4 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #4 Kason Lincke & #4 Cameron McCutcheon

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 4 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.

From this point forward, most of the roster numbers have both an offensive and defensive player assigned to that number, today we will highlight both a quarterback and a defensive back:

#4 Kason Lincke

POSITION Quarterback

HEIGHT 6-1
WEIGHT 195
CLASS Freshman
HOMETOWN Mobile, Ala.
HIGH SCHOOL Mobile Christian HS

2020-21 (Freshman): Played in one game on the season, making his collegiate debut at North Carolina (Dec. 5) … Rushed for 17 yards on eight carries including a long of nine yards … Completed all three of his pass attempts for 21 yards including a long of 12 yards … Finished with 38 yards of total offense at UNC ... Named to the 2020-21 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to Western Carolina: Dual-threat quarterback, three-year varsity letter winner … Played three years at Pace High in Florida before transferring to Mobile Christian as a senior … Threw for over 5,969 yards with 57 passing touchdowns adding 2,348 rushing yards and 21 TDs on the ground … Threw for over 1,100 yards in each season as a prep … As a senior, accounted for over 3,120 yards including 2,112 passing yards with 17 touchdowns and 1,008 yards on the ground for the Alabama state runner-up … High school coach at Mobile Christian was Ronnie Cottrell.

Personal: Full name is Kason Shane Lincke … Is the son of Beverly and Shane Lincke … Has a sister, Kailey.


#4 Cameron McCutcheon

POSITION Defensive Back

HEIGHT 6-3
WEIGHT 195
CLASS Senior
HOMETOWN Seneca, S.C.
COLLEGE Gardner-Webb
HIGH SCHOOL Seneca HS

Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to Western Carolina from Gardner-Webb during the summer of 2021 … Played in 25 games at Gardner-Webb since 2018, recording 87 career tackles including 63 solo stops and a tackle for loss … Recorded his first career interception as a junior in the 2020-21 season against Elon … Credited with seven passes defended in his career … Posted a career-high 11 tackles in the 2019 season-opener at Charlotte … Had eight solo stops against N.C. Central in 2019 … Made his collegiate debut against Limestone in 2018 with his first career tackle coming against Wofford (9/29/2018).

High School: Played at Seneca (S.C.) High under Coach Hal Capps … Earned first-team All-Region honors in 2017 as a senior … Helped squad to an 8-4 record … Named second-team All-Area by the Anderson Independent-Mail … Picked off four passes on the season … Broke up six passes and had one fumble recovery … Returned one punt for a touchdown … Earned honorable mention All-Area honors as a junior in 2016 … Also a standout in Track & Field, running the 100m and 400m hurdles.

5 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #5 Jayden Pauling & #5 Carlos Davis

                                                                                        

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 5 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.

From this point forward, most of the roster numbers have both an offensive and defensive player assigned to that number, today we will highlight both a defensive end and a quarterback:

#5 Jayden Pauling

POSITION Defensive End
HEIGHT 6-3
WEIGHT 245
CLASS Junior
HOMETOWN Raleigh, N.C.
HIGH SCHOOL Millbrook HS

2020-21 (Junior): Was sidelined with injury, missing the fall and spring games ... Named preseason All-Southern Conference ... Named to the 2020-21 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

2019 (Sophomore): Played in all 12 games on the season with seven starts at linebacker including six-straight to conclude the regular season … Finished seventh on the team in overall tackles with 51, but led the Catamounts with 11.0 tackles for loss – tied for the fourth-most in the Southern Conference … His five forced fumbles on the season ranked him tied for first in the NCAA FCS … Credited with a tackle in all 12 seasonal games including a career-high eight against Samford (Nov. 16) to accompany two sacks, forcing the football loose for two of his three forced fumbles in the game … Earned SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors on Nov. 18 … Dubbed SoCon Defensive Player of the Month for November after tallying 22 tackles including 11 solo stops and 5.5 tackles for loss with four sacks and four forced fumbles in the month … Named second-team All-Southern Conference by the league’s voting media … Additionally named an honorable mention on the HERO Sports Sophomore All-America team.

Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU prior to the spring, 2019 semester after spending the fall semester at Louisburg College ... Participated in WCU's annual Spring Drills … Earned All-Cap 8 Conference honors as a senior as a defensive lineman, playing at end … Was listed as a Top 100 recruit in the state of North Carolina coming out of high school … Was a two-star recruit by 247Sports ... High school coach was Clarence Inscore.

Personal: Is the son of Karen Pauling.


