.: 26 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 FF, 1 PBU, 1 QBH
LB Antoine Williams: 39 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2 PBU, 3 QBHs, 1 FR, 1 FF
DE Caleb Fisher: 18 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 0.5 sack, 4 QBHs
DL Jaquarius Guinn: 26 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 QBH
DL Curtis Fann Jr.: 22 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 QBH, 1 FR, 3 FFs

Key Losses on Defense

DL Marlon Alexander
DE Jayelin Davis
CB Rod Gattison
S Andreas Keaton
LB Va Lealaimatafao

Key Transfer Portal Additions

LB Wesley Scott (Tusculum)
QB Jefferson Boaz (North Carolina)
DB Amarian Robinson (Youngstown State)
OL Jordan Daniels (Akron/Charlotte)
DL Jamichael Wilson (Tusculum)

Preseason All-SoCon Selections

QB Cole Gonzales (1st Team/Preseason Player of the Year)
C Blake Whitmore (1st Team)
WR AJ Colombo (1st Team)
LS Colby Cross (1st Team)
RB Branson Adams (2nd Team)
OL Derek Simmons (2nd Team)
DL Curtis Fann Jr (2nd Team)
DB Samaurie Dukes (2nd Team)
DB CJ Williams (2nd Team)
DB Ed Jones IV (2nd Team)

Celebrating 50 years of EJ Whitmire Stadium

When the Catamounts take the field for the 2024 season for the first time on the home turf on Sept. 7, as the Catamounts will host in-state rival and CAA member Campbell, marking the start of its 50th season of operation.

The Catamounts played their first season inside the friendly confines of EJ Whitmire Stadium back in 1974, and it was a special inaugural campaign inside the facility, as the Catamounts finished the season 9-2 and made it to the Division II playoffs, where they would see their season come to an end in Rushton, LA, with a 10-7 opening round loss to Louisiana Tech.

After losing its first-ever game inside the facility, with a 10-3 setback to Murray State, the Catamounts would close out the their first season in the new facility by winning their next five, finishing the ‘74 campaign with an impressive 5-1 record inside the facility. It would be a season which would be the final campaign at the NCAA Division II level, and one that would see the Catamounts finish the season ranked No. 8 nationally, according to the Associated Press.

Last season, the Catamounts led the Southern Conference in home attendance averaging, hosting a seasonal average of 11,935 fans. That ranked as the 15th-best attendance average in all of FCS football last season.

All told, Western Carolina has posted a 149-117-3 (.549) mark all-time at EJ Whitmire Stadium (Bob Waters Field) heading into what will be the 50th campaign in operation for the facility.

2024 Preseason Overview

The 2024 season will mark head coach Kerwin Bell’s fifth at the helm of Western Carolina football, and during his fourth, he continued to make inroads in how others view Catamount football nationally.

As he said a couple of weeks ago at the Southern Conference’s annual media outing, "Now is the time for Western Carolina football," as the Catamounts look to build upon what was a 7-4 season a year ago and one that literally came down to the final week of the season before the Catamounts saw their playoff hopes come to a bitter end at Foster Stadium in Lexington, VA., with a 27-24 loss to the VMI Keydets.

The Catamounts’ success in 2023, especially on the offensive side of the football, had its consequences, however, as Western Carolina had to replace four assistant coaches and suffered massive losses production-wise to the transfer portal.

Head coach Kerwin Bell had to replace his offensive coordinator, Cade Bell, who took that same role at the University of Pittsburgh this past spring. He took with him two of WCU’s premier offensive weapons from a year ago, in running back Desmond Reid (1,723 rushing and 17 TDs in 2 seasons for WCU) and wideout Censere Lee (1,426 receiving yds and 14 TDs in 2 seasons for WCU).

The good news is, despite those massive losses on the offensive side of the football, 80.2% of the most prolific offense in the FCS from a year ago is back, or put differently, 4,445 of the 5,545 yards gained a year ago return.

Heading into the 2023 season, the Catamounts had been hoping to snap a streak of four decades without having made an appearance in the FCS playoffs. The Catamounts finished 5-3 in Southern Conference play, which was good enough for a tie for third in the league standings. Western Carolina posted losses to VMI, Mercer (L, 38-45) and No. 2 Furman (L, 17-29), with the setbacks to both the Paladins and Bears coming inside the friendly confines of EJ Whitmire Stadium.

