66 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #66 Gabe Jones

 

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown".

During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff Saturday.

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

It's now 66 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

Today we will highlight an offensive lineman:

#66 Gabe Jones

POSITION Offensive Line
HEIGHT 6-2
WEIGHT 265
CLASS Freshman
HOMETOWN Southern Pines, N.C.
HIGH SCHOOL Pinecrest HS












2020-21 (Freshman): Did not see game action.

Prior to Western Carolina: Two-year varsity letter winner … Was a part of the squad that made it to the final four in the state 4-AA playoffs as a junior … Played center, guard, and tackle along the offensive line during his prep career … High school coach was Chris Metzger ... Joined the WCU football team as a walk-on.

67 days to WCU Football Kickoff - Larry Murphy

 

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown".

During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff Saturday.

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

It's now 67 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

No player is currently assigned to #67, so we will highlight another assistance coach:

Larry Murphy

TITLE Assistant Coach / Cornerbacks












Larry Murphy joined the Catamount football defensive coaching staff in the spring of 2021 where he will coach the cornerbacks. Murphy came to Cullowhee after two years at Tusculum University in Greeneville, Tenn., where he held a similar role.

In his first season at Tusculum, Murphy mentored a pair of All-South Atlantic Conference (SAC) honorees including Dee Alford and Malik Goodman. Alford also garnered All-Region accolades and later signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. In the abbreviated 2021 season, Murphy helped Tusculum to a 4-1 overall record and dethroned Lenoir-Rhyne by claiming the 2021 SAC Spring Football Championship, the first for the Pioneers since 2008.

Under Murphy’s guidance, Tusculum freshman defensive back Jermaine Witherspoon collected a pair of interceptions including one in the title game, adding a pair of breakups on the spring season.

Originally from St. Petersburg, Fla., Murphy served as the cornerbacks coach at Valdosta State University in 2018 where he helped current Catamount head coach Kerwin Bell guide the Blazers to an undefeated season (14-0) and a NCAA Division II national title. VSU also won the Gulf South Conference crown as the Blazer secondary ranked eighth in the nation in passes intercepted and ninth in red zone defense. VSU led the nation in defensive touchdowns with seven.

Murphy originally signed to play football at Georgia Southern and was out of football until his return to the gridiron in 2014 where he was a three-year starter at Valdosta State (2014-2016) at cornerback. He finished his career with 62 total tackles, 13 passes defended, two interceptions, forced two fumbles and recovered another. He garnered 2014 USA Football All-American honors and was named to the All-Gulf South Conference team that same year.

Murphy is a 2018 graduate of Valdosta State.

68 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #68 Torrion Stevenson

 

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown".

During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff Saturday.

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

It's now 68 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

Today we will highlight a player from the offensive line:

#68 Torrion Stevenson

POSITION Defensive Tackle
HEIGHT 6-1
WEIGHT 305
CLASS Redshirt Sophomore
HOMETOWN Branchville, S.C.
HIGH SCHOOL Branchville HS








2020-21 (Redshirt Sophomore): Saw action in three games, each coming in the fall semester … Credited with one solo tackle in the season-opener at Liberty (Nov. 14).

2019 (Redshirt Freshman): Played in 11 of the team’s 12 games with four starts along the defensive front … Recorded 24 total tackles including 10 solo stops and one tackle for loss including half a TFL at The Citadel (Oct. 12) and against Samford (Nov. 16) … Forced and recovered a fumble on the year, recovering the loose football in the penultimate game of the year against Samford and forcing a fumble at Alabama (Nov. 23).

2018 (Freshman): Played in three games on the season along the defensive line, remaining eligible for a redshirt … Recorded three total tackles including two solo stops … Made his collegiate debut at Samford (Oct. 6), finishing with a career-high two tackles – both solo stops … Credited with a tackle assist at North Carolina (Nov. 17).

Prior to Western Carolina: Played both offensive and defensive line as a prep ... Selected to the USA Today High School Sports All-USA first second defense ... Was dubbed All-Region as a sophomore and received All-State honors as a junior ... Played for the South team in the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives North-South Bowl Game … Listed as a two-star recruit by both Rivals.com and 247sports.com ... High school coach was Sandy Dukes.

Personal: Full name is Torrion Jabree Stevenson … Is the son of Trena Bethea … Has two siblings, Breyonia and Trinity … He also serves as a volunteer firefighter in his community and is a member of the Branchville Christian Church Youth Group.