#5 Carlos Davis

POSITION Quarterback
HEIGHT 6-3
WEIGHT 225
CLASS Redshirt Sophomore
HOMETOWN Baltimore, Md.
HIGH SCHOOL Mergenthaler Vo-Tech HS

2020-21 (Redshirt Sophomore): Played in two games in the spring semester, both as a reserve at quarterback … Rushed once for three yards at Samford (Feb. 27) in his WCU debut … Completed his first pass as a Catamount, tossing a 44-yard touchdown pass to tight end Clayton Bardall at ETSU (March 27) after lining up as a wide receiver.

Prior to Western Carolina: Joined the Catamount football team as a mid-semester transfer in January 2020 from East Mississippi Community College in Scooba, Miss., where he earned an associate’s degree … Also played at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, Kansas … In nine games, completed 60-percent of his passes for 833 yards and seven touchdowns, adding 256 rushing yards and three scores … Garnered a two-star ranking from Gridiron RR among the nation’s junior college quarterbacks.

Personal: His twin sister plays women’s basketball at Temple where she was a USBWA All-American honorable mention in 2020.

6 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #6 Daquan Patten & #6 Nick Oelrich

                                                                                                    

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 6 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.

From this point forward, most of the roster numbers have both an offensive and defensive player assigned to that number, today we will highlight both a wide receiver and a defensive back:

#6 Daquan Patten

POSITION Wide Receiver
HEIGHT 5-6
WEIGHT 180
CLASS Redshirt Fifth Year
HOMETOWN Columbia, S.C.
HIGH SCHOOL Blythewood HS

2020-21 (Redshirt Senior): Played in six of the team’s nine games on the season with five starts at wide receiver … Caught six passes for 92 yards with two kickoff returns for 50 yards, adding four punt returns for 41 yards … Recorded 173 all-purpose yards on the season … Hauled in a season-best two receptions twice including two for 24 yards at Liberty (Nov. 14) and two catches for a season-best 55 yards against VMI (March 6).

2019 (Redshirt Junior): Played in all 12 of the team’s games on the season with nine starts at wide receiver … Paced the Catamount wide receivers in 2019 with 46 receptions for 433 yards with two touchdowns and amassed 754 all-purpose yards on the year … Recorded a reception in 11 of WCU’s 12 seasonal games including a career-high 12 catches against North Greenville (Sept. 14) for 82 yards … Finished with 219 all-purpose yards in the win over North Greenville … His 3.8 receptions per game average ranked him eighth in the SoCon … Just missed the 100-yard receiving mark at The Citadel (Oct. 12) catching nine passes for 98 yards … Eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark for just the second time in his WCU career with five catches for 103 yards and a score in the road win at VMI (Nov. 2) … Added 12 kickoff returns for 232 yards including a long of 33 yards, while also returning seven punts for 84 yards … Also credited with four tackles … Was awarded a full grant-in-aid scholarship at the first full team meeting of the 2019 preseason camp ... Named preseason All-Southern Conference second-team as a wide receiver and punt returner by Phil Steele.

2018 (Redshirt Sophomore): Started all 11 games of the season at wide receiver … Finished the year with 39 catches for 567 yards and five touchdowns, tallying receptions in 10 of the 11 games … Added two kickoff returns for 20 yards and 14 punt returns for 124 yards to finish the year with 711 all-purpose yards … Nearly hit the 100-yard mark in the season-opener against Newberry (Sept. 1) with four receptions for 92 yards including a career-long catch of 51 yards … Recorded his first career receiving touchdown at Gardner-Webb (Sept. 14) … Tallied a career-high seven catches for 81 yards and a score against VMI (Sept. 22) … Eclipsed the 100 receiving yard mark with a career-high 159 yards and a career-best two TDs at Furman (Sept. 29) … Posted 100+ all-purpose yards three times including against Newberry (126 yards), at Furman (career-high 166 yards), and against The Citadel (Nov. 3, 104 yards) … Injury during spring practice sidelined him during WCU’s annual spring drills.

2017 (Redshirt Freshman): Saw action in three games on the year, making his collegiate debut in the home-opener against Davidson (Sept. 9).

2016 (Freshman): Did not see game action ... Redshirted ... Caught three passes for 17 yards in WCU's annual Spring Game ... Named to the 2016-17 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to Western Carolina: Was a three-year varsity letter winner at Blythewood HS, playing wide receiver on the football team.

Personal: Is the son of former Catamount wide receiver - and former NFL standout - David Patten.



#6 Nick Oelrich

POSITION Defensive Back
HEIGHT 6-1
WEIGHT 205
CLASS Graduate Student
HOMETOWN Newberry, Fla.

