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American Press
13-05-2025
- Sport
- American Press
Worth the wait
Conner Westenburg waited two years to become McNeese's big weapon. (McNeese Athletics) F or two seasons, Conner Westenburg waited and wondered if he would ever get his big chance. He had played in just 29 games, serving mainly as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. Westenburg had just one start and one hit, though he did score 13 runs and drove in a couple. 'I got a couple of chances, but I didn't do much with them,' said Westenburg. 'I didn't really earn more time. I was hoping to get my shot. 'That was tough. Everybody wants to play. Waiting and not playing is hard, but I'm glad I did it.' And he never considered going elsewhere to get it. 'Loyalty is a big deal to me and my family,' said Westenburg. 'From the moment I came to McNeese, I was all about the blue and gold. This is where I wanted to be and wanted to play. Never a doubt.' Westenburg, an outfielder from Porter, Texas, earned his spot in the lineup during fall workouts before the 2024 campaign. 'I just kept working and making things happen when he was out there,' said McNeese head coach Justin Hill. 'It is a tribute to his work ethic and willingness to continue to work and make himself better, and always thinking of the team first.' Hill also understands Westenburg could have left at any time in the world of the transfer portal. 'He is kind of the ultimate kid in that he stayed and benefited,' said Hill. 'I can't say enough good things about Conner Westenburg. He kept working and he turned himself into an all-conference player.' Westenburg started all 59 games a year ago, hitting .296 with 17 doubles, three triples and six home runs. He scored 46 runs and drove in 41 while stealing 20 bases in 23 attempts. This year, the centerfielder has been even better. He is tied for the league lead in triples with nine and was a legitimate Southland Conference Player of the Year candidate late into the season. Westenburg leads the Cowboys with 64 hits, one more than Easton Dowell, as McNeese gets set to open postseason play in Hammond Thursday against Northwestern State. He is second in the league in runs scored at 60. Westenburg leads the conference in stolen bases with 25 in 30 attempts and has a .330 average, up 34 points from last season. He has also hit seven home runs and plays the type of center field that earned him defensive league honors last year. According to one set of metrics, Westenburg leads the nation in runs saved at 18.61, ahead of UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky's second-best 16.44. His nine outfield assists are believed to be a McNeese record. 'Conner is an electric player,' said Hill. 'He gets us going and keeps our energy up, especially how he plays the outfield. He gets to everything out there.' However, Westenburg isn't just a baseball player. With a 3.87 individual grade point average, he won the Rowdy Award for the highest individual grade point average among athletes. Westenburg graduated Monday, earning his degree in general studies. When asked which he was more proud of, the batting average or his GPA, Westenburg wasn't sure if he wanted to be honest. 'I guess the batting average because it leads to wins,' he said. 'But I think they both show how hard I worked, and I'm proud of that. 'I always knew what I was capable of doing; I just had to wait and make the most of my chances when I got them. I think I have done that.' Both on the field and in the classroom, Westenburg has done just that.
New York Times
24-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Who are the best FCS and Division II transfers heading to the Power 4 ranks?