69 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #69 Dillon Luther

 

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown".

During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff Saturday.

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

It's now 70 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

Today we will highlight a player from the offensive line:

#69 Dillon Luther

POSITION Offensive Line
HEIGHT 6-3
WEIGHT 300
CLASS Sophomore
HOMETOWN Asheville, N.C.
HIGH SCHOOL Erwin HS









2020-21 (Sophomore): Started all nine games of the season along the offensive line at left guard … Credited with one tackle assist at Liberty (Nov. 14).

2019 (Freshman): Played in nine of the team’s 12 games on the year with five starts as a true freshman … Made his collegiate debut in the third game of the season, at home against North Greenville (Sept. 14) … Made his first career start at Wofford (Oct. 19), starting at right tackle … His four remaining starts on the season came at left offensive guard.

Prior to Western Carolina: Three-year varsity letter winner along both the offense and defensive line … Was a two-time all-conference selection as a junior and senior … Also played baseball as a prep ... High school coach was Rodney Pruett.

Personal: Full name is Dillon Alan Luther … Is the son of Karen and Ryan Luther … Has two younger siblings, Kaylee and Cody.

70 days to WCU Football Kickoff - Kerry Webb

 

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown".

During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff Saturday.

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

It's now 70 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

There is not currently any players assigned to #70, so today we'll highlight an asst. coach:

Kerry Webb

TITLE Assistant Coach / Special Teams Coordinator / Nickels













Kerry Webb joined the Western Carolina football coaching staff in the spring of 2021, where he will serve as the special teams coordinator and coach the nickelbacks on defense.

Webb's collegiate coaching experience spans four different institutions, including Valdosta State, Tusculum, Jacksonville University, and the University of Florida, where he earned his start as a student video assistant. During his coaching career, Webb has coached 14 all-conference players, and his recruiting efforts led to the signing of two All-Americans and three players who progressed onto the NFL.

Webb came to Cullowhee after a couple of coaching stints at Valdosta State, starting as a graduate assistant in the mid-2000s and most recently, returning as the special teams coordinator and running backs coach from 2017-20. He was the program’s recruiting coordinator from 2019-2021 and was named interim head coach in January of 2019 during VSU’s coaching search.

Webb was a part of Kerwin Bell's staff on Valdosta State's 2018 undefeated season, winning the NCAA Division II National Championship. In 2019, VSU also won the Gulf South Conference title as it went 10-0 overall through the regular season and 8-0 in conference play. VSU finished the season 10-1 as it earned a berth in the NCAA Second Round.

Under Webb's guidance, 2018 VSU freshmen running backs Jamar Thompkins (first-team) and Seth McGill (second-team) both garnered All-Gulf South Conference honors. In addition, kicker Andrew Gray became the VSU Blazer all-time leading scorer while also being voted second-team All-Gulf South Conference. In 2019, Thompkins and McGill earned first-team all-conference honors, while kicker Fernando Ramirez earned second-team all-league accolades.

Before returning to Valdosta in 2017, Webb took a position at Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tenn., where he spent one year as the associate head coach and special teams coordinator while also coaching the wide receivers. Webb's direction helped produce first-team All-South Atlantic Conference honors for return specialist Jay Boyd in 2016.

On the back end of his time with the Blazers as a graduate assistant in the mid-2000's, Webb transitioned into his first full-time coaching position as a running backs coach and special teams coordinator at Jacksonville University under Bell.

Notable accomplishments throughout Webb's career include the guidance of the Jacksonville running backs in 2010, which led the Dolphins offense to a No. 1 ranking in the country. The squad nearly repeated the feat in 2013 with a No. 5 ranking, and the Dolphins ranked 3rd nationally in overall scoring during that same season. Webb also coached Jacksonville University's career all-time leading rusher Rudell Small and second all-time leading rusher Ulysses Bryant. He additionally coached the school's career all-time leader in kickoff return yards and average per return, Colby Walden.

A 2004 graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor of arts degree in sociology, Webb earned his Master's degree in Education Health and Physical Education from Valdosta State in 2006.

71 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #71 Austin Grunden

 

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown".

During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff Saturday.

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

It's now 72 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

Today, we'll highlight an offensive lineman:

#71 Austin Grunden

POSITION Offensive Line
HEIGHT 6-2
WEIGHT 205
CLASS Freshman
HOMETOWN Kannapolis, N.C.
HIGH SCHOOL A.L. Brown HS








2020-21 (Freshman): Started the season working with the WCU tight ends before finishing the year working with the offensive line … Did not see game action.