COLLEGE Florida
HIGH SCHOOL Newberry HS


Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU in the summer of 2021 through the transfer portal after completing his playing career at Florida … Graduated from the M.E. Rinker Sr. School of Construction Management; 

Florida: Played in 23 games for the Gators as a defensive reserve and on special teams, compiling nine tackles … Was twice named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll in 2019 and 2020 … Made his collegiate debut at South Carolina in 2017 … joined the football team as a walk-on in the summer of 2016; 

High School: Played quarterback and safety at Newberry HS … Attended the Manning Passing Academy in Louisiana.

Personal: Is the son of Aimee and Ivan Oelrich … Has two sisters, Ashley, who plays volleyball at Brown, and Grace, who is on the rowing team at Rollins College.

One Week Away from Game Day in Cullowhee

 

Image Courtesy WCU Media Relations

7 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #7 Charles Gadie & Terrence Horne

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 7 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.

From this point forward, most of the roster numbers have both an offensive and defensive player assigned to that number, today we will highlight both a safety and a wide receiver:

#7 Charles Gadie

POSITION Safety
HEIGHT 5-9
WEIGHT 175
CLASS Redshirt Sophomore
HOMETOWN Douglasville, Ga.
HIGH SCHOOL Douglas County HS

2020-21 (Redshirt Sophomore): Saw action in six of the team’s nine games on the season with one start … Finished the season with five total tackles including four solo stops … Recorded a season-best three tackles at Samford (Feb. 27) … Posted solo stops against VMI (March 6) and at Mercer (March 20).

2019 (Redshirt Freshman): Played in 11 games including two starts in the defensive secondary and on special teams … Credited with 17 total tackles including nine solo stops … Made his first career start against Gardner-Webb (Oct. 5), finishing with three tackles … Posted a career-high four tackles including three solo stops and forcing a fumble in the road win at VMI (Nov. 2) … Matched his career-best with four tackles at nationally-ranked Alabama (Nov. 23).

2018 (Freshman): Saw action in four of the team’s 11 games on the year between special teams and as a defensive reserve, remaining eligible for a redshirt … Made his collegiate debut against Newberry (Sept. 1), recording his first career tackle … Finished the year with three total tackles including two solo stops … Also posted tackles at Samford (Oct. 6) and at North Carolina (Nov. 17).

Prior to Western Carolina: Was a four-year varsity letter winner … Was a two-time All-Region selection, collecting first-team All-Region 5-6A plaudits following his senior year and honorable mention as a junior … Finished with 34 tackles as a senior including 24 solo stops … Recorded one interception and nine pass break-ups in his final year as a prep, adding a fumble recovery … Also tallied 49 all-purpose yards on kickoff and punt returns … Listed as a two-star recruit by both Rivals.com and 247Sports.com ... High school head coach was Johnny White.

Personal: Full name is Charles Amil Gadie … Is the son of Chucquel Davis and Gerald Gadie … Is one of six children: Jerry, Paris, Page, Chloe, Amir and Amar … Is originally from Detroit, Mich.


#7 Terrence Horne

POSITION Wide Receiver
HEIGHT 5-7
WEIGHT 180
CLASS Sophomore
HOMETOWN Miami, Fla.

COLLEGE  South Florida
HIGH SCHOOL Miramar HS

Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU in the summer of 2021 from South Florida through the transfer portal; 

South Florida: Saw action in 20 career games at USF, catching 15 passes for 90 yards and three touchdowns including two in 2019 … Posted a career-long 24-yard TD reception at East Carolina in 2019 … Also returned 14 kicks for 418 yards with two TDs, both coming in his redshirt freshman season in 2018 … Earned American Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors after tying an NCAA record with two kickoff returns of 98 and 97 yards for TDs in the win over ACC-foe, Georgia Tech … Also named to the Paul Hornung Award national honor roll and the College Football Performance Awards Honorable Mention Performer of the Week … Suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice in mid-September of his redshirt freshman season; 

High School: Named 2017 second-team Class 8A All-State by FloridaHSFootball.com in helping his team to a 9-2 record and a playoff appearance ... Caught a 55-yard touchdown to help his team capture the District 12-8A championship in 2017 … As a senior, caught 36 passes for 780 yards and 11 touchdowns with five 100-yard receiving games … Was the 100-meter champion in the 2018 FHSAA 4A State Track and Field Championships, posting a time of 10.48 ... Has a career-best 100-meter time of 10.29 ... As a junior, finished second in the state championships in the 100 meters and was named to the All-Broward boys track team in the 100, 200 and 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams…won the district and region 100 meters.

Personal: Is the son of Vanessa Cotton and Terrence Horne.

8 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #8 Kenny Benjamin & LA Rogers-Anderson

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 8 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.

From this point forward, most of the roster numbers have both an offensive and defensive player assigned to that number, today we will highlight both a running back and a nickleback:

#8 Kenny Benjamin

POSITION Running Back
HEIGHT 5-7
WEIGHT 180
CLASS Graduate Student
HOMETOWN Lehigh Acres, Fla.

