Western Kentucky football coach Tyson Helton speaks at a news conference March 11 before the start of spring practice.

Western Kentucky’s football program continues to add to its roster for the 2024 season, with the Tops picking up a commitment from Tulane transfer cornerback Jai Eugene Jr. on Tuesday.

Eugene, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound sophomore, played in one game and tallied one tackle for the Green Wave in 2023. A native of St. Rose, Louisiana, Eugene played cornerback and quarterback at Destrehan (Louisiana) High School, helping lead the program to an undefeated state title in 2022.

Eugene is the latest of several recent commitments to WKU as players continue to exit the NCAA transfer portal at new programs or return to their previous school.

WKU got a commitment from Elon transfer running back Jalen Hampton earlier this month. A 5-10, 201-pounder who played his redshirt sophomore season at Elon this past year, Hampton began his collegiate career at Virginia Tech.

A third team all-Colonial Athletic Association pick, Hampton started all 11 games and ran for 880 yards and six touchdowns for the Phoenix. He ran for a season-best 169 yards and four touchdowns in a win against Campbell to earn CAA Offensive Player of the Week honors. He also caught nine passes for 41 yards this past season.

The Frederick, Maryland, native was a HERO Sports Freshman All-American and third team All-CAA in 2022 after rushing for 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman at Elon.

Before that, Hampton spent two years at Virginia Tech.

The Hilltoppers also landed a commitment from Alcorn State transfer linebacker Terreance Ellis earlier this month. A 6-2, 220-pound native of Houston, Ellis tallied 99 tackles, eight tackles for loss including four sacks, a pair of forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception as a junior for the Braves this past season. 

Ellis earned Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 20 after his 10-tackle, one-interception performance against Jackson State.

In 2022, Ellis finished with 92 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss including four sacks, plus a force fumble and a fumble recovery. Ellis began his collegiate career at Rice.

Running back Ta’Ron Keith, who joined the program after the 2023 season as a transfer from Bowling Green and played in WKU’s Red & White Spring Showcase, re-entered the transfer portal and has since committed to South Florida.

Two more WKU players recently opted to exit the transfer portal and return to the Hilltoppers. Cornerback Anthony Johnson Jr., an All-Conference USA honorable mention selection in 2023, and CUSA All-Freshman Team wide receiver Moussa Barry are staying with the program.