Two of the most impactful college football players in 2024 began their respective careers at the FCS level. Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo, a first-team All-American, ranked second nationally with 1,711 rushing yards and led the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff. Miami quarterback Cam Ward guided the nation's No. 1 offense — total and scoring — and joined Skattebo on the All-America team. Advertisement So, who's next? There might not be anyone quite like Skattebo and Ward, but there will no doubt be some significant contributors in 2025 among the nearly 150 transfers from the FCS, Division II and Division III ranks who signed with Power 4 programs during the winter portal window. Here's our list of the best of the best. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound junior was the Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2024. He had 59 tackles, including 17 for loss and 9.5 sacks, and helped the Coyotes reach the FCS semifinals. Humphrey-Grace has two years of eligibility left and picked the Wildcats over Georgia, Ohio State and Mississippi State. He's likely to start alongside Washington State transfer David Gusta and rising junior Jaden Williams. There isn't a quarterback at the Division I level with more starting experience (55 games) than Gronowski, who won 49 games and two national titles at South Dakota State. He's thrown for 10,330 yards and 93 touchdowns and run for 1,767 yards and 37 TDs but is coming off surgery to his throwing shoulder. On the heels of Oklahoma's worst offensive season since 1998, Brent Venables hired a new coordinator in Ben Arbuckle and brought in 11 transfers on offense. Four of those were receivers, including Gibson, a 6-2, 216-pound redshirt junior from Louisiana who earned second-team FCS All-America honors after leading the Golden Lions with 70 catches for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns. He's been impressive early in spring camp. Josh Hoover set the TCU school single-season passing record with 3,949 yards but lost three of his top four receivers. Dwyer, a 6-foot, 190-pound junior, will have an opportunity to take on a leading role. The Puyallup, Wash., native caught 78 passes for 1,192 yards and 12 touchdowns last season while playing with four different quarterbacks. He also had offers from USC, Arkansas, Washington and Washington State. Advertisement The former three-star recruit and 10-game starter at Texas A&M in 2021 made a pitstop at Auburn (2022) before enjoying two standout seasons at Incarnate Word. He won the Southland Conference Player of the Year award last season when he completed 66 percent of his attempts for 3,791 yards and 35 touchdowns. He also ran for 332 yards and five scores. Calzada still has to beat out talented sophomore Cutter Boley to win the job in Lexington. Zambrano, a 6-5, 305-pound senior, is likely to slot in at right guard next to Miami (Ohio) transfer Will Jados. Zambrano, who has dealt with hip, hernia and labrum issues, made 24 of his 26 starts for the Redbirds at left tackle before suffering a season-ending injury two games into the 2024 season. He's not practicing this spring. Earlier today, Illinois State OL Hunter Zambrano announced he is transferring to Texas Tech — NCAA Transfer Portal (@RivalsPortal) December 12, 2024 Foot surgery last August cost the 6-4, 220-pound Wisconsin native the 2024 season. It didn't take him long to land in Lubbock after he entered the transfer portal in December. Following a move from linebacker to safety in 2023, Wisniewski earned FCS first-team All-America honors after recording 92 tackles and eight interceptions. The Red Raiders ranked 117th in pass efficiency defense in 2024 and have to replace starting safety CJ Baskerville. Maryland's offensive line was responsible for 18 sacks in 2024, the second-most in the Big Ten according to Pro Football Focus, and has to replace three starters. The expectation is for Perry, a 6-5, 305-pound redshirt junior and a first-team All-NEC selection in 2024, to take over at left tackle, which was a revolving door for Maryland last season. Perry visited Ohio State, Florida State, Pittsburgh and Syracuse. The 6-6, 325-pound Simmons, a redshirt senior from Jacksonville, Fla., has started 26 games between Tusculum, Abilene Christian and Western Carolina. He's the projected starter at right tackle for the Sooners — the position Simmons has played the most in college. Advertisement The Spartans ranked 110th nationally and tied for 14th in the Big Ten in rushing last season and lost their top two ball carriers. Tau-Tolliver, a 6-1, 205-pound redshirt senior, provides a pass-catching element out of the backfield and will team with sophomores Makhi Frazier and Brandon Tullis for coach Jonathan Smith. Tau-Tolliver led Sacramento State with 950 yards and seven rushing touchdowns in 2024. The Commodores lost four of their top five offensive linemen but secured Henderson, a 6-8, 320-pound graduate transfer, in time to participate in spring practice. He's one of five offensive linemen Vanderbilt signed out of the portal and the second-most experienced. He has 34 career starts, including 14 last season at right tackle, where he's expected to start