COLLEGE Valdosta State
HIGH SCHOOL Dunbar HS


Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU in the summer of 2021 from Valdosta State through the transfer portal; 

Valdosta State: Played in 30 games over three seasons with 16 starts … Caught 75 passes for 765 yards and nine receiving touchdowns, adding 34 rushes for 265 yards with one score … Also returned 48 kicks for 1,056 yards, amassing 2,086 career all-purpose yards … Missed four games due to injury as a junior in 2019 … Scored 10 career touchdowns for 60 points … Led the Blazers in receptions with 40 catches for 444 receiving yards and seven TDs on the national championship team, averaging 11 yards per reception … Enrolled early at Valdosta as a part of the 2017 signing class; 

High School: Dunbar HS: Was a second-team News-Press all-area selection as a senior, leading his high school team to a district title in 2015 and the regional final … Caught 42 passes for 748 yards while rushing for 509 yards over his final two yards as a prep, scoring 14 touchdowns – eight receiving, three rushing, two on kick returns, and one passing … Played for high school coach Sam Brown … Also played baseball as a prep.

Personal: Is the son of Syretta Johnson and Kenny Benjamin … Has a younger brother, Brandon Benjamin.



#8 LA Rogers-Anderson

POSITION Nickelback
HEIGHT 6-0
WEIGHT 215
CLASS Junior
HOMETOWN Sumter, S.C.

COLLEGE Western Kentucky
HIGH SCHOOL Ridgeview HS


2020-21 (Junior): Played in seven games with five starts in the defensive secondary … Finished with 23 total tackles including 19 solo stops and three tackles for loss … Credited with a pair of quarterback hurries and a pair of pass break-ups … Made his WCU debut with a tackle assist at Eastern Kentucky (Nov. 21) … Posted his first tackle for loss at Furman (Feb. 20) in his first start for WCU … Credited with a season-best six solo tackles at Samford (Feb. 27) … Recorded four tackles with one for loss against VMI (March 6) … Had five tackles with four solo stops at ETSU (March 27).

Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU prior to the 2020 fall semester from Western Kentucky ... Played two seasons -- 2016 and 2017 ... Appeared in all 12 games as a key special teams player on coverage and protection units as a sophomore where he was credited with three solo tackles ... Played in seven games on special teams as a true freshman. 

High School: Was a dual-role senior at Ridgeview High for head coach Perry Parks ... Finished his season for the Blazers with 869 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns to go along with 55 tackles and two interceptions culminating in an invitation to the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives North-South Bowl ... Helped his team to a second-round appearance in the South Carolina Class 4A playoffs and earned All-Region 3 4A honors in the process ... Listed as a three-star prospect in the 247Sports composite rankings and was ranked as the No. 25 player in the state by 247Sports and the No. 4 safety in the state by Scout.com.

Personal: Name is Latheron "LA" Rogers-Anderson.

9 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #9 Kareem Taylor & Mydreon Vines

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 9 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.

From this point forward, most of the roster numbers have both an offensive and defensive player assigned to that number, today we will highlight both a linebacker and a wide receiver:

#9 Kareem Taylor

POSITION Linebacker
HEIGHT 6-0
WEIGHT 215
CLASS Graduate Student
HOMETOWN Rincon, Ga.

COLLEGE  Kennesaw State
HIGH SCHOOL South Effingham HS

Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU in the summer of 2021 from Kennesaw State through the transfer portal; 

Kennesaw State: Two-time All-Big South second-team defense selection as a junior and senior … Recorded 92 tackles over 17 games with 13 starts in two seasons with 12.0 tackles for loss … Forced and recovered two fumbles for the Owls; 

Shorter College: Played in 18 games in two seasons, recording 104 tackles including 57 solo stops, with 11 tackles for loss and four sacks; 

High School: Was the second-ranked linebacker in the region in 2016, recording 82 total tackles – 57 solo – with 8.0 tackles for loss … Finished with 182 career tackles with 114 solo stops in three years … Was a two-way player his final two seasons, totaling 236 rushing yards on 50 carries with seven career rushing TDs, six as a senior.

Personal: Is the son of Niasha Jenkins … Has three siblings: Aylah, Isaiah, and Justice.

#9 Mydreon Vines

POSITION Wide Receiver
HEIGHT 6-2
WEIGHT 190
CLASS Senior
HOMETOWN Greenville, N.C.

COLLEGE  East Carolina
HIGH SCHOOL J.H. Rose HS



Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU in the summer of 2021 from Tusculum, though he did not see game action for the Pioneers … 

Played 2017-19 at East Carolina, seeing action in 29 games with 19 receptions for 236 yards and a touchdown.

