WESTERN CAROLINA CATAMOUNTS FOOTBALL
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Nestled in the mountains of western North Carolina, Western Carolina University has fielded a football program since the early days of collegiate athletics, competing at the Football Championship Subdivision level within the Southern Conference. The Catamounts represent an institution established in 1889 that now serves 11,877 students, with their football roster maintaining a squad of 100 players. Playing in Cullowhee, the program operates as a member of one of FCS's most competitive regional conferences, where scheduling and strength of schedule significantly influence postseason eligibility and tournament seeding.
The Southern Conference affiliation places Western Carolina among programs that regularly compete for conference championships and FCS playoff consideration. With institutional enrollment exceeding 11,800 students, the Catamounts draw from a substantial pool of potential student-athletes while maintaining roster standards consistent with FCS regulations. The program's mountain location and regional recruiting footprint shape both its identity and competitive positioning within the wider FCS landscape, where conference championships remain the primary path to national playoff opportunities.
KEY FACTS
| School | Western Carolina University |
| Sport | Football |
| Conference | Southern Conference |
| Division | D1-FCS |
| Location | Cullowhee, North Carolina |
| Venue | Home Venue |
| Head Coach | Staff |
ROSTER (2025-26)
| # | Name | Pos |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Branson Adams | RB |
| 55 | Secrea Algie | OL |
| 24 | Anthony Benjamin | RB |
| 12 | Jack Benson | QB |
| 25 | Noah Best | RB |
| 86 | Brayden Blackmon | TE |
| 21 | Jaiden Bond | RB |
| 15 | Jai Boyd | WR |
| 1 | Patrick Boyd Jr. | RB |
| 19 | Bode Burns | TE |
| 78 | Evan Carney | OL |
| 89 | Ellis Chappell | WR |
| - | Marlin Cochran | RB |
| 74 | Elijah Collins | OL |
| 0 | AJ Colombo | WR |
| 69 | Cole Cooke | OL |
| 68 | Aidan Cooper | OL |
| 48 | Cole Craddock | TE |
| 83 | Austin Cunningham | WR |
| 81 | Ca'Lique Cunningham | WR |
| 5 | Taron Dickens | QB |
| 4 | Dominic Dutton | WR |
| 65 | Nicholas Foster | OL |
| 58 | Brett Gray | OL |
| 70 | Dale Greene | OL |
| 87 | Eli Griffin | WR |
| - | Ian Grissom | QB |
| 67 | Steven Hamby | OL |
| 66 | John Hammond | OL |
| 64 | Konrad Henderson | OL |
| 13 | Richard Hollis | WR |
| 85 | David Hulbert | TE |
| 17 | Bennett Judy | QB |
| 82 | Matthew Keener | WR |
| 7 | Malik Knight | WR |
| 77 | Ilija Krajnovic | OL |
| 11 | Isaac Lee | QB |
| 18 | Jordan Martin-Durham | QB |
| 44 | Isaac McLellan | TE |
| 79 | Vito Moriana-Sigel | OL |
| 22 | Josh Perry | RB |
| 88 | Jemarious Reaves | WR |
| 20 | Camury Reid | RB |
| 8 | Painter Richards-Baker | WR |
| 52 | Manasseh Ripert | OL |
| 10 | Michael Rossin | WR |
| 51 | Aaron Sanez | OL |
| 17 | Armond Anderson | LB |
| 8 | Jahleel Anderson | DT |
| 9 | Darian Anderson Jr. | CB |
| 25 | Nas Ashenafi | DB |
| 91 | Jackson Banks | DT |
| 14 | Vanier Baptiste III | DT |
| 43 | Braeden Barger | LB |
| 35 | Trey Berry III | LB |
| 42 | Hank Bodine | LB |
| 97 | Caleb Bradford | DT |
| 26 | Devin Brown | DB |
| 59 | J'evon Bush | DT |
| 33 | Lee Campbell | S |
| 99 | Jordan Cardentey | DE |
| 34 | Joshua Collins | LB |
| 27 | Jayden Cornelius | CB |
| 21 | Cam'Ron Dabney | CB |
| 36 | Ja'morri Downing | DB |
| 3 | Samaurie Dukes | S |
| 1 | Caleb Fisher | DE |
| 30 | Richard Garrett | DE |
| 49 | Bryce Hart | LB |
| 98 | Jackson Hensley | DT |
| 37 | Chris Hobbs | CB |
| 40 | Cain Jefferson | DE |
| 57 | Jeremy Johnson | DT |
| 7 | Ed Jones IV | S |
| 92 | Brandon Joseph II | DT |
| 22 | Jeno Junius Jr. | DB |
| - | Trevaughn Martinez | DB |
| 46 | Nolan McClanahan | LB |
| 38 | Canden McGill | CB |
| 18 | Ryan McKinnis | LB |
| 5 | Hayward McQueen Jr. | LB |
| 94 | Jaden Meeks | DT |
| 32 | AJ Mintze | S |
| 47 | Blue Monroe | LB |
| 0 | Ken Moore Jr. | DB |
| 45 | Sean Morris | DT |
| 2 | Micah Nelson | DE |
| 11 | Kenyon Partridge | DE |
| 16 | Jhamari Pierre-Louis | S |
| 39 | Julian Quintero | S |
| 29 | Christian Robbins | CB |
| 31 | Don Robinson III | CB |
| 15 | Gavin Rowell | DE |
| 6 | Bo Simpson-Nealy | S |
| 95 | Stephen Brantley | P |
| 56 | Mabry Bumgarner | LS |
| 63 | Thomas Guerrero | P |
| 96 | Christian Lowery | PK |
| 61 | Bryan McCollum | PK |
| 62 | Emmet Rhoades | LS |
OTHER SPORTS AT WESTERN CAROLINA
SOUTHERN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PROGRAMS
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North Carolina Football ProgramsFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What conference does Western Carolina Football compete in?
- Western Carolina Catamounts Football competes in the Southern Conference conference at the NCAA D1-FCS level.
- Where does Western Carolina play football home games?
- Western Carolina Football plays home games at Home Venue in Cullowhee, NC.
- Who is the head coach of Western Carolina Football?
- The head coach of Western Carolina Catamounts Football is Staff.
- When was Western Carolina Football program established?
- The establishment date for Western Carolina Football is not currently available.