It didn’t take long for Upton Stout to get noticed during Western Kentucky’s spring practices.

The redshirt freshman transfer cornerback from North Texas was turning heads the first week the Hilltoppers hit the field at Houchens-Smith Stadium in late March, and he’s expected to be a big-time playmaker moving forward.

“I’m extremely excited about him,” WKU cornerbacks coach Keynodo Hudson said. “ … I was trying to keep that guy as a secret right now. He’s a weapon, man. He’s going to be a dynamic player for us.”

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Houston native played in parts of two seasons for the Mean Green before electing to hit the transfer portal. He appeared in 12 games in his time at North Texas with 41 total tackles and four passes defended, but played in just four games last fall with six tackles. He started five games in two years for the Mean Green, including two last fall, but