this fall. Lewis returns to the Power 4 level after stops at UCLA (2021) and Wisconsin (2022, 2023). Last year, he started nine games at Southern Illinois and led the team with 49 catches, 813 receiving yards and five touchdown catches. The 6-2, 196-pound Illinois native is one of the two oldest players in Oklahoma's revamped receiver corps. Michigan State has to replace its three starting interior offensive linemen. Moore, a 6-5, 309-pound redshirt junior and a 2024 FCS second-team All-American, will slot in somewhere on the O-line. With returning starting right tackle Ashton Lepo out with an injury, Moore, a 27-game starter at left tackle the last two seasons, is taking snaps at tackle in the spring. Brent Key wanted to add more depth at running back and help take some of the load off Jamal Haynes. Hosely, the 2004 Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, should help. The 5-10, 205-pound junior from Columbus, Ga., ran for 1,192 yards and nine touchdowns in 10 games last season and caught 34 passes for 335 yards and one touchdown in his two seasons with the Quakers. The Bulldogs, who lost top cornerback Brice Pollock to Texas Tech, signed two corners out of the portal. Lewis, a two-time first-team Mid-States Football Association selection, recorded 58 tackles, seven interceptions and 12 pass breakups over 21 starts the last two seasons. He was also recruited by Arizona and Wisconsin out of the portal. The Cornhuskers return their top three cornerbacks in terms of snaps played from a season ago and promoted John Butler from secondary coach to defensive coordinator. Marshall, a junior from California, started 13 games last season and tallied 50 tackles and three pass breakups. He'll get into the cornerback rotation but could make his biggest impact on special teams as a return man. Advertisement Starting left tackle Howard Sampson transferred to Texas Tech and right guard Willie Lampkin, a first-team All-ACC selection, is off to the NFL. That opens the door for Kelly, a 6-4, 305-pound redshirt senior, to win a starting job this fall. Kelly was a two-year starting center and captain for Holy Cross. Lawson, a 6-2, 295-pound redshirt junior, is in position to be an immediate contributor for Louisville, which lost five of its top six defensive linemen in terms of snaps played in 2024. He recorded 65 tackles, including 14 TFLs and 4.5 sacks, last season in 14 starts. The Badgers signed seven defensive linemen in the portal, but Perkins, a 6-2, 316-pound redshirt junior, is one of only two with double-digit career starts. He had 40 tackles, including nine for loss and 2.5 sacks, and 19 quarterback pressures while earning first-team All-Big South-OVC honors in 2024. Jones, the Southwest Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, is one of three linebackers Ole Miss signed out of the portal. He'll compete with Marshall transfer Jaden Yates, a first-team All-Sun Belt selection, and former Missouri State standout Tahj Chambers to start alongside TJ Dottery. Jones had 122 tackles, including 20.5 for loss and three sacks, in 2024. He was a former three-star recruit who signed with Memphis out of high school. Leading receiver Elic Ayomanor left early for the NFL Draft, which should put talented rising sophomore Emmett Mosley V in prime position to be the No. 1 target for quarterback Elijah Brown. But the Cardinal are definitely looking for a No. 2 option, and High, a 5-10, 160-pound junior from Atlanta, fits the bill. He caught 62 passes for 908 yards and seven touchdowns last season. The Bears are counting on the 6-2, 195-pound senior to help replace starting safeties Craig Woodson and Miles Williams. Polidore started the final 10 games of the season for the Bobcats on their way to appearing in the FCS national championship game. The 2023 FCS Freshman All-American from North Carolina — nicknamed Rocket — caught 90 passes for 1,051 yards and 10 touchdowns in two seasons at the FCS level. Wilkins is expected to provide a home run threat for quarterback Grayson James. He's also carried the ball out of the backfield and been explosive on kickoff returns. He has two years of eligibility left. Advertisement The Utes ranked No. 2 in the Big 12 in pass efficiency defense in 2024 but have to replace two of their top four cornerbacks in terms of snaps. Cotton, a 6-2, 190-pound senior from California, started eight games last season at UC Davis and had 25 tackles and two pass breakups. The hope is that Cotton, junior college transfer Rock Caldwell and Texas A&M transfer Don Saunders will help secure the secondary. Seven of the Tar Heels' top eight defensive linemen in terms of snaps played in 2024 are gone. That opens the door for Abou-Jaoude, a 6-5, 265-pound redshirt junior, to step into the rotation. Abou-Jaoude started all 11 games in 2024 for the Blue Hens and led the team with 9.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and eight hurries. Mark Hamper, WR, Idaho → Wisconsin Ayden Knapik, OT, Idaho → Illinois Deshawn McKnight, DL, UT Martin → Arizona Alex McLaughlin, S, Northern Arizona → Washington Brady Norton, OT, Cal Poly → Michigan (Photo of Mi'Quise Humphrey-Grace: Samantha Laurey / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