When Western Carolina takes the field this fall to open the season on Aug. 29 at Carter-Finley Stadium at North Carolina State, it will be the 90th season of Catamount football, and it will be looking to snap a 41-year FCS Playoff drought, as well as a streak of never having won (outright and shared) the regular-season SoCon football crown since joining the league in 1976.

All told, it will mark WCU’s 46th season of competition on the SoCon gridiron, and the Catamounts have posted an all-time mark of 129-215 in league games.

Previewing the Catamount Offense

Western Carolina’s offense was the most prolific in all of FCS football last season, averaging 504.1 YPG to lead the nation, while also ranking fourth nationally and leading the SoCon in scoring offense (37.5 PPG) and third in the FCS in passing offense (321.2 YPG).

To encapsulate how prolific the Catamount offense was last season, it’s 5,445 yards and 413 total points scored were both program records, marking the first 400-point season in school history. The 3,533 passing yards and 33 passing scores were also new program standards established in 2023.

Since 2016, the Catamounts have been the SoCon’s statistical champions four times (2017, ‘21, ‘22, and ‘23), with three of those statistical titles coming under Bell’s watchful eye. Prior to 2017, the Catamounts had only led the SoCon in total offense at season’s end on only two occasions, which came in 1977 and ‘93, respectively.

Returning to highlight that potent attack, which dropped a school-record 77 points in a game for a second-straight season in the non-conference is quarterback Cole Gonzales (204-of-310 passing, 2,803 yds, 28 TDs, 8 INTs), who was the media’s 2023 offensive player of the year, and heads into the ‘24 campaign as the coaches’ selection to repeat the feat.

“I thank coach Bell everyday for giving me full trust to lead this offense of this team because I get to go out there and do what I love and this is an offense he [coach Bell] built from square one and coach Cade [Bell/former WCU offensive coordinator] and also Rylan [Wells] have all mixed it together to make it what it is today, which is one of the best if not the best in the country” WCU quarterback Cole Gonzales said at SoCon media day last month.

Gonzales’ preseason plaudits extend far beyond the perimeter of the old Beaumont Mill Building in Spartanburg, S.C.—the building that is home to the SoCon’s League Office—as his preseason hype has reached all the way to Chicago, IL and the home offices of STATS Perform FCS, garnering praise as one of the leading candidates for the Walter Payton Award, which is given annually to the top player in FCS football.

Gonzales has been busy blazing a trail few have in just two seasons as the Catamounts signal-caller, entering his junior season already ranking 11th in career passing yards (4,139 yds), fourth in career scoring tosses (39), and ninth in career total offense (4,489 yds).

In today’s age of the transfer portal and making the “next best move”, which is subject to the one making that decision of course, Gonzales would have had a worthy rolodex of suitors, however, sometimes the grass is just as green where you are, and that was the decision at least for the 2024 season that would see Gonzales’ decision to ultimately return.

While he won’t have running back Desmond Reid or wideout Censere Lee, who did both enter the portal, he will still have an embarrassing amount of offensive talent at his disposal for the 2024 campaign, which gives him a great chance to once again be among the top quarterbacks in the FCS, and just maybe its top overall individual player.

Set to line up as the starting running back for the Purple and Gold in 2024 will be Branson Adams (89 rush att, 539 yds, 3 TDs, 6.1 YPC/36 rec, 266 yds, 4 TDs, 7.4 YPR). When Reid went down with two separate injuries last season, first against Chattanooga, and then for a more prolonged period following an early and completely different injury in the Furman game, it was Adams who came in and filled the role of leading ground-gainer for WCU and did so with some productivity and big-play ability, as witnessed in the Chattanooga game.

Adams was second on the team in both rushing yards and receiving yards last season behind both Reid and Lee, respectively, and behind Gonzales, ranks as WCU’s second-most reputable offensive option returning for the 2024 campaign numbers-wise. Adams’ 37-yard scoring run late in the third quarter in WCU’s historic 52-50 win at No. 20/24 Chattanooga last season proved to be a momentum shifter in the way of Catamounts.

Adams’ run would serve as the catalyst in helping the Catamounts notch their first road win against a ranked opponent since 1984 at No. 12 Furman, as the 52-50 win by WCU over the No. 20 Mocs saw the Catamounts improve to 4-48-2 all-time on the road against ranked FCS foes. It goes without saying he’ll be a versatile option that Gonzales can rely on once again this fall.

