New-look Hilltopper football squad growing in spring practice

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Wednesday was pro day on the Hill, closing the book on the 2024 team, and this week, the freshly revamped Tops are back to work, getting started on a new chapter of WKU football.

The team saw a lot of change in the offseason, both on the roster and in the coaching circle, but now with many new key pieces arriving in Bowling Green, the group is prepping to make another deep run in Conference USA.

Although there’s a lot of newness to the Tops in 2025, a couple of returners spoke on what spring has been like just a handful of practices into the semester.

“ I would say really just building chemistry,” defensive back Virgil Marshall said on what he’s looking to get out of the team’s 15 spring practices. “Competing, getting after each other, holding each other accountable without like having your feelings involved. Just making sure business is business.”

“Our identity is the same, regardless. We’re still going to play fast, tough, physical, get to the ball, and just make plays,” said defensive lineman Harper Holloman on how the defense looks following a transition at the defensive coordinator position.

“We got a lot of new, great transfers in. They got a lot of talent; they got a lot of experience, you know, older guys.” said tight end Noah Meyers when discussing this team’s offense. “They’re going to provide a lot in their areas, but I think we all just have our own piece in the offense, and I just have to continue to do what I can do. That starts with gaining weight, increasing, like on blocking and stuff, like just learning what I can get and, you know, just learn from the new guy.”

While Meyers is a returner in that tight end room, the new guy he speaks of is quarterback Maverick McIvor.

McIvor joins the Hill from Abeline Christian University, alongside his offensive coordinator Rick Bowie, and that pairing is a bit familiar to Hilltopper nation, where Bailey Zappe and Zach Kittley made the same transition from Houston Baptist back in 2021.

And speaking of Zappe, the newest gunslinger in Bowling Green shares how the rich recent tradition of success in the quarterback room was a major motivation to transfer to WKU.

“Yeah, I mean it is QBU, right? I mean, even from last year to {Austin Reed} to Bailey Zappe, to Mike White, you know, all those guys that I looked at before coming here, and then just to obviously follow my offensive coordinator here, it’s just, you know, a seamless transition,” said McIvor. “That’s what I want to do. I want to throw the ball 50 times a game and put up crazy yards, so, absolutely. It’s QBU and it was huge in my decision making.”