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Bowling Green, Ky. — Headlined by the winner of the Frank Camp Award — which is given by the Johnny Unitas Foundation to the top high school player in Kentucky — Western Kentucky University football head coach David Elson announced Wednesday that 11 individuals have signed National Letters-of-Intent with the Hilltoppers and will be eligible to play in the fall.
That includes a pair of transfers from Division I-A schools who are already enrolled in school and will participate in spring practice.
The Toppers — who are coming off a 9-3 season in which they advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs for the fifth consecutive year — signed six players on offense and five on the defensive side of the ball.
Both transfers come from the Mid-American Conference. OL Andrew Campbell sat out the 2004 season as a redshirt freshman at Bowling Green, but the 6-foot-4, 300-pound Indianapolis, Ind., native was selected Indiana’s Offensive Line Mr. Football in 2003 after starring at Warren Central High. Chris Jackson was Ohio’s leading receiver last fall after collecting 39 receptions for 390 yards, including recording seven catches against Fiesta Bowl participant Pittsburgh as well as five receptions in a win over Kentucky. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound resident of Seale, Ala. — who has two years of eligibility remaining — led the state with 2,459 yards rushing in 2001.
Brandon C. Smith, a 6-foot, 175-pound quarterback from Danville, Ky., was the Frank Camp Award winner and a first-team all-state selection after throwing for 3,401 yards and 44 touchdowns last fall. In four years at Boyle County High School, Smith led the Rebels to three state championships and an appearance in the title game the other season.
He is joined by two other players from the Commonwealth — Charles Everett and Andrew McCloud. A 6-foot-2, 245-pound defensive lineman from Winchester, Everett was a third-team all-state selection by both the Associated Press and Louisville Courier-Journal following his senior season at George Rogers Clark High. McCloud, a 5-foot-9, 190-pound running back from Harrodsburg, set the state rushing record with 5,341 yards in his career at Mercer County HS. He was fifth in Kentucky as a senior with 2,150 yards, earning the Roy Kidd Player-of-the-Year Award in Class AA.
Western also signed a trio of players from Florida. Jimmy Caldwell — a 6-foot, 230-pound inside linebacker from Winter Springs, Fla., High — broke the school record for career tackles while earning first-team all-district and all-conference accolades. Rashad Etheridge was named second-team all-state as well as first-team all-area and all-county following his final season at St. Petersburg (Fla.) Catholic High School. The 5-foot-9, 165-pound cornerback had 96 tackles in his career. A 5-foot-10, 175-pound strong safety from Fort Myers, Fla., HS, Darvis McBride was a unanimous choice on both the first-team all-district and all-conference squads in 2004, and he was also a first-team all-league selection as a junior.
Jake Gaebler is a 5-foot-11, 180-pound wide receiver from Mundelein (Ill.) High School, where he set 16 school records including standards for touchdowns in a season (24 in 2004) and career (51). He was a three-time all-state selection. Jeremy Walley, a 6-foot-2, 270-pound offensive lineman from Eads, Tenn., was selected first-team all-state in each of the last two years, and he also helped lead Briarcrest Christian High School to a pair of state championships. A two-time all-state honoree at Deshler High, Brandon Moore helped the Muscle Shoals, Ala., school to the state title contest each of the last two years. The 6-foot, 220-pound inside linebacker recorded 515 tackles in his career.
Name (Ht., Wt., Cl.-Exp., Pos., Hometown, Previous School)
Jimmy Caldwell (6-0, 230, Fr.-HS, ILB, Winter Springs, Fla., Winter Springs HS)
*Andrew Campbell (6-4, 300, Fr.-TR, OL, Indianapolis, Ind., Warren Central HS / Bowling Green)
Rashad Etheridge (5-9, 165, Fr.-HS, CB, St. Petersburg, Fla., St. Petersburg Catholic HS)
Charles Everett (6-2, 245, Fr.-HS, DL, Winchester, Ky., George Rogers Clark HS)
Jake Gaebler (5-11, 180, Fr.-HS, WR, Mundelein, Ill., Mundelein HS)
*Chris Jackson (6-1, 205, Jr.-TR, WR, Seale, Ala., Glenwood HS / Ohio)
Darvis McBride (5-10, 175, Fr.-HS, SS, Fort Myers, Fla., Fort Myers HS)
Andrew McCloud (5-9, 190, Fr.-HS, RB, Harrodsburg, Ky., Mercer County HS)
Brandon Moore (6-0, 220, Fr.-HS, ILB, Muscle Shoals, Ala., Deshler HS)
Brandon C. Smith (6-0, 175, Fr.-HS, QB, Danville, Ky., Boyle County HS)
Jeremy Walley (6-2, 270, Fr.-HS, OL, Eads, Tenn., Briarcrest Christian HS)
*transferred to WKU prior to the start of the Spring 2005 semester
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