2019 (Junior, East Carolina): Appeared in eight games where he made five receptions for 42 yards ... Earned starts against N.C. State and Gardner-Webb ... Averaged 8.4 yards per catch with a long of 13 yards... Credited with one fumble recovery in the fourth quarter at Navy.

2018 (Sophomore, East Carolina): Played in all 12 games as a reserve receiver and member of the special teams unit … Collected 12 receptions for 155 yards (12.9 ypr) and one touchdown … Logged two or more catches on three occasions, which included a career-high five (37 yards) during a home matchup against Memphis … Did not make first appearance on any statistical reports until Game 6 vs. Houston (three grabs for 31 yards) … Other multiple-catch effort came against Connecticut (2-14) … Longest reception (71-yarder in the second quarter at Cincinnati) also marked only TD of the year … Targeted a total of 16 times (75.0 percent catch rate) … Five receptions resulted in a first down … Part of a unit that stood 20th nationally in passing yards per game (284.8).

2017 (Freshman, East Carolina): Tallied two receptions for 39 yards in nine contests as a true rookie … Made first collegiate catch for 34 yards along the visiting sidelines at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium against USF.

High School: Helped lead J.H. Rose HS to consecutive playoff appearances as a junior and senior, including a NCHSAA Class 4A Championship Game showing in 2015 … Completed three-year varsity career with 72 receptions for 1,233 yards and 14 touchdowns … Averaged 17.1 yards per catch for coach Dave Wojtecki … Also tallied 123 rushing yards on 14 carries, a clip of 8.8 per attempt … In all, was responsible for a combined 1,454 all-purpose yards from 2014 to 2016 … Caught 28 passes for 552 yards and seven TDs during senior campaign despite being limited to only seven games … Logged 41 receptions for 645 yards and seven scores as a junior while playing key role in Rose’s 12-3 overall record and an Eastern Regional 4A title before a bid for a state championship fell short in a 27-20 loss to Charlotte Catholic … Additionally, rushed for a personal single-season best 105 yards and two TDs on 12 carries, and returned six kickoffs for 60 yards in 2015 … Promoted to varsity squad at end of sophomore season and made four receptions for 86 yards (21.5 ypr) and one touchdown … Opened junior varsity prep career on defensive side of the ball as a safety before being moved to the receiver slot for remainder of freshman year and recording 13 catches for 142 yards … Followed with 32 grabs for 682 yards and 15 TDs during sophomore JV stint before being called up to varsity unit … Considered a three-star prospect, listed among nation’s Top 250 receivers and one of state’s top 50 overall talents by 247Sports.com … Designated as a two-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com … An academic honor roll performer in the classroom.

Personal: Full name is Mydreon Tyreke Vines … Is the son of Angie and Larry Walker, and Michael Croom … Is the cousin of brothers Maleek and Marquis Gorham, who played collegiately at Fayetteville State and North Carolina A&T, respectively.

10 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #10 Willie Hampton & Jakibe 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 10 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.

From this point forward, most of the roster numbers have both an offensive and defensive player assigned to that number, today we will highlight both a defensive end and a wide receiver:

#10 Willie Hampton

POSITION Defensive End

HEIGHT 6-1
WEIGHT 220
CLASS Redshirt Junior
HOMETOWN Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
HIGH SCHOOL American Heritage HS


2020-21 (Redshirt Junior): Started all nine seasonal games at linebacker … Finished fifth on the team with 44 tackles including 21 solo stops and 2.0 tackles for loss with a sack … Forced a pair of fumbles and was credited with a pair of pass break-ups … Made his WCU debut with a five-tackle performance at Liberty (Nov. 14), forcing a fumble … Recorded a career-best eight tackles at Furman (Feb. 20) … Credited with three tackles including a sack at Samford (Feb. 27) … Had a career-high four solo stops among six tackles against VMI (March 6) … Had three tackles and forced a fumble against The Citadel (March 13).

Prior to Western Carolina: Originally signed and attended Nebraska where he redshirted in 2017 … Transferred to Garden City CC for two seasons where he recorded 129 tackles including 15.5 tackles for loss with 7.5 sacks … Credited with four pass break-ups and forced three fumbles, each in his second season in 2019 … Finished second on the team with 99 tackles as a redshirt sophomore … Played in the Junior College National Championship game as a redshirt freshman recording three tackles for the Jayhawk Conference champions … High School: Was originally a three-star recruit out of high school … High school coach was Pat Surtain … Recorded 71 tackles and six sacks as a senior in helping lead American Heritage High to a 14-0 record and a 5A state title.

