June 2018 Was A Great Month For Western Kentucky Football Recruiting

We’ve said it before, but Mike Sanford Jr. has hit the ground running when it comes to recruiting since he came to Bowling Green last year. Will it translate to the type of winning that Western fans have become accustomed to? Only time will tell.

Coming into the summer, WKU already had two commits for the 2019 class in two-star safety Clayton Bush (a Bowling Green product) and offensive tackle Joshua Black.

Then when June rolled around, the commits started really rolling in and by the end of the month, the Tops had seven more names on the list. Here’s a look at the newest future members of the Hilltopper football program.

Tylan Morton - 3-Star Dual Threat QB

The quarterback room is about to get even more crowded...but Morton is most definitely the real deal. He’s got talent and size (6’4”, 210 pounds) and stats that make for an impressive resume. In his freshman year at Hinds Community College in Mississippi, Morton tossed for 1,338 yards, plus 13 touchdowns with 69 rushing yards and rushing touchdown. In high school, he set the state of Georgia’s single-season passing yards record with 4,741 yards in 2016. Morton also had 42 touchdowns with 23 interceptions that year. He had 57 total touchdowns his senior season. He ended up going the JUCO route for academic reasons. Morton also had an offer from Alcorn State on the table.

Stephone Atkinson - 3-Star Defensive End/Outside Linebacker

A quick, athletic kid that also played some decent tailback in high school. He used that speed to blow by offensive lineman that couldn’t get off the ball on a regular basis. He looked tough at the Rivals Camp Series in Orlando this past February also. I think he tries to go outside a bit too much, but has the physical tools to be a decent edge rusher at the college level. I’ll be interested to see where he would end up fitting in with Clayton White and Maurice Crum’s system when he gets to BG after his upcoming senior year. Atkinson also had offers from Utah State, Tulane, UTSA, South Dakota, South Alabama, Northern Illinois, The Citadel, and Charleston Southern.

Daylen Powell - 3-Star Offensive Tackle

A Summerville, South Carolina product, Powell was a pretty sought after product for G5 and FCS teams. The 6’4”, 285-pound rising senior had offers from WKU, App State, Charleston Southern, The Citadel, Georgia State, Marshall, Navy, Tennessee Tech, and Western Carolina before choosing the Tops. From watching Powell’s tape, there’s two things I especially like about him: he has really nice footwork on his pass blocking, and he doesn’t overextend on run blocks. He’s very patient. Powell could be an important part of that WKU offense in a couple years.

Cory Munson - 2-Star Kicker

Another Georgia boy (this team loves guys from the Peach State), Munson looks like he’ll be the third kicker on the team come 2019. Ryan Nuss will be done after this upcoming season, but kickoff specialist Alex Rinella still has another year left after 2018 and Chase Lanham is only a freshman. Munson’s high school highlights include kicking a 59-yarder to force OT, which was a state record. He wasn’t a bad punter in high school either with a forty yard average. Munson was one of the top five kickers in his class and also had offers from Georgia Southern and Georgia State.

Terrell Jennings - 2-Star Running Back

Knowing WKU running backs, with the luck they’ve had with injuries and some program staples leaving after next season, it’s not a bad idea to keep adding them to the roster. Enter Terrell Jennings. The Mandarin High School (Jacksonville, Florida) rising senior is listed at 6’1”, 215 pounds and ran for 621 yards on 117 carries and scored five touchdowns last season. Jennings also had offers from Kent State, Tennessee Tech, and South Florida.

Mitchell Harralson - 2-Star Long Snapper

Another Kentuckian, Caldwell County specifically, Harralson adds some depth to WKU’s specialist group as the number four long snapper in his class, per 247 Sports. The Tops already have a long snapper on the roster though. A good one too. Sophomore Ben Reeder was the top rated long snapper in high school and made the Conference USA All-Freshman team at that spot last year as well. It obviously never hurts to have someone who can step up if need be, but maybe we see Harralson use a redshirt within the next couple years.

Jordan Flack - 0-Star Offensive Guard

The Somerville, Alabama product is currently listed at 6’3” and 290 pounds. He had a relatively quiet recruitment, but looks mobile for his size, pulls well, and still has a year to develop. He’ll be a decent project for offensive line coach T.J. Woods. Plus, if he helps bring midriffs back to college football, I’m all for it.