WKU defense continues to make strides before Week Zero

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Over on the Hill, WKU football is ramping up its practice schedule ahead of the 2025 season opener against Sam Houston.

By now, you’ve figured out a ton about the team’s offense, including new quarterback Maverick McIvor, but the defense has also seen a ton of shifts in many positions.

One familiar face back in the Tops secondary is safety Virgil Marshall, who saw limited playing time in 2024 due to injury, but finished out the year with snaps played in four of the team’s final six contests.

And a new piece to a revamped defensive line is linebacker Dominic Oliver, who’s bringing a career year to Bowling Green after four seasons at San Diego State.

Now in week two of fall camp, both players shared the roles they expect to have on this year’s team.

“ Really, just looking after the young guys who were in my position, because I know when I was young, I had [Kendrick Simpkins] and [Talique Allen] and them watching over with me, so I’m trying to watch over the young guys the same way,” Marshall said.

“I feel like I fit really well. It’s really similar to my defense at San Diego State. We run a 4-2-5, I get a lot of opportunities to cover, but I also show that I can rush the passers, so I feel like it’s going to really help me with scouts, hopefully in the future, to show that I’m versatile,” Oliver said.