WKU football looking to continue improvement in 2020

Hilltoppers have an elite RB but face questions at QB

Western Kentucky’s offense finished just 84th overall in the country last season, averaging 387.8 yards per game and heading into 2020 have even more questions they’ll need to answer.

Both starting quarterback Ty Storey and star wide receiver Lucky Jackson are gone leaving WKU some questions in the passing game.

At quarterback, a redshirt senior, Steven Duncan, who started the first three games of the 2019 season before suffering a season-ending injury, will likely be back under center. In those three games, Duncan threw for 790 yards and threw five touchdown passes with four interceptions.

As for who he’ll throw to with Jackson departed, Jahcour Pearson will likely become the teams’ primary target. He hauled in 76 catches, 804 yards and a team-high seven touchdown catches. The Hilltoppers will also rely on tight end Joshua Simon who had a stellar freshman 2019 season in which he hauled in 30 catches for 430 yards and four touchdowns.

While WKU will face Duncan’s questions, their situation at running back is as good as anyone in the country. Gaej Walker is back for his redshirt senior season after rushing for 1,249 yards and eight touchdowns for the Hilltoppers last season.

They will need someone to emerge as a complementary back as Storey finished second on the team in rushing yards last season with 411 while backup running back KeShawn McClendon finished fourth on the team with 56 yards.

On the offensive line, the team returns PFF first-team All-Conference USA lineman PFF Jordan Meredith along with standouts Cole Spencer and Seth Joest.

While on paper WKU’s offense looks to be slightly better than the one that finished among the bottom half in the nation last season, their success will come down to quarterback play and how they can take on Walker’s pressure.