2025 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

2025 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
Conference	Conference USA
Record	0–0 (0–0 C-USA)
Head coach	Tyson Helton (7th season)
Offensive coordinator	Will Friend (2nd season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Rick Bowie (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	Da'Von Brown (1st season)
Co-defensive coordinator	Davis Merritt (1st season)
Home stadium	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium

2025 Conference USA football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Delaware*		0	–	0					0	–	0
FIU		0	–	0					0	–	0
Jacksonville State		0	–	0					0	–	0
Kennesaw State		0	–	0					0	–	0
Liberty		0	–	0					0	–	0
Louisiana Tech		0	–	0					0	–	0
Middle Tennessee		0	–	0					0	–	0
Missouri State*		0	–	0					0	–	0
New Mexico State		0	–	0					0	–	0
Sam Houston		0	–	0					0	–	0
UTEP		0	–	0					0	–	0
Western Kentucky		0	–	0					0	–	0
Championship: December 6, 2025
* – Ineligible for postseason play due to FCS-to-FBS transition rules As of January 30, 2025

The 2025 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team will represent Western Kentucky University as a member of Conference USA (C-USA) during the 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hilltoppers are expected to be led by Tyson Helton in his seventh year as the head coach. The Hilltoppers play home games at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium, located in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Offseason

Transfers

Outgoing

Player	Position	Destination
Dallas Walker IV	DL	Auburn
Easton Messer	WR	Florida Atlantic
Caden Veltkamp	QB	Florida Atlantic
Deante McCray	DE	Florida State
Elvin Fofanah	TE	Gardner–Webb
River Helms	TE	Georgia Southern
Hosea Wheeler	DL	Indiana
Alex Ford	DB	Kennesaw State
Marcus Patterson	DE	Kennesaw State
Evan Wibberley	OL	Kentucky
Darius Thomas	LB	Louisville
Jaymar Mundy	DB	Ohio
Lucas Carneiro	K	Ole Miss
Leavy Johnson	OL	South Alabama
Rodney Newsom Jr.	OL	South Carolina
T. J. Finley	QB	Tulane
Koy Moore	WR	UNLV
Jayden Loving	DL	Wake Forest
Dave Herard	DB	Unknown
Wesley Horton	DL	Unknown
Jalil Rivera-Harvey	DL	Unknown
Reid Jamerson	DE	Unknown
Jarvis Hayes	WR	Unknown
LT Sanders	RB	Unknown
Jaylen Hampton	WR	Unknown
Demarko Williams	S	Unknown
Darrell Johnson Jr.	OL	Unknown
Demick Starling	WR	Unknown
Ely George	LB	Unknown
Mike Moment	OL	Unknown
Bryce Childress	WR	Unknown
Marshall Jackson	OL	Withdrawn
Moussa Berry	WR	Withdrawn
Kylan Guidry	DL	Withdrawn

Incoming

Player	Position	Previous school
Maverick McIvor	QB	Abilene Christian
Laurance Seymore	OL	Akron
Jakeem Fletcher	DL	Alabama State
La'Vell Wright	RB	Austin Peay
Kody Epps	WR	BYU
Jaavan Mack	CB	Charlotte
Montreze Smith	LB	Duke
Jackson West	TE	Florida State
Jalen Emery	DB	Houston
Cade McNamara	QB	Iowa
Venson Sneed Jr.	DE	Indiana
Justin Wolf	TE	Kansas State
Elijah Williams	IOL	Kent State
Jayden Gray	DE	Louisiana Tech
Eric Etienne	DL	Norfolk State
Dominic Oliver	DE	San Diego State
Braxton Myers	S	Southern Miss
Jaylen Lewis	CB	Temple
John Cannon	K	USF
Matthew Henry	WR	Western Illinois

[1][2]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
August 30	North Alabama*	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY
September 6	at Toledo*	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH
September 20	Nevada*	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY
November 22	at LSU*	Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA
*Non-conference game

[3]

Game summaries

vs. (FCS) North Alabama

Game One – (FCS) North Alabama Lions (0-0) at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
(FCS) Lions	0	0	0	0	0
Hilltoppers	0	0	0	0	0

at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY

• Date: Saturday August 30, 2025
• Game time: TBA
• TV announcers (TBA): TBA

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	UNA	WKU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
North Alabama	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Western Kentucky	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Toledo

Game Two – Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (0-0) at Toledo Rockets (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	0	0	0	0	0
Rockets	0	0	0	0	0

at Glass Bowl • Toledo, OH

• Date: Saturday September 6, 2025
• Game time: TBA
• TV announcers (TBA): TBA

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	WKU	TOL
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Kentucky	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Toledo	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs. Nevada

See also: 2025 Nevada Wolf Pack football team

Game Three – Nevada Wolf Pack (0-0) at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Wolf Pack	0	0	0	0	0
Hilltoppers	0	0	0	0	0

at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY

• Date: Saturday September 20, 2025
• Game time: TBA
• TV announcers (TBA): TBA

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	NEV	WKU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Nevada	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Western Kentucky	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at LSU

See also: 2025 LSU Tigers football team

Game Four – Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (0-0) at LSU Tigers (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	0	0	0	0	0
Tigers	0	0	0	0	0

at Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA

• Date: Saturday November 22, 2025
• Game time: TBA
• TV announcers (TBA): TBA

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	WKU	LSU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Kentucky	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
LSU	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

References

1. "Western Kentucky Football Transfer Portal". ON3.
2. "Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 2025 College Football Transfer Portal". 247Sports.
3. "2025 WKU Football Schedule". FBSchedules. Retrieved December 28, 2024.