Prior to Western Carolina: Varsity letter winner where he was a tight end and H-back … Was a team captain as a senior … Caught 16 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown, adding a two-point conversion to his point tally according to MaxPreps … High school coach was Mike Newsome … Also played tennis as a prep ... Joined the WCU football team as a walk-on.

72 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #72 Blake Whitmore

 

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown". During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff Saturday.

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

It's now 72 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

Today, we'll highlight an offensive lineman:

#72 Blake Whitmore

POSITION Offensive Line
HEIGHT 6-2
WEIGHT 285
CLASS Redshirt Freshman

HOMETOWN Raleigh, N.C.











2020-21 (Redshirt Freshman): Played in two games on the season as a reserve along the offensive line and on special teams … Did not record any official statistics.

2019 (Freshman): Played in four games on the season as a reserve along the offensive line and on special teams, remaining eligible for a redshirt … Made his collegiate debut at home against Gardner-Webb (Oct. 5).

Prior to Western Carolina: Joined the Catamount football team as a preferred walk-on … Played center, guard, and long-snapper as a prep … Was named All-Cap-7 Conference along the offensive line as a senior ... High school coach was Clarence Inscore.

Personal: Is the son of Tina and Barry Whitmore.

73 days to WCU Football Kickoff - Justin Hinds

 

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown". During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff Saturday.

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

It's now 73 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

Since no player is currently assigned #73, we'll highlight an assistant coach:

Justin Hinds

TITLE Assistant Coach / Defensive Coordinator

Justin Hinds joined the Western Carolina football coaching staff during the spring of 2021 as the Catamounts' defensive coordinator. Hinds comes to Cullowhee after most recently serving two seasons as the defensive line coach at Central Michigan in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

Hinds mentored All-MAC selections along the defensive line in 2020, including Troy Hairston II and Mohamed Diallo. Hairston, who also earned All-America honorable mention from Phil Steele and was also dubbed the MAC co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, led the MAC with 5.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Diallo ranked second with 9.5 TFLs in 2020.

Combined, Hinds' defensive line unit racked up 18 sacks in 2020, the second-highest total in the MAC, and helped produce a league-best eight interceptions by the Chippewa defense.

In 2019, Hinds was part of head coach Jim McElwain's staff that engineered a remarkable turnaround, taking a program that won one game in '18 to an 8-6 finish, a Mid-American Conference West Division title, and a berth in the New Mexico Bowl.

Hinds led a Chippewa defensive front that featured two All-MAC honorees, Sean Adesanya, who was named to the all-conference first team, and Robi Stuart, who earned a spot on the third team. In addition, CMU ranked second in the league in 2019 in total defense.

Before moving to Central Michigan, Hinds was the defensive line coach in 2018 at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. The Leopards finished among the top 25 teams in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in takeaways with 23, and they were second in the Patriot League with 15 interceptions.

Hinds helped cultivate similar success at Valdosta State, where he served as the defensive line coach under current WCU head coach Kerwin Bell. The Blazers program regularly ranked among the top teams in both the Gulf South Conference and NCAA Division II in interceptions, turnovers gained, first downs allowed, and third-down defense.

Hinds earned a bachelor of science degree from Rowan (N.J.) and a master's degree from Wagner (N.Y.) College where he coached the defensive line and outside linebackers in 2012-13. Hinds was a two-time All-New Jersey Athletic Conference defensive lineman during a four-year career at Rowan and then served as a graduate assistant on McElwain's staff at Florida in 2015 after coaching the 2014 season as a graduate assistant at Mississippi State.

74 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #74 Tyler Smith

 

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown". During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff Saturday.

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

It's now 74 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

Today, we'll highlight an Offensive Lineman:

#74 Tyler Smith 

POSITION Offensive Line
HEIGHT 6-8
WEIGHT 300
CLASS Redshirt Sophomore
HOMETOWN Laurinburg, N.C.
HIGH SCHOOL Scotland County HS










2020-21 (Redshirt Sophomore): Started all nine of the team’s seasonal games along the offensive line and on special teams … Started the first two games of the season at right tackle before making seven-straight starts at left tackle.

2019 (Redshirt Freshman): Started all 12 games along the offensive line including nine games at right tackle and three starts at left tackle … Also saw action on special teams … Made his first collegiate start in the season-opener against Mercer (Aug. 31) … Named an honorable mention for the HERO Sports Freshman All-America team following the season.

