Grayson County rising junior guard/forward Jack Logsdon announced his commitment to Western Kentucky's men's basketball team Monday on social media, becoming the first addition to WKU's Class of 2027 recruiting class. (GRAYSON COUNTY ATHLETICS)

Western Kentucky’s men’s basketball program picked up its first commitment with an in-state recruit for the Class of 2027 on Monday.

Jack Logsdon, a 6-foot-7 rising junior guard/forward at Grayson County High School, announced his commitment to WKU on social media.

“I’m 1000% committed. Let’s work,” Logsdon posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

At Grayson County this past season, Logsdon led the Cougars to a 26-7 overall record and an appearance in the Region 3 Boys’ Basketball Tournament championship game. Logsdon tallied a team-high 25 points, including hitting 6-of-10 from 3-point range, in the regional championship loss to Daviess County.

Logsdon led the Cougars in scoring in 2024-25 with 21 points per game and rebounding (6.8 rebounds per game). He was 74-of-196 from 3-point range (37.8%) and was a 78.1% shooter at the free-throw line (185-of-237) during his sophomore season.

As a freshman during the 2023-24 season, Logsdon averaged a team-best 19.4 points and a team-leading 6.9 rebounds per game.

Logsdon was second on the team in scoring (13.3 ppg) and second in rebounding (6.3 rpg) as an eighth-grader in 2022-23.

Logsdon made the Cougars’ varsity squad as a seventh-grader in 2021-22 and appeared in all 29 games that season.

FOOTBALL

WKU’s football program continued to build it’s Class of 2026 recruiting class with a trio of commitments Monday and another Tuesday.

Makhi “Koba” Brazier, a 6-1, 215-pound rising senior linebacker at Grayson High School in Logansville, Georgia, announced his commitment to WKU on social media. Brazier held offers from 17 schools including Indiana, Kansas, SMU, Liberty and Marshall, according to the recruiting website 247Sports.com.

Arlando Crafton Jr., a 6-4, 230-pound athlete from Atlanta’s Carver High School, also announced his commitment to the Tops on social media Monday. Crafton had 12 offers total, according to 247Sports.com, including Mississippi State, Troy, East Carolina, Marshall and Middle Tennessee.

Leonzay “Zay” Merzius, a 6-0, 181-pound defensive back from Chaminade-Madonna High School in Hollywood, Florida, also made his WKU commitment announcement on social media Monday. Merzius, listed as a cornerback on 247Sports.com, held 18 offers including Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon State, Penn State, South Carolina and James Madison.

WKU picked up a commitment from Eli Wilt, a 6-5, 242-pound tight end from Nashville’s Ensworth High School, on Tuesday. Wilt held 19 offers, according to 247Sports.com, including Appalachian State, Air Force, San Diego State and Jacksonville State.

On Saturday, the Tops picked up a commitment from Jaylen Pollard. A 5-10, 195-pound safety from Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tennessee, Pollard held 13 offers including Tulane, Navy, Troy and Jacksonville State according to 247Sports.com.

Class of 2026 commitments

Makhi Brazier | LB | 6-1 | 215 | Grayson HS | Logansville, Ga.

Arlando Crafton Jr. | ATH | 6-4 | 230 | Carver HS | Atlanta, Ga.

Jordan Curll | OL | 6-4 | 300 | Fred J. Page HS | Franklin, Tenn.

CeeJay Embry | DL | 6-2 | 280 | Pahokee HS | Pahokee, Fla.

Taron Essex | DB | 6-4 | 190 | Southwest DeKalb HS | Atlanta, Ga.

Bryce Fulda | DE | 6-4 | 243 | Cardinal Mooney HS | Sarasota, Fla.

Asa Holbert | OT | 6-7 | 315 | Cherokee County HS | Centre, Ala.

Le’Kamren Meadows | RB | 6-0 | 210 | Moody HS | Moody, Ala.

Leonzay Merzius | DB | 6-1 | 181 | Chaminade-Madonna HS | Hollywood, Fla.

Cam O’Hara | QB | 6-2 | 190 | Cooper HS | Union, Ky.

Elijah Peake | DL | 6-1 | 290 | Wetumpka HS | Wetumpka, Ala.

Damyon Pearson | CB | 5-10 | 160 | Brookwood HS | Snellville, Ga.

Jaylen Pollard | S | 5-10 | 195 | Ravenwood HS | Brentwood, Tenn.

Tyrell Scott | OL | 6-4 | 3000 | Elder HS | Cincinnati, Ohio

Henry Smith | DE | 6-4 | 245 | Moody HS | Moody, Ala.

Jonathan Stafford Jr. | WR | 5-10 | 170 | Grayson HS | Loganville, Ga.

Isaac Tanis | DE | 6-3 | 240 | American Heritage HS | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Eli Wilt | TE | 6-5 | 242 | Ensworth HS | Nashville, Tenn.

BASEBALL

The Hilltoppers picked up another baseball commitment on Tuesday.

Rodney Whaley, a 6-2, 200-pound left-hander who played this past season at Iowa Western Community College – the same program formerly led by current WKU head coach Marc Rardin. Whaley made his announcement on social media.

This past season at IWCC, Whaley pitched in 12 games (four starts) and compiled a 3.56 ERA and a 2-1 record in 30 1/3 innings of work. He struck out 35 batters.

WKU landed a commitment from junior college pitcher Ka’olu Holt last week.

Holt, a Honolulu native and a member of the 2018 Honolulu Little League squad that won the Little League World Series, played this past season as a sophomore at Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Florida.

Th 6-3, 205-pound right-hander pitched in 14 games (12 starts) and tallied a 4-2 record and a 4.37 ERA with 62 strikeouts (10.02 strikeouts per nine innings) over 55 2/3 innings of work.

A pair of former WKU standouts recently announced their next destination after entering the NCAA transfer portal following the Tops’ record-setting 2025 season.

Kyle Hvidsten, who spent one season with the Hilltoppers playing primarily as a catcher, announced his commitment to Conference USA rival Liberty over the weekend. Hvidsten played in 44 games (34 starts) in his lone season with the Tops, hitting all six of his home runs in the final 11 games of the season. The Jordan, Minnesota, native batted .282 with six home runs, five doubles, one triple, 22 RBIs and 10 stolen bases this past season.

Cal Higgins, a senior left-hander and key cog in the Hilltoppers’ bullpen the past three seasons, announced his commitment to Texas last week. The Kearney, Nebraska, native posted a stellar 2025 campaign for the Tops with a 1.87 ERA and 3-2 record with six saves in 22 appearances. He tallied 52 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings with an opposing batting average of .190 to earn second-team All-CUSA honors as well as ABCA/Rawlings All-Midwest Region Second Team honors.

In addition to Hvidsten and Higgins, the Tops lost CUSA Pitcher of the Year Drew Whalen, a sophomore this season, as a transfer to Auburn along with starting pitcher Jack Bennett (Kentucky), relievers Patrick Morris (Arizona) and Evan Jones (Central Florida) and outfielders Ethan Lizama (South Carolina) and Ryan Wideman (Clemson) since the end of the season.