8 Days Until Catamount Football Kickoff - Richards-Baker & Anderson

It's now 8 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday,  August 30, 2025, against the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs in E.J. Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC. 

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

Today, we will highlight two players who wear #8, one on offense and one on defense: 

#8 Painter Richards-Baker

Position Wide Receiver
Height 6-2
Weight 185
Class Fifth Year
Hometown Hillsborough, N.C.
High School Christ School










Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU during the spring out of the portal;

At Dartmouth: Played in 29 games over four seasons with 29 catches for 458 career yards and three touchdowns for 18 career points … As a senior, caught a career-long 75 yard touchdown pass against Merrimack … Finished his final season with 260 receiving yards and two scores … Was slowed by injury as a sophomore in 2022 that limited him to just three games played … Played in nine games as a freshman in 2021, making his first career start at Brown; 

High School: Played a variety of positions from wide receiver, cornerback, safety, and kicked … Caught 25 passes, five touchdowns, and amassed 650 all-purpose yards as a senior, helping his team to a state championship … Attended Christ School after single years at Cedar Ridge and Benedictine College Prep … Also ran track where he was a senior captain that led the school to a runner-up finish in the state meet, winning both the 110m hurdles and the 300m hurdles.

Personal: Is the son of Kara Richards and Andrew Baker … Has a brother … Father, Andrew, played football at Guilford College in the early 1990s.

 

#8 Jahleel Anderson

Position Defensive Tackle
Height 6-4
Weight 320
Class Senior
Hometown Statesboro, Ga.












2025 (Senior): Was a mid-year transfer to Western Carolina from Alcorn State ... Is expected to go through WCU's annual Spring Drills.

Prior to Western Carolina: Played in eight games at Alcorn State in 2024, credited with nine tackles including four solo stops and one tackle for loss; 

At Highland CC in Highland, Kansas: Played in 14 games over two seasons in 2022 and 2023 ... Credited with 31 tackles including 15 solo stops with 5.5 tackles for loss including one sack ... Forced a pair of fumbles, one in both seasons played at Highland ... Recorded a single-game career-high of four tackles three times -- twice in 2022 against Garden City CC and Hutchinson CC, matching in 2023 at Iowa Central CC.

Personal: Is the son of Nan Mercer.