One of the most reliable options in the passing game for Western Carolina this fall will be Calvin Jones (27 rec, 348 yds, 2 TDs, 12.9 YPR). Jones started 10 of 11 games for the Purple and Gold last season and turned his best efforts of the season in games against The Citadel and Mercer. In the 49-14 win at The Citadel, Jones hauled in five passes for 65 yards. In the 45-38 home loss to the Bears, Jones matched that season-high against the Bulldogs with five grabs for a season-high 89 yards and a touchdown. The redshirt junior from Forest City, N.C., has totaled 89 catches for 1,196 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 13.4 YPR in his Catamount career.

The other main receiving option for the Catamounts this fall is a player that took the league by storm last season as one of the SoCon’s top playmakers—sophomore wideout AJ Colombo (31 rec, 438 yds, 5 TDs, 14.1 YPR). Colombo actually joined the Catamount football program back in 2022 as a walk-on, and he’s become an instant star. His speed and elusiveness make him a versatile weapon in the passing game, as well as a return threat.

Zion Booker (8 rec, 176 yds, 22.0 YPR) logged action in 10 of 11 games for the Catamounts last season, and he’s one of three projected starters at wideout for the Purple and Gold heading into the 2024 season. The 5-10, 185-lb sophomore from Charlotte, N.C., made his first-career catch in his very first game of his career against Arkansas, as he hauled in a 13-yard pass. His biggest catch of his young career likely came in the 52-50 road win over nationally-ranked Chattanooga, as he hauled in a 41-yard pass.

Others that figure to play prominent roles in the Catamount passing game this fall as being viable options for Gonzales goes to the air includes both De’Andre Tamarez (7 rec, 103 yds, 2 TDs, 14.7 YPR) is a redshirt sophomore from Overtown, FL, that is poised to have a similar type impact to that of Colombo last season, as a potential breakout wideout for WCU in 2024. The 5-11, 180-lb redshirt sophomore has hauled in 10 receptions for 165 yards and four scores in 15 total games over the past couple of seasons. His speed will give the Catamounts to once again to stretch the field and has also proved to be an asset on intermediate routes in limited action in his first couple of seasons.

Malik Knight, Corey Reddick Jr., and Patrick Boyd Jr. (3 rec, 48 yds, 16.0 YPR) will all be in competition to represent the Catamounts as a part of the top six wideouts this fall as a part of the depth chart. Knight is a 6-2, 185-lb redshirt sophomore, who is looking to see the first action of his career this fall and looked particularly good in the spring game, hauling in a pair of passes for 50 yards.

Boyd Jr. saw action in four games last season, and was able to maintain his redshirt status as a result. The 5-10, 170-lb redshirt freshman from Fort Lauderdale, FL., hauled in three passes for 48 yards, as well as adding a pair of kick returns for 41 yards during his rookie season. He had his best performance against East Tennessee State, as he hauled in two passes for 41 yards, including a career-long 36-yard reception in the lopsided 58-7 win in the final home game of the 2024 season.

Tight end has been a position of strength under the direction of Kerwin Bell, and with the graduation of Ajay Belanger, the new man catching passes at tight end for the Catamounts this fall will be Jake Young (2 rec, 4 yds). Young has seen only very limited action in his careertothis point

The Catamounts have a seasoned offensive line returning of three starters, but has to replace some significant pieces heading into the upcoming season, with both Tyler Smith and Christian Coulter won’t be easy to replace along the offensive front. Both Smith and Coulter are all-league caliber performers, starting at the left tackle and right tackle positions, respectively, and leave some rather large shoes to be filled along the Western Carolina offensive front.

The three returning starters back along the offensive front will hope to generate the kind of success that the Catamounts were able to accomplish in what was historic fashion last fall. The holdovers from the 2023 season include center Blake Whitmore (C), left guard Xavier Graham (LG), and right guard Caleb Carter (RG) all return to the fold for the 2024 campaign.

Carter, who entered the 2023 game as a starter, saw his season come to a premature end by suffering a season-ending injury in WCU’s second game of the season, which was a 30-7 win over Samford. The redshirt junior from Jacksonville, N.C., is a 6-3, 300-lb redshirt junior that has seen action in 13 games over the past two seasons, with three starts.

Derrick Simmons (RT) is another veteran returning along the offensive line, and he will look to fill in at right tackle for WCU this fall. Simmons enters his third season of college football, including what will be his second season donning the Purple and Gold uniform. Simmons started the first six games of the 2023 season before seeing his season end following an injury in WCU’s 52-50 win at No. 19 Chattanooga. Simmons is a preseason second-team All-SoCon selection.

Whitmore is one of the Catamounts’ most experienced offensive linemen and he returns after starting all 11 games for WCU at center last fall. THe 6-2, 295-lb redshirt senior from Raleigh, N.C.,comes into the 2024 campaign having started 22-consecutive games over the course of the 2022 and ‘23 campaigns, respectively. Whitmore is a preseason Second-Team All-SoCon selection.

Graham is WCU’s most imposing presence, as he enters the 2023 season, at 6-2, 330 lbs. The former UMass transfer comes into the 2024 campaign off a campaign, which saw him start nine of 11 games for WCU last season. He made his debut as a Catamount in the season-opening 56-13 loss at Arkansas.

Depth along the offensive line should be in pretty good shape, with senior Zach Watson (RG) and junior Mannassah Ripert (RT) set to provide depth on the right side of the front, while junior Brett Gray (LT) and sophomore Evan Carney (LG) are set to bolster the reserves on the left side of the offensive front.

Watson saw action in three games last season along the offensive line and on special teams, while Ripert will see his first action in a Catamount offensive line after having played in 13 games his first two seasons as an offensive lineman at both Dodge City CC and Kentucky Christian. Like Graham, the 6-2, 320-lb Ripert will give the Catamounts some imposing size along the offensive front.

Carney is a 6-3, 305-lb product of Nashville, TN., and the redshirt sophomore is likely to serve as WCU’s backup behind Graham at the left guard position. Last season, did not see action to a season-ending, off-season injury. He saw action in two games against Presbyterian and Charleston Southern during his rookie campaign with the Catamounts.

Gray is a 6-3, 275-lb junior, who was a mid-season transfer from Valparaiso last season. He played in 22 games over three seasons for Valpo, which included 11 starts as a redshirt sophomore.

Others that could contend for a place on the depth chart in fall camp include Steven Hamby (OT), Cade McClellan (OG), and Nate Linkous (OT/OG).

The Catamounts are once again set to have one of the deepest and largest offensive lines in the SoCon yet again this season. It’s one of the biggest reasons so many have Western Carolina positioned to not only have one of the top offenses in the SoCon, but should again also be elite among its FCS brethren.The offensive front was able to keep Gonzales’ jersey clean for the most part last season, allowing just 10 sacks in 11 games, which ranked ninth in all of FCS.

Previewing the Catamount Defense

While big things are once again seemingly ahead for the Catamount offense, which will likely remain the case as long as Kerwin Bell is the head coach, the Western Carolina defense is under new leadership this fall with former Tusculum head coach Jerry Odom isset to take the reins of the defense this fall.

“After evaluating our team…I think that’s something you always have to do at the end of each season and we were No. 1 in the nation in offense and we’ve in the top 10 the past three years on offense and we just have improved to the point defensively that you have to have with a competitive, championship team and Jerry [Odom] and I have had a chance to work together and we did some great things at JU [Jacksonville University] together and I trust him and man he’s got so much experience and so much knowledge and he sort of knows the questions before they are asked…he’s that kind of coach,” Western Carolina head coach Kerwin Bell said of his new defensive coordinator.

Odom inherits a Catamount defense that finished the 2023 season ranking 69th in total defense (372.8 YPG), while ranking 60th (154.1 YPG) against the run this past season, and 72nd nationally in pass defense (218.7 YPG). The Catamounts also ranked 73rd nationally in pass defense (27.5 PPG).

A total of six starters return to the Catamounts’ defensive unit this fall and it will be one looking to change the narrative it has had over the past few previous seasons under Chazmon Scales, which showed flashes of being a really good unit, but as head coach Kerwin Bell said at media day, could never quite meet the overall standard required to win a Southern Conference championship. The Catamounts will utilize primarily a 4-2-5 defensive alignment under Odom.

Highlighting the returnees along the defensive line for the Catamount defensive front this fall will be veteran and senior defensive tackle Jaquarius Guinn (26 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 QBH) and redshirt junior defensive end Caleb Fisher (18 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 0.5 sack, 4 QBHs). Guinn is one of the most experienced players on either side of the football, having logged action in 40 career games as a member of the Purple and Gold defensive unit, which includes 30 starts. He has 82-career tackles in a Catamount uniform, which includes a career-high 26 tackles that came last fall. He has 33 career solid stops, seven tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in his Catamount career. Look for Guinn to contend for all-league honors this fall.

Fisher started all 11 games for WCU last fall and and the 6-3, 230-lb native of Decatur, GA., posted tackles in eight of 11 games for the Purple and Gold last season. He had one of his best performances of the season in WCU’s 52-50 win at Chattanooga, posting two tackles, four quarterback hurries and half-a-sack.

Slated to fill out the other two starting spots along the Catamount defensive front this fall include defensive tackle Chris Morgan (30 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 1.0 sack), as well as ‘BANDIT’ linebacker/defensive end Curtis Fann Jr. (22 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 QBH, 1 FR, 3 FFs). Fann Jr. will split time with Micah Nelson at the ‘BANDIT’ linebacker spot this fall. Nelson was a preseason first-team All-SoCon selection in 2023, however, suffered an injury that would end up sidelining him for the entire 2023 season.

Morgan has plenty of experience, as the fifth-year senior has seen action in 37-career games for the Catamounts, which includes eight starts. The 6-0, 270-lb native of Maiden, N.C., has recorded 90-career tackles, including 36 solo tackles, as well as having posted 12.5 tackles-for-loss and eight sacks in his career. Morgan would log action in 11 games last season, with two starts. His best effort arguably came in WCU’s 30-7 win over No. 7/8 Samford, finishing with three tackles and a sack.

Fann. Jr. is a 6-3, 255-lb redshirt senior from Stillmore, GA, and he comes off a season in which he logged action in all 11 games for the Catamounts last season and he started nine of this games. Fann made his debut for the Catamounts against Arkansas last season.

Nelson returns with good experience and was even a preseason first-team All-SoCon selection coming into the 2023 season, but a season-ending injury brought an abrupt end to his season before it couldn’t even get started.Nelson returned during the spring, and his poise to have a big return to the Catamount defense this fall. His speed and quickness on the edge will be a vital asset to a defense that had just 20 sacks last season.

Hayward McQueen Jr. (26 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 FF, 1 PBU, 1 QBH) and Antoine Williams (39 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2 PBU, 3 QBHs, 1 FR, 1 FF) are both back to tag-team the weak side linebacker position in 2024. Both should log significant time in the Catamount linebacking unit this fall.

Williams originally transferred into Western Carolina from Austin Peay where he was an All-America caliber linebacker prior to arriving in Cullowhee. McQueen logged action in 10 of 11 games for WCU last season, including three starting assignments. Williams entered the 2023 season as a Buck Buchanan Award candidate. He. battled some nagging injuries throughout the 2023 season, but still managed to finish with 39 tackles, including 16 solo stops.

McQueen has seen action in 21-career games for WCU and he split time with Williams at weakside linebacker last season. The junior from FT. Lauderdale, FL., 85-career tackles, including 41 solo stops, eight tackles-for-loss and two sacks. He was a member of the 2022 SoCon All-Freshman team.

At middle linebacker, both Blue Monroe (11 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 0.5 sack, 1 QBH) and Antarron Turner (8 tackles, 1 QBH) will tag team the middle linebacker position. The 6-1, 230-lb played in all 11 games as a redshirt freshman last season and and logged action mostly on special teams as well as on defense. He finished with 11 tackles, including having made five solo stops. He finished with a career-best three tackles in WCU’s late-season win at Wofford last season.

Turner also a player that figures to contribute in a major way for WCU this season, and the 6-2, 230-lb redshirt sophomore from Ocala, FL., saw action in all 11 games for the Purple and Gold last season, as he finished the season with eight tackles, including four solo stops. While the Catamounts will be a little green at middle linebacker this fall, both Monroe and Turner should add good athleticism to the heart of the Catamounts defense this fall.

Wesley Scott will alsoprovide some depth in the heart of the Catamount defense at middle linebacker this fall. The 6-0, 210-lb graduate student and is a two-time transfer prior to his arrival in Cullowhee, with his most recent stop having been at Tusculum, and before that, he played at Keiser. Over the past four seasons at both Tusculum and Keiser, Scott has racked up 304 tackles, 32 tackles-for-loss and nine sacks. He will have an excellent opportunity to be an impact contributor for WCU this fall.

There is some good experience returning in the defensive backfield for the Catamounts this fall, with Samaurie Dukes (29 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 3 INTs) and CJ Williams (44 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 6 PBUs, 1 INT) highlighting that experience returning to the fold for the 2024 season. The Catamounts must also replace All-SoCon safety Andreas Keaton, who opted to enter the transfer portal at the conclusion of last season. Keaton was WCU’s leading tackler last season, having amassed 67 tackles and three pass breakups to finish out the 2023 campaign. Williams is one of three selections to the second team all-conference squad in the preseason.

Dukes is a 5-10, 188-lb junior from Miami and he heads into the 2024 season as a preseason all-league selection, having garnered second-team plaudits in the preseason. He saw action in all 11 games last season, and figures to be the starter for the Catamounts at one of the two corner positions.

At the other cornerback spot, the Catamounts will have another all-conference caliber cornerback and a veteran to count on this fall, in CJ Williams. The 5-10, 170-lb senior from Gallion, AL., is coming off his career-best season in a Catamount uniform, as he was able to finish out the campaign with a career-best 44 tackles, which included making 32 stops of the solo variety. He had his best game in the 52-50 road win over nationally-ranked Chattanooga, recording a career-high nine tackles, while recording his first-career INT in WCU’s dramatic road win at Eastern Kentucky.

The Catamounts will employ the services of three safeties as a part of the 4-2-5 defensive alignment, utilizing a nickel safety spot, which also can act as an extra linebacker and is more of a hybrid position. Set to occupy that spot as a part of the Catamount defense this fall will be Ken Moore Jr.(17 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1 INT, 3 PDs). He can also act as a reserve at corner for the Catamounts and has excellent coverage skills. The 5-10, 160-lb redshirt sophomore, like Dukes, his teammate in the secondary, hails from Miami. Moore Jr. saw action in all 11 games last season as a member of the secondary, as well as the special teams unit.

Competing with Moore Jr. for the starting responsibilities at the nickel spot in fall camp has been Youngstown State transfer Amarian Robinson. He played in 40-career games during his time with the Penguins, which included making five starts. The 5-10, 175-lb native of Akron, OH., will have one year of eligibility remaining this season. Robinson has made 31-career tackles, which includes 24 solo tackles and has two tackles-for-loss, a sack and a pair of pass breakups. Robinson’s athleticism can also be seen in that he was a contributor on special teams for the Penguins, registering 62 kick return yards last season as a senior with YSU.

Ed Jones IV (40 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FR, 2 QBHs, 1 FF) will also give the Catamounts plenty of veteran leadership at the free safety spot this fall. The 6-1, 200-lb, senior native of Arlington, TX, saw action in all 11 games, with 10 starts for the Purple and Gold last season. His 40 tackles, which included 21 solo stops, ranked him fifth overall on the team in total tackles last season. Jones will also begin the 2024 season as an all-conference selection, with him being selected to the second-team All-SoCon in the preseason by the league’s head coaches.

Jones’ biggest asset that he brings to the Catamount defensive unit is that he’s physical and he’s especially adept at coming up and making plays against the run.

Rover Mateo Sudipo (3 tackles, 0.5 TFL) rounds out the projected starters in the Catamount defense entering the 2024 season and the senior from Wake Forest, N.C., is a player that gives the back line even more veteran leadership. Sudipo saw his season cut short, as he suffered a season-ending injury in the season-opening loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks last season.

Previewing the Catamount Special Teams Unit

The Catamounts have a rather big void to fill on its special teams unit heading into the 2024 season, with the departure of one of the most poised place-kicker’s in all of FCS football, as the Catamounts must replace Richard McCollum. McCollum left school as the program’s second all-time leading scorer.

Set to try and fill those rather large shoes left by McCollum at place-kicker this coming fall will be Paxton Robertson. Robertsonis set to handle both the kickoff duties and the place-kicking responsibilities for the Catamounts this coming season. The senior has seen action in 36-career games, but was limited to just six games last season due to injury.