2018 (Freshman): Played in four games as a reserve along the offensive line where he was a part of the unit that saw QB Tyrie Adams rush for 1,000 yards, giving WCU its fourth-straight 1,000-yard rusher … Also saw action on special teams … Made his collegiate debut at Mercer (Oct. 20) … Joined the Catamount football team in the spring semester, going through WCU's annual Spring Drills along the offensive line.

Prior to Western Carolina: Two-time all-conference selection, earning All-Southeastern 4A Conference (SEC) selection as a junior and an All-Sandhills Athletic Conference (SAC) nod as a senior … Was named to the WPDE End Zone Team and was selected to play in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas following his senior season while also collecting 910Prep.com All-State accolades … Was additionally named to the 2017 American Family Insurance All-USA North Carolina Football Team.

Personal: Full name is James Tyler Smith … Is the son of Betty Jo and Jamie Smith.

75 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #75 Zach Hayes

 

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown". During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff Saturday.

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

It's now 75 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

Today, we'll highlight an Offensive Lineman:

#75 Zach Hayes

POSITION Offensive Line
HEIGHT 6-3
WEIGHT 325
CLASS Redshirt Freshman
HOMETOWN Jonesboro, Ga.
HIGH SCHOOL Jonesboro HS









2020-21 (Redshirt Freshman): Did not see game action.

2019 (Freshman): Played in three games on special teams and as a reserve along the offensive line, remaining eligible for a redshirt … Made his collegiate debut in the home overtime win over ETSU (Nov. 9), playing in the final three games of the season.

Prior to Western Carolina: Three-year varsity letter winner … Two-time all-county selection and was also selected all-region and all-state … Did not allow a sack from his left tackle position over his final two varsity seasons … Listed as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and a two-star recruit by Rivals.com … Three-sport athlete, competing in baseball and throwing the shot put in track & field ... High school coach was Daniel Brunner.

Personal: Full name is Zachary Hayes … Is the son of Dawn Carter and Nathan Hayes … Has one sibling, Carter … His father played collegiate football at North Carolina.

Happy Father's Day from Purple & Gold

 

76 days to WCU Football Kickoff - Kade Bell

 

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown". During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff Saturday.

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

It's now 76 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

There is currently no player assigned to #76, today we'll highlight an assistant coach....

Kade Bell

Position:   Assistant Coach / Offensive Coordinator / QBs

Kade Bell was named the offensive coordinator at Western Carolina in the spring of 2021, coming to Cullowhee from Tusculum University, where he served as the associate head coach and offensive coordinator for the Pioneers. Highly regarded as one of the finest up-and-coming offensive minds in collegiate football, Bell will also coach the Catamount quarterbacks.

Bell helped lead Tusculum to the 2021 South Atlantic Conference Spring Football Championship as his offense averaged 533.4 yards and scored 37.6 points per game in a 4-1 seasonal record. The Pioneers averaged nearly 400 passing yards per game to lead the SAC, scoring 15 touchdowns through the air in 2021. In addition, the unit added 139.2 yards per game on the ground and 12 additional scores.

Graduate transfer quarterback Rogan Wells, who began his playing career with Bell at Valdosta State, led the SAC in pass completions (117), pass attempts (189), passing yards (1,852), passing yards per game (370.4), and touchdown passes (15) in the 2021 spring season.

Originally from Jacksonville, Fla., Bell previously coached at Valdosta State University, where he served three seasons on the coaching staff under his father – and current WCU head coach Kerwin Bell. The younger Bell was on the Blazers' staff from 2016-18, where he was as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He helped guide the Blazers to a perfect 14-0 record and an NCAA Division II national championship in 2018. VSU led the nation in scoring offense that season averaging an outstanding 52 points per game and broke the Division II and Gulf South Conference record for most points scored in a single season (728).

The Blazers also led the country in yards per play (7.9), points per play (.78 - NCAA II record), yards per rush (7.2), and passing touchdowns (50). Valdosta was also fourth in the country in red-zone offense (.901), fourth in total offense (524.0 ypg), and fourth in passing efficiency (167.37).

 
Under Bell's tutelage at Valdosta State, Wells earned the 2018 Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Year and was twice runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy. Valdosta State's quarterbacks amassed 4,855 total offensive yards and accounted for 69 total touchdowns while throwing only six interceptions. In addition, the 2018 VSU offense was one of the most balanced in college football producing 262 rushing yards per game along with 261 passing yards per game while scoring 50 passing touchdowns along with 40 rushing scores.

