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National Signing Day is always an interesting one for us college football fans; we've all been college football deprived for a while now as our teams get into the thick of the offseason. Western Kentucky welcomed 15 new players to its football program today, including nine from the state of Kentucky. Head coach Jeff Brohm has been quite vocal about his belief that recruiting in-state must become a priority for the Toppers, and we've seen proof of that. Let's take a look at a few of the new faces for the Hilltoppers that could potentially make an impact in their freshman seasons:
Marquez Trigg ★★ Running Back
Glasgow HS, Glasgow, KY 6-0, 205 pounds
Trigg piled up 1,615 yards on 286 carries with 26 touchdowns as a senior while also finishing second on the team in receiving yards with 147 and one touchdown. For his play in 2014, Trigg was named a Courier-Journal All-State first teamer and Associated Press All-State second teamer. Trigg also participated in the 2014 Best of the Bluegrass All-Star game, running behind fellow Hilltopper signee Cullen Reynolds.
WKUSports.com
Cullen Reynolds ★★ Offensive Tackle
Madisonville-North Hopkins HS, Madisonville, KY 6-5, 310 pounds
Reynolds comes to The Hill after a Courier-Journal and Associated Press First Team All-State season at Madisonville-North Hopkins High School, where he prepped for coach Brock Shoulders. Reynolds helped leads the Maroons to a 10-3 record and a berth in the quarterfinals of the KHSAA 4A state playoffs.
Western Kentucky's offense has to like Cullen Reynolds' potential. His experience with great rushing attacks could pave the way for some success in the running game for the Hilltoppers down the road. It will be interesting to see Reynolds develop and grow under this offense.
Ty'Ron Horton ★★ Defensive End
Seneca HS, Louisville, KY 6-4, 255 pounds
Ty'Ron Horton prepped at Louisville's DuPont Manual High School for coach Oliver Lucas, earned Courier-Journal All-State Second Team Associated Press All-State honorable mention honors during his senior campaign. He tallied 62 tackles (49 solo) on the season and a team-high 13 tackles for loss, eight of which were also a team-high in sacks.
Horton's size, athleticism, and ability to get to the quarterback should excite Hilltopper fans. As much as Western Kentucky struggled defensively in 2014, I would expect Horton to have an immediate impact upon the defensive line.
Andre Thomas-Cobb -- Wide Receiver
Lehigh HS, Lehigh Acres, FL 6-3, 200 pounds
Andre Thomas-Cobb comes to The Hill from Lehigh High School where he prepped for coach Nate Sund. As a senior, Thomas-Cobb caught 17 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns while also tallying 25 tackles (20 solo) with three interceptions, five pass breakups, one fumble recovery and a forced fumble. Thomas-Cobb also scored two touchdowns via fumble returns.
Although Thomas-Cobb is not a high-profile recruit, he may be the player that excites me the most out of this class. His size and nose for the football should excite quarterback Brandon Doughty, who has had success throwing to tall receivers such as Jared Dangerfield in 2014.
It will certainly be interesting to see these new faces on the field this season, and we'll get our first look at the Hilltoppers on April 18th at their annual spring game event.
For the complete list of WKU's 2015 Recruiting Class, click here.