Personal: Is the son of Kim Ridley … Has a younger sister.


#10 Jakibe Quillen

POSITION Wide Receiver
HEIGHT 6-3
WEIGHT 200
CLASS Freshman
HOMETOWN Florence, S.C.
HIGH SCHOOL Wilson HS

2020-21 (Freshman): Played in nine games with a pair of starts at wide receiver … Caught four passes for 53 yards … Made his collegiate debut in the season-opener at Liberty (Nov. 14) … Recorded his first career reception at North Carolina (Dec. 5) … Hauled in a 21-yard reception at Mercer (March 20) and a career-long 23-yard catch at ETSU (March 27) ... Named to the 2020-21 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

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.

SoCon's Updated COVID policies

The Southern Conference has updated its COVID policies for the 2021-22 academic year.  The updated policy change now dictates that a league game missed due to COVID-related issues will be declared a forfeit loss for the team unable to compete.  If the opponent, able to compete, the opponent will receive a win. Makeup games missed due to COVID will not be allowed.

COVID test during non-competition weeks during a sport’s competition season will be an institutional decision while masking policies during non-athletic activities must adhere to institutional, local, or state guidelines.
 
“With the full support of our conference leadership, it is believed that we are in a position this year to return to our traditional scheduling formats, which includes not rescheduling games,” SoCon Commissioner Jim Schaus said. “We are hopeful that we will be able to have complete seasons and avoid any COVID-related cancellations. Health and safety will continue to be our foremost priority. We encourage all conference participants to receive medical advice regarding COVID vaccinations and adhering to sound health protocols.”

11 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #11 Rogan Wells

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 11 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 quarterback:

#11 Rogan Wells

POSITION Quarterback
HEIGHT 6-4
WEIGHT 220
CLASS Graduate Student
HOMETOWN Fort Mill, S.C.
HIGH SCHOOL Fort Mill HS









Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU in the summer of 2021 from Tusculum through the transfer portal as a graduate student … Began his collegiate career at Valdosta State;

BIO IN BRIEF – 

Tusculum: Guided the Pioneers to the spring 2021 South Atlantic Conference championship … Completed 117-of-189 (61.9%) passes for 1,852 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2021, posting a QB rating of 167.2 … Added 32 rushes for 100 yards and two scores on the ground;

Valdosta State: Went 28-3 as the Blazers’ starting quarterback, leading Valdosta to a Gulf South Conference 25-game winning streak from the final game of 2017 until his final game in 2019 that included winning the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championship … Two-time Gulf South Conference Championships and NCAA D-II playoff berths … Named Gulf South Conference Player of the Decade and first-team GSC All-Decade … Was twice a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, finishing as the runner-up in 2018 and a two-time Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019 … Was an AFCA All-America first-team selection and a D2CCA All-Region first-team selection in 2019 … Finished eighth in VSU program history in rushing yards (1,932), fifth in rushing touchdowns (25), sixth in career completions (543), third in passing touchdowns (69) and second in total offense with 9,026 yards; 

High School: Amassed 5,125 passing yards with 32 touchdowns and 1,568 rushing yards with 41 TDs as a prep … Three-time WRHI Offensive Player of the Week and Tri-County Player of the Week once … High school coach was Ed Susi.

Personal: Is the son of Jaren and Rick Wells … Was born in Charlotte, N.C. … His older brother is Rylan Wells, who played at Jacksonville and is an assistant coach at WCU … Is the grandson of former Tennessee (1964-69) and Florida (1970-78) head football coach Doug Dickey, who also served as UT’s athletics director (1985-2002) … Graduated from VSU with a degree in business management in 2020.

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12 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #12 Rod Gattison & Meziah Scott

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 12 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.

From this point forward, most of the roster numbers have both an offensive and defensive player assigned to that number, today we will highlight both an offensive and defensive player - a cornerback & a quarterback:

#12 Rod Gattison

POSITION Cornerback
HEIGHT 5-11
WEIGHT 185
CLASS Sophomore
HOMETOWN Hartsville, S.C.
HIGH SCHOOL Hartsville HS

2020-21 (Sophomore): Played in all six games in the spring semester with one start … Recorded 26 total tackles on the season including 20 solo stops … Made his WCU debut in the spring-opener at Furman (Feb. 20), finishing with five total tackles … Recorded his first career interception against the Paladins, returning the pick 30 yards … Posted a career-high seven tackles including five solo stops against VMI (March 6) … Credited with three solo stops and a pass break-up at ETSU (March 27).

Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU from Georgia Military College … Played in 11 games in 2019 recording 14 tackles with 10 solo stops … Credited with three pass break-ups with one interception while also recovering a fumble; High School: Led Hartsville High with five interceptions as a senior … Finished with 35 total tackles as a prep with one fumble forced and one recovered while recording one defensive touchdown … Also played basketball and ran track as a prep.