The VSU offense produced five All-GSC performers that season, including Wells, wide receivers Lio'undre Gallimore and Brian Sands, running back Jamar Thompkins, and all-purpose back Seth McGill. Thompkins was also named the 2018 GSC Freshman of the Year.

In 2017, Bell served as the offensive passing game coordinator with the Valdosta State program while also mentoring the Blazers' receiving corps, including All-GSC standout Dallas Baldner. Over the 20 combined games that he was the chief play-caller for Valdosta State, the Blazers posted a stellar 19-1 record.

Also among Bell's coaching experience is a year on the coaching staff at the University of South Florida in 2019, where he was an offensive analyst with the Bulls passing attack.

Bell earned his start as a graduate assistant coach in 2016, where he coached the quarterbacks as Valdosta State went 8-2 during the regular season and advanced to the NCAA II Playoffs. The Blazers averaged 311 passing yards per game, tops in the Gulf South and eighth-best in the country.

Bell played collegiate football at Jacksonville University from 2011-2015, where he was coached by his father. He was a four-year starting quarterback and finished his career with 9,613 total offensive yards and accounted for 93 touchdowns. He earned All-Pioneer Football League honors and led the Dolphins to a 2014 conference championship.

Bell graduated from Jacksonville in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sports management and later completed his master's degree in public administration from Valdosta State in 2018. He and his wife Charlotte were married in February 2019.

77 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #77 Chris Morgan

 

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown". During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff Saturday.

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

It's now 77 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

Today, we'll highlight a Defensive Tackle:

#77 Chris Morgan

POSITION Defensive Tackle
HEIGHT 6-0
WEIGHT 255
CLASS Freshman
HOMETOWN Maiden, N.C.
HIGH SCHOOL Maiden HS

2020-21 (Freshman): Converted from tight end to defensive line, seeing action in each of the team’s six games in the spring semester as a reserve on defense … Credited with six total tackles including half a tackle for loss … Made his collegiate debut at Furman (Feb. 20) … Tallied his first career tackle against VMI (March 6) … Posted a career-best three tackles including half a tackle for loss at Mercer (March 20).

Prior to Western Carolina: Three-year varsity letter winner and a three-time All-South Fork 2A Conference selection ... Played as a middle linebacker and tight end as a prep ... Caught three TD passes as a tight end as a senior coming on nine total receptions for 133 yards, according to MaxPreps ... Selected to the 83rd annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolina's, just the 12th from his high school all-time ... As a sophomore linebacker, recorded 118 tackles in helping Maiden go undefeated in the regular season, winning the South Fork 2A conference championship.

78 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #78 Garrett Bowman

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown". During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff Saturday.

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

It's now 78 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

Today, we'll highlight an Offensive Lineman:

#78 Garrett Bowman

POSITION Offensive Line
HEIGHT 6-4
WEIGHT 270
CLASS Redshirt Sophomore
HOMETOWN Arab, Ala.
HIGH SCHOOL Arab HS










2020-21 (Redshirt Sophomore): Played in five games as a reserve along the offensive line and on special teams … Did not record any official statistics playing along the offensive line.

2019 (Redshirt Freshman): Saw action in 10 of the team’s 12 seasonal games with one start … Made his first collegiate start at nationally-ranked FBS opponent, Alabama (Nov. 23) … Did not record any official statistics playing along the offensive line.

2018 (Freshman): Saw action in one game, making his collegiate debut on the road at Mercer (Oct. 20) … Did not record any official statistics playing along the offensive line … Expected to take a redshirt.

Prior to Western Carolina: Recruited as an offensive lineman … Two-year varsity letter winner on both the offensive and defensive line for high school coach Adam Gilbert … Credited with 72 career tackles including 46 as a senior … Credited with 20 career tackles for loss including nine sacks … Added four receptions for 48 yards and a touchdown as a senior … Name first team All-Marshall County and earned all-region plaudits … Earned Zaxby’s Player of the Game eight times during his junior and senior years including five times in his final season.

Personal: Full name is Matthew Garrett Bowman … Is the son of Lisa and Joel Bowman … Has two younger siblings, John Brady and Drew.

79 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #79 Aidan Alston

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown". During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff Saturday.

