Western Kentucky 2012 Recruiting

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers - 2012 ... Head Coach: Willie Taggart

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

2011 Record: 7-5

Sep. 1 Kentucky (in Nash.) L 14-3
Sep. 10 Navy L 40-14
Sep. 17 Indiana State L 44-16
Sep. 24 OPEN DATE
Oct. 1 Arkansas State L 26-22
Oct. 6 at Mid Tenn. W 36-33 2OT
Oct. 15 at Florida Atlantic W 20-0
Oct. 22 Louisiana W 42-23
Oct. 29 at ULM W 42-23
Nov. 5 FIU W 10-9
Nov. 12 at LSU L 42-9
Nov. 19 at North Texas W 31-21
Nov. 26 Troy W 41-18

2010 CFN Prediction: 1-11
2010 Record: 2-10

Sept. 4 at Nebraska L 49-10
Sept. 11 at Kentucky L 63-28
Sept. 18 Indiana L 38-21
Sept. 25 at USF L 24-12
Oct. 2 OPEN DATE
Oct. 9 at FIU L 28-21
Oct. 16 ULM L 35-30
Oct. 23 at Louisiana W 54-21
Oct. 30 North Texas L 33-6
Nov. 6 Florida Atlantic L 17-16
Nov. 13 at Ark St W 36-35 OT
Nov. 20 MTSU L 27-26
Nov. 27 at Troy L 28-14
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 Western Kentucky Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. OG Curtis Williams
6-4, 330, Scout.com three-star guard.

2. DE Calvin Washington
6-4, 270, Scout.com two-star JUCO transfer.

3. CB Brett Harrington
6-2, 200, Scout.com two-star JUCO transfer.

4. LB DaQual Randall
6-0, 230, Scout.com 152nd ranked, two-star outside linebacker.

5. RB Travis Elliott
5-11, 210, Scout.com 162nd ranked, two-star running back.

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... Head coach Willie Taggert is paving the road for down the road with the lines. The offensive line is about to get an important infusion to build for 2014 and beyond. The line might not be a need right now, but it’s going to get the most key players with some huge, HUGE bodies ready to blast away for the interior.

Team Concerns For 2012: Bobby Rainey. The Hilltoppers are losing their heart-and-soul running back who carried the offense time and time again. Losing left tackle Wes Jeffries is also a concern, but that’s about it. Those are the only two seniors gone from the offense, and that includes the backups. Placekicker Casey Tinius is gone, meaning Jesse Roy from last year’s class has to prove he’s ready to be the main man.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: With one of the biggest improvements of 2011, WKU showed that it’s on the verge of being a special Sun Belt program on a yearly basis. Gone is the offense with Bobby Rainey off to the next level, meaning bruising power back Keshawn Simpson needs to shine right away for the ground game. Can QB Kawaun Jakes become a more efficient and more effective playmaker? He’ll have to be, but he should improve with all his receivers back including TE Jack Doyle. LT Wes Jeffries is done, but that’s it off the line. Nine starters return on the offense that started six underclassmen. The defense that was so strong in Sun Belt play gets eight starters back including top pass rusher Quanterus Smith and leading tackler Andrew Jackson, who’ll legitimately deserve preseason All-America consideration.

The 2011 Class Was Heavy On … Defensive backs. Quality, not quantity. The Hilltoppers didn’t get many defensive backs, but they got some strong players to lock down the secondary right away. Champ Lewis is a tall, talented safety who blew off Maryland, South Florida, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and other mid-level BCS programs, and made Iowa State mad. Corner Eric Robinson-Berry committed to Louisville, ending others from going after him, and then decommitted to go to WKU. Quartterrio Morgan isn’t another Bobby Rainey, but he’s a quick, talented back for head coach Willie Taggart to make into a star.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 118. That Class Was Heavy On ... Quarterbacks. There are so many players brought in last season that there wasn't a ton of room for too many new players, but new head coach Willie Taggart wanted to upgrade the offense as soon as possible and he was able to sign JUCO bomber Matthias Pelesasa and all-around playmaker Brandon Doughty to give the team more options. WR Joel German could be a No. 1 target right away.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 84. That Class Was Heavy On ... Bulk. There’s a little of something for every spot with no one spot getting the complete and total focus. The team was awful last season with a tough mix of seniors and unproven young players, and this class is built to be a foundation for the next several years. The skill position players are the stars of the show with QB Courtney Dalcourt, RB Keshawn Simpson, and WR Jamarielle Brown all going to be fixtures by 2012.

Nov. 26 at Western Kentucky 41 .. Troy 18
(AP) BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Bobby Rainey became Western Kentucky's all-time leading rushing leader, and the Hilltoppers secured their first winning season since moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2009 with a 41-18 victory over Troy Saturday.