Personal: Full name is Rod’Darius Gattison … Is the son of Pricilla Gattison.


#12 Meziah Scott

POSITION Quarterback

HEIGHT 6-0

WEIGHT 200
CLASS Freshman
HOMETOWN Petersburg, Va.
HIGH SCHOOL Petersburg HS

Prior to Western Carolina:  Four-year starter at quarterback ... Named the Spring 2021 Region 3A Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team offense selection … Was nominated for the Mark L. Fischer Player of the Year Award ... Broke the Petersburg High career passing record with 5,034 yards and 48 passing TDs over his first 32 career games … Added 1,622 yards and 23 scores on the ground over his first three seasons … Three-time All-Region selection including an honorable mention as a freshman in 2017 and twice selected first-team … Dubbed first-team All-State as a junior in 2019 after passing for 2,006 yards and 21 TDs with 630 yards rushing and eight scores … Named the Region 3-A Offensive Player of the Year and Progress Index Athlete of the Year as a sophomore in 2018 … On the PHS Dean’s List ... Earned an associate’s degree from Richard Bland Community College upon his graduation from high school ... Also played baseball as a prep.

Personal: Full name is Meziah Ahman Scott … Goes by Meziah or “Zy” … Is the son of Jamilah and Petersburg High head football coach, Michael Scott … Has one older sibling, Creona, and two younger in Xavier and Micah.

13 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #13 Ronald Kent & 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 13 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.

From this point forward, most of the roster numbers have both an offensive and defensive player assigned to that number, today we will highlight both an offensive and defensive player:

#13 Ronald Kent

POSITION Cornerback
HEIGHT 5-10
WEIGHT 175
CLASS Junior
HOMETOWN Harrisburg, Pa
HIGH SCHOOL Harrisburg HS

2020-21 (Junior): Started all nine games in the defensive secondary … Finished fourth on the team with 47 total tackles in the season including 29 solo stops … Recorded four-or-more tackles in eight of the team’s nine games including a season-best seven at Furman (Feb. 20) … Defended three passes with a pair of pass break-ups and an interception … Forced a fumble at Eastern Kentucky (Nov. 21) … Tallied his first career interception at North Carolina (Dec. 5), returning it for a touchdown that was called back due to a penalty but was credited with a 24-yard return … Earned second-team All-Southern Conference honors at defensive back from the league’s head coaches.

2019 (Sophomore): Started 11 of the team’s 12 seasonal games, missing the season-finale at Alabama (Nov. 23) … Finished the year with 32 total tackles including 20 solo stops and half a tackle for loss … Led the team with seven pass break-ups, twice posting two in a game against North Greenville (Sept. 14) and ETSU (Nov. 9) … Posted a season-high five tackles including half a tackle for loss at home against Furman (Oct. 26) … Recovered a fumble at VMI (Nov. 2) … Selected preseason first-team All-Southern Conference at DB at the annual SoCon Football Media Day … Named preseason first-team All-SoCon by Phil Steele.

2018 (Freshman): Played in all 11 of the team’s games, making seven starts in the defensive secondary … Finished sixth on the team with 45 total tackles including 31 solo stops and five tackles for loss while also being credited with forcing a fumble … Ranked second in the Southern Conference with a team-best 12 pass break-ups – a mark that ranked the rookie tied for sixth in WCU’s single-season record books ... It was the first time a Catamount defender hit double-digit passes defended since Trey Morgan recorded 10 back in 2016 … Kent’s 12 PBUs are the most by a Catamount since Ahmed Green had 12 back in 2002 … Tallied three pass break-ups in three different games … Made his collegiate debut in the season-opener against Newberry (Sept. 1), recording four tackles … Made his first career start against VMI (Sept. 22), posting six total stops with three PBUs … Posted a career-high nine tackles in the triple-overtime thriller against nationally-ranked ETSU (Oct. 27) … Graced the watch list as a semifinalist for the Jerry Rice Award which is given annually by STATS FCS to the top freshman player … Named to the Southern Conference All-Freshman team defense by the league’s head coaches … Tagged a Freshman All-America selection by both Phil Steele and HERO Sports.

Prior to Western Carolina: Was a two-way athlete at Harrisburg High … Was a first-team defensive back on the All-State postseason team … Selected first-team PennLive defensive all-star, finishing with 27 tackles and five interceptions in the secondary … Listed as the No. 9 cornerback in Pennsylvania’s 2018 recruiting class by Penn Preps through 247Sports … Caught 21 passes for 385 yards and a touchdown on offense as a senior and had 22 receptions for 287 yards and three scores as a junior … Also wrestled as a prep.