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

It's now 79 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

Today, we'll highlight an Offensive Lineman:

#79 Aidan Alston

POSITION Offensive Line
HEIGHT 6-2
WEIGHT 250
CLASS Redshirt Freshman
HOMETOWN Southern Pines, N.C.
HIGH SCHOOL Pinecrest HS

2020-21 (Redshirt Freshman): After opening the fall 2020 in the defensive line position group, converted to the offensive line in the spring 2021 … Played in two games on defense in the fall, making his collegiate debut at Liberty (Nov. 14) … Did not record any statistics.

2019 (Freshman): Did not see game action, taking a redshirt.

Prior to Western Carolina: Two-year varsity letter winner on the defensive line and as a long snapper … Credited with 59 career tackles with five tackles for loss … Also wrestled as a prep.

Personal: Full name is Aidan Neuman Alston … Is the son of Willow and Anthony Alston.

80 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #80 Keenan Hambrick

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown". During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff Saturday.

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

It's now 80 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

Today, we'll highlight a Wide Receiver:

#80 Keenan Hambrick

POSITION Wide Receiver
HEIGHT 6-3
WEIGHT 195
CLASS Freshman
HOMETOWN Athens, Ala.
HIGH SCHOOL Athens HS









2020-21 (Freshman): Saw action in eight of the team’s nine games on the season with one start at wide receiver … Caught nine passes for 74 yards and added one tackle … Made his collegiate debut in the season-opener at Liberty (Nov. 14) … Made his first career reception at Eastern Kentucky (Nov. 21), a four-yard grab from QB Will Jones … Caught a career-best four passes for a career-high 42 yards at Samford (Feb. 27) that included a career-long grab of 14 yards … Also caught two passes against The Citadel (March 13) … Made his first career start at Mercer (March 20).

Prior to Western Carolina: … As a junior, caught 24 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns … Listed as a three-star recruit by 247Sports.com and a two-star recruit by Rivals.com … Verbally committed to Kansas as a junior … Played for Austin HS in the Hoover City Elite 7-on-7 Championship in Hoover … Also, plays basketball and participates in jumping events in track & field as a prep.

Personal: Is the son of Larinda Donnell.

81 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #81 Kendall Alford

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown". During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff Saturday.

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

It's now 81 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

Today, we'll highlight a Wide Receiver:

#81 Kendall Alford

POSITION Wide Receiver
HEIGHT 5-10
WEIGHT 175
CLASS Redshirt Freshman
HOMETOWN Marietta, Ga.
HIGH SCHOOL Walton HS










2020-21 (Redshirt Freshman): Did not see game action.

2019 (Freshman): Did not see game action, taking a redshirt.

 
Prior to Western Carolina: Three-year varsity letter winner … Earned first team all-county and first team all-region honors as a senior … Was also dubbed first-team All-AAAAAAA by Recruit Georgia and a received a second-team nod from the Georgia Sports Writers Association … Recorded 114 career receptions for 1,923 yards and 16 touchdowns in his prep career including a single-season high of 59 catches for 1,071 yards and 11 TDs as a senior as a part of amassing 1,285 all-purpose yards … Caught 35 passes for 599 yards and four scores as a junior … Added three career rushing scores and completed 3-of-4 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown ... High school coach was Daniel Brunner.

Personal: Full name is Kendall Rishun Alford … Is the son of Sandra and Travis Alford … Has two younger siblings, Jackson and Olivia … His father played football at Auburn.

82 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #82 Jakobe Quillen

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown". During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff Saturday.

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

It's now 82 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

Today, we'll highlight a Wide Receiver:

#82 Jakobe Quillen

POSITION Wide Receiver
HEIGHT 6-3
WEIGHT 190
CLASS Freshman
HOMETOWN Florence, S.C.
HIGH SCHOOL Wilson HS











Prior to Western Carolina: A big-bodied receiver who was a four-year starter … Listed as one of the top 25 recruits in the state of South Carolina by the Charlotte Observer … Caught 104 career passes for 1,662 career yards and 21 touchdowns including 937 receiving yards and 14 TDs on 62 catches as a senior … Tossed a 64-yard touchdown pass to give him 1,726 career yards … Collected Primetime Performer of the Week after catching 13 passes for 174 yards and two scores in a win over West Florence HS … Selected to the South team in the South Carolina 2019 North-South game … High school coach was Derek Howard.

Personal: Is the son of Lisa White and Jacob Quillen.