Miranda Pederson/Daily News Glasgow senior running back Marquez Trigg will carry the offensive load for the Scotties this season. The Western Kentucky commit rushed for 1,669 yards and 26 touchdowns last year.

Western Kentucky has officially added five new players before next week’s National Signing Day.

The Hilltoppers have added three defensive transfers from UAB – linebacker T.J. McCollum, defensive back Greg Maclin and defensive tackle Jontavious Morris – as well as two freshman early enrollees in offensive lineman Cullen Reynolds and running back Marquez Trigg.

The UAB trio, like many players from the school, have moved on since the Blazers discontinued their football program in December.

The 6-foot-2, 295-pound Morris will have one year of eligibility remaining. He started 11 of 12 games in 2014 and recorded 20 tackles, two tackles for loss, a blocked kick and a fumble recovery touchdown. He started 19 total games for UAB and tallied 54 tackles.

The 6-3, 190-pound Maclin will have two years of eligibility left.

The safety started two of UAB’s final three games in 2014 and finished his sophomore campaign with 15 tackles. His true freshman season was cut short by an ankle injury.

The 6-3, 205-pound McCollum has three years of eligibility left. He had seven tackles in 10 games last season after redshirting in 2013.

The 6-foot, 205-pound Trigg was a standout running back at nearby Glasgow High School. He rushed for 1,615 yards on 286 carries with 26 touchdowns as a senior. 

Trigg tallied 4,765 rushing yards and 75 touchdowns over his high school career. He was named a second-team all-state performer this year by The Associated Press.

The 6-5, 310-pound lineman Reynolds was a first-team all-state AP selection at Madisonville-North Hopkins High School. Behind his work up front, the Maroons had three running backs eclipse 850 rushing yards this season.

All five players are eligible immediately. They join junior-college transfer defensive end Sidney Hammond and grayshirt offensive lineman R.J. Scaife as new Hilltoppers who will take part in spring workouts.

National Signing Day for the rest of WKU’s incoming freshmen begins Feb. 4.  

UAB standout linebacker Shaq Jones has not yet made an official decision on his transfer destination. Jones was reportedly choosing between WKU and Marshall.

— Zach Greenwell