Personal: Full name is Ronald Lewis Kent Jr. … Is the son of Ronald Kent Sr. ... Younger brother, Donte, accepted a football scholarship to Central Michigan.

#13 Keenan Hambrick

POSITION Wide Receiver
HEIGHT 6-3
WEIGHT 205
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.

14 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #14 Malik Richardson & Toler Keigley

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 14 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.

From this point forward, most of the roster numbers have both an offensive and defensive player assigned to the number, today we will highlight both an offensive and defensive player:

#14 Malik Richardson

POSITION Nickelback

HEIGHT 6-4
WEIGHT 210
CLASS Redshirt Freshman
HOMETOWN Sumter, S.C.
HIGH SCHOOL Lakewood HS

2020-21 (Redshirt Freshman): Converted to running back prior to the season … Played in three games as a reserve on offense and on special teams … Rushed seven times for 17 yards … Rushed three times at Liberty (Nov. 14) … Rushed a career-high four times for 15 yards at Furman (Feb. 20) ... Named to the 2020-21 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

2019 (Freshman): Only saw action in one game as a reserve at quarterback, remaining eligible for a redshirt … Made his collegiate debut at Wofford (Oct. 19), recording three rushes and one incomplete pass attempt … Named to the 2019-20 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to Western Carolina: Two-year varsity starter as a pro-style quarterback … As a senior, completed 69-of-137 passes for 938 yards and five touchdowns against five interceptions … Rushed 177 times for 964 yards and eight TDs … Nominated to compete in the Touchstone Energy North-South All-Star Game … Chosen to play in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl in Dallas, Texas in January 2019 … As a junior, completed 85-of-165 passes for 907 yards and seven scores while also rushing for 769 yards on 132 carries … Is a two-star recruit according to both 247Sports.com and Rivals.com … Also runs track as a prep where he qualified for the state championship ... Originally committed to East Carolina ... Signed in the National Signing Early period … High school head coach was Larry Cornelius.

Personal: Full name is Malik Michel Richardson … Is the son of Geraldine Richardson and Malcolm Chatman.

#14 Toler Keigley

POSITION Wide Receiver 

HEIGHT 6-1 

WEIGHT 190 

CLASS Freshman 

HOMETOWN Pensacola, Fla.

HIGH SCHOOL Mobile Christian HS

Prior to Western Carolina: Started his prep career at Gulf Breeze High before playing his final two prep years at Mobile Christian … Named second-team All-State in Alabama as a senior … Over his final three seasons, caught 84 passes for 1,439 career yards with 22 touchdowns … Had 30+ receptions in his final two seasons at Mobile Christian with 18 TDs … Listed as a three-star recruit by 247Sports.com and a two-star prospect by Rivals.com … Originally committed to East Carolina as a prep … High school coach was Ronnie Cottrell.

Personal: Full name is Toler Thomas Keigley … Is the son of Ashley and Brian Keigley … Father played football at Georgia Tech and LSU as a kicker … Has a younger sibling, Stella Keigley.

Coach John Peacock - RIP

 

15 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #15 Solomon Butler

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 15 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 wide receiver:

#15 Solomon Butler

POSITION Wide Receiver

HEIGHT 6-0
WEIGHT 195
CLASS Freshman
HOMETOWN Moncks Corner, S.C.
HIGH SCHOOL Berkeley HS

Prior to Western Carolina: Three-year varsity starter … Finished his prep career with 144 career receptions for 2,571 yards and 25 touchdowns … Earned all-region plaudits twice including as a senior after helping guide his team to a runner-up finish in the region … Was invited to the 2021 Senior Game … Tallied a career-best 56 receptions 13 touchdowns as a junior … Also plays basketball as a prep … High school coach was Randy Robinson.

Personal: Is the son of Karen and Arthur Butler … Has five older siblings.

16 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #16 Brody Palhegyi

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 16 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 tight end::  

#16 Brody Palhegyi

POSITION Quarterback
HEIGHT 5-9
WEIGHT 180
CLASS Freshman
HOMETOWN Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

HIGH SCHOOL Cardinal Gibbons HS










Prior to Western Carolina: Dual-threat quarterback … Led Cardinal Gibbons High to two Florida Class 4A state championships, the first after taking over as the back-up in 2018 … Completed 107-of-158 passes for 1,242 yards and 17 touchdowns in just eight games as a senior … Added 41 rushes for 263 yards and two scores on the ground … Completed 29-of-33 passes for 358 yards and four touchdown passes in the 2020 state title game … High school coach was Matt DuBuc … Was a high school teammate of fellow WCU walk-on recruit, Mason Polivka.