Robertson has contributed in both place-kicking and punting in his career suiting up for the Purple and Gold. He has 174-career kickoffs, averaging 57.6 yards-per-kickoff, and has totaled 57 touchbacks during his career with the Catamounts. He also punted 38 times between the 2020 and ‘21 campaigns, averaging 38.9 yards-per-punt. Robertson has a strong leg and is ready for his opportunity to succeed one of the all-time greats in the history of WCU at place-kicker.

Also returning to the fold for WCU this fall will be sophomore starting punter Stephen Brantley (40.3 YPP) as well as redshirt senior long snapper Colby Cross. Brantley comes off a season that saw him play in all 11 games, contributing as both the team’s punter and also logged responsibilities as the holder for place-kicking last fall. As a result of his duties as a punter last season, he garnered SoCon All-Freshman Team plaudits last season. Brantley punted 31 times for a combined 1,248 yards, averaging a solid 40.3 yards-per-punt, which included a career-best 59-yard punt vs. Charleston Southern last season.

Cross has played in 22-career games for Western Carolina, including handling the long-snapping duties in all 11 games for the Catamounts last season. Cross will be entering his fifth season with the program. The Catamounts have one of the best return threats in all of the Southern Conference, in AJ Colombo. Colombo finished the 2023 season averaging 12.0 yards on 16 punt returns (192 yds) last season, while returning six kickoffs for 78 yards and an average of 13.0 YPR last season. Colombo will be joined by Calvin Jones for the primary kickoff return duties. Jones averaged an impressive 22.9 yards-per-kickoff-return last season, amassing 252 yards on 11 total return attempts.

Overall Synopsis

Western Carolina is a football team that is once again one that is knocking on the door of a first-ever Southern Conference title, as well as one that is primed to try and break the streak of 41 years without an FCS playoff bid. To do that, the Catamounts must navigate what is an especially difficult non-conference schedule, which includes a trip out to Missoula, MT., to face off against the Montana Grizzlies at one of the tougher venues in all of FCS football, as the Catamounts will make their first-ever trek to Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

Other tough games for the Catamounts include trips to Elon and North Carolina State, while the Purple and Gold will open up their home slate on Sept. 7 against Campbell.

While the Catamounts have a difficult non-conference slate, there is a bit of good news in that the Catamounts will host preseason league favorite Chattanooga in the friendly confines of EJ Whitmire Stadium on Nov. 2. The good news is after a tough non-conference slate, the Catamounts will start Southern Conference play with a pair of home games against the two teams that finished at the bottom of the league last season, opening the league slate on Oct. 5 with a visit from the Wofford Terriers, who finished eighth in the nine-team league last season. The following week Western Carolina will welcome in The Citadel, who finished ninth in the SoCon last season before the Catamounts get what should be their first major test in Southern Conference play, facing Furman on Oct.19.

The two major deciding factors on whether or not the Catamounts make a run at the Southern Conference title or challenge for an FCS playoff bid will depend a lot on whether or not the defense is improved under Odom, and if the Catamounts can find a way to finish out the non-conference slate with no worse than a 2-2 record. North Carolina State and Montana look like probable losses, although an upset in Missoula is more likely to happen in September than it is in November, and though not likely, anything is possible with either game. But assuming both of those games are losses, it means the games at playoff contender Elon (Sept. 21) at vs. Campbell (Sept. 7) are must-win games.

With that said, the Catamounts also need to avoid any unforeseen hiccups in conference play and need to find a way to gain a split (1-1) against Chattanooga and Furman in what, at least on paper, appear to be their toughest league tests.

2024 Schedule Prediction

Aug. 29 at No. 23 North Carolina State — L, 17-52
Sept. 7 vs. Campbell — W, 42-21
Sept. 14 at Elon — W, 28-26
Sept. 21 at Montana — L, 31-35
Oct. 5 vs. Wofford* — W, 38-17
Oct. 12 vs. The Citadel* — W, 37-17
Oct. 19 at Furman* — L, 38-44
Oct. 26 at Mercer* — W, 28-10
Nov. 2 vs. Chattanooga* — W, 44-41
Nov. 9 at East Tennessee State* — W, 41-40 (OT)
Nov. 16 vs. VMI* — W, 38-28
Nov. 23 at Samford* — L, 31-41

Games marked with an asterisk (*) are conference games.

2024 Final Record Prediction

8-4, 6-2 SoCon (T-2nd)
Western Carolina qualifies for the FCS Playoffs for the first time in 41 years