Western Kentucky's win coupled with a loss by Arkansas State next week would make the Hilltoppers (7-5, 7-1 Sun Belt Conference) league co-champions with the Red Wolves.

There is no guarantee that Western Kentucky will be selected to a bowl game, since the two Sun Belt bowl tie-ins have already been locked up by Arkansas State (GoDaddy.com Bowl) and Louisiana-Lafayette (New Orleans Bowl).

Rainey had 227 yards on 43 carries and scored three second-half touchdowns. His 4,541 career yards surpassed Lerron Moore on the all-time list, and Rainey's 1,695 yards this season are also a school record.

The Hilltoppers missed three fields and an extra point against Trojans (3-7, 2-4).

Nov. 19 Western Kentucky 31 … at North Texas 21

Nov. 12 at LSU 42 … Western Kentucky 9
CFN Analysis: WKU might have been blown out, but it played with the best team in the nation toe-to-toe for almost three quarters. The defense held firm and only gave up one huge play early on, and then the dam broke. … The LSU defense was too fast for Alabama; Kawaun Jakes didn’t stand a chance. He completed 11-of-24 passes for 97 yards and a pick, but he was under pressure in too many key moments. … Bobby Rainey ran for 85 yards on 28 carries. He kept getting fed the ball, but he was swarmed over every time he was able to take a step forward. … Now it’s time to finish up strong. The four-game winning streak is expectedly gone, but beating North Texas and Troy is a must, and possible to close out with seven wins and a possible part of a Sun Belt title. The defense proved against LSU it’s good enough to make it happen. 

Nov. 5 at Western Kentucky 10 … FIU 9

Oct. 22 at WKU 42 … Louisiana-Lafayette 23  

Oct. 15 Western Kentucky 20 … at Florida Atlantic 0
CFN Analysis: It was supposed to be Florida Atlantic’s big day, but the Western Kentucky defense shut everything down and the special teams came through to all but put the game away with blocked punt. Bobby Rainey was the workhorse, and while he only averaged 3.9 yards per carry, he ran for 131 yards and caught three passes for 45 yards while the Hilltoppers held on to the ball for over 37 minutes. But the game was about a swarming defense that hung out in the backfield and came up with three sacks, led by another special day from Andrew Jackson with eight tackles, a sack, and three tackles for loss. With two straight wins, these are big times for WKU, and now it’s time to make a huge statement with Louisiana-Lafayette up next. Win that, and the Sun Belt title, shockingly, is in play. 

Oct. 6 WKU 36 … at Middle Tennessee 33 2OT
CFN Analysis: WKU overcame 11 penalties and a rough, inconsistent passing day from Kawaun Jakes to finally come up with the first win of the season. The defense gave up yards, but it came up with three key takeaways and a big safety, while a John Evans kickoff return for a score was a big help with the offense needed a boost. Bobby Rainey needed to be the best player on the field, and he was with 146 yards and a score on 37 carries, and he caught the game-winning touchdown pass in overtime. The coaching staff is feeding the star over and over and over again, and while he was needed for the win, the 43 carries were too many.  

Oct. 1 Arkansas State 26 ... at WKU 22
CFN Analysis: The defense was fantastic until the final ASU scoring drive. The pass rush was terrific, Andrew Jackson continues to play like a Sun Belt Player of the Year candidate, and the defensive front didn’t allow a thing on the ground, but the offense couldn’t close things out with a grinding drive, Bobby Rainey never got loose – running for 86 yards on 28 carries – and the passing game only got one big play out of Rainey. Coming off the Indiana State disaster this was a strong effort, but it was a tough loss with three road games in the next four and five in the next seven. 

Sept. 17 Indiana State 44 ... at WKU 16
CFN Analysis: This might have been the most disastrous loss in the recent history of disastrous losses. Indiana State is mediocre, to put it kindly, for a FCS team, and it hadn’t beaten an FBS team since 2001. Everything went wrong for the Hilltoppers with the defense folding against Shakir Bell ant the Sycamore running game, while Bobby Rainey was once again held under wraps gaining 105 yards on a workmanlike 23 carries. Four turnovers proved to be the biggest killer against a team that needed the help, but on the plus side, Kawaun Jakes completed his throw hitting 22-of-30 passes for 237 yards and two scores with a pick. WKU is just flaky enough, though, to come back roaring and pull off a win over Arkansas State in the home opener. 

Sept. 10 Navy 40 ... at WKU 14
CFN Analysis: WKU kept feeding the ball to Bobby Rainey, and while the star cranked out 131 yards and two scores, there wasn’t any passing game to help balance things out. Kawuan Jakes was far better than he was in the opener, completing 7-of-12 passes for 51 yards and a touchdown, but Brandon Doughty was better through the air completing 12-of-21 passes for 102 yards and a score. The five turnovers let Navy turn the game into a blowout; WKU isn’t good enough to not be +2 or better in turnover margin. Andrew Jackson built off his great first game against Louisville to make ten tackles with two tackles for loss, but it wasn’t enough to help out the struggling run defense. Last in the nation in passing efficiency, WKU won’t do much of anything after the Indiana State game if there isn’t some production through the air. 

Sept. 1 Kentucky 14 … WKU 3
CFN Analysis: WKU had its chances to pull off the whopper of an upset, and it couldn’t do it. Andrew Jackson was phenomenal with 12 tackles and a sack, and the defense stuffed the Kentucky offense all game long, but the lack of a passing game proved costly. Bobby Rainey was Bobby Rainey, running for a tough 105 yards on 28 carries, but the yards meant next to nothing because the offense didn’t work. Kawaun Jakes is too experienced to be so bad, and the 9-of-27, 93-yard, four pick game was a disaster. To be fair, though, the receivers were never open against the solid UK secondary. Even with the problems, this was a positive performance; WKU went toe-to-toe with an SEC team. 

2011 Recruiting Class

The 2011 Class Is Heavy On … Defensive backs. Quality, not quantity. The Hilltoppers didn’t get many defensive backs, but they got some strong players to lock down the secondary right away. Champ Lewis is a tall, talented safety who blew off Maryland, South Florida, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and other mid-level BCS programs, and made Iowa State mad. Corner Eric Robinson-Berry committed to Louisville, ending others from going after him, and then decommitted to go to WKU. Quartterrio Morgan isn’t another Bobby Rainey, but he’s a quick, talented back for head coach Willie Taggart to make into a star.

Five Western Kentucky Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. RB Quartterrio Morgan
5-10, 173, Scout.com’s 83rd ranked running back

2. CB Eric Robinson-Berry
6-0, 170, Scout.com’s 85th ranked cornerback

3. S Champ Lewis
6-2 175, Scout.com’s 107th ranked safety

4. QB James Mauro
Throws a great lob pass to the corners. Above average sized quarterback who has some impressive bloodlines with two brothers in college. Can fire a pass down the middle also, so he can do a variety of passes. Very smart quarterback and shows it in his play.

5. QB Dyron Speight
6-0, 185, Scout.com’s ranked quarterback

2011 Entire Recruiting Class

Boe Brand WR 6-0 155 Bradenton, Fla. (Southeast High School)
Cameron Brown WR 6-2 195 Frisco, Texas (Liberty High School)
Cliff Burns OL 6-8 350 Roswell, N.M. (New Mexico Military Institute)
Lawrence Campbell DE 6-4 210 Groveland, Fla. (South Lake High School)
John Evans RB 5-11 165 Sarasota, Fla. (Riverview High School)
Tim Gorski OL 6-7 245 Chicago, Ill. (St. Rita High School)
Mitchell Henry TE 6-4 245 Elizabethtown, Ky. (Elizabethtown High School)
Tyler Higbee TE 6-5 200 Clearwater, Fla. (East Lake High School)
Dimitri Johnson DE 6-3 215 Dolton, Ill. (Thornridge High School)
Champ Lewis DB 6-2 175 Fort Myers, Fla. (Dunbar High School)
James Mauro QB 6-7 211 Hurst, Texas (L.D. Bell High School)
Dwayne Montgomery OL 6-5 265 Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Dillard High School)
Quartterrio Morgan RB 5-10 196 Jonesboro, Ga. (Mt. Zion High School)
Jamichael Payne DT 6-1 328 Auburn, Ala. (Auburn High School)
Eric Robinson-Berry DB 6-1 185 Indianapolis, Ind. (Warren Central High School)
Gavin Rocker DE 6-2 225 Tyrone, Ga. (Sandy Creek High School)
Devin Scott TE 6-4 245 Indianapolis, Ind. (Warren Central High School)
Bryan Shorter DT 6-2 275 Phenix City, Ala. (Central-Phenix High School)
T.J. Smith DE 6-2 210 Hazel Green, Ala. (Hazel Green High School)
Dyron Speight QB 6-0 181 Bradenton, Fla. (Southeast High School)
Marquis Sumler RB 5-9 180 Pensacola, Fla. (Catholic High School)
Daerius Washington LB 6-0 190 Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Dillard High School)
Curtis Williams OL 6-4 330 Hialeah, Fla. (Champagnat Catholic High School)
Darrell Williams OL 6-6 260 Dublin, Ga. (West Laurens High School)
Terran Williams LB 6-2 210 Bradenton, Fla. (Southeast High School)
Delryn Wilson OL 6-3 297 Tampa, Fla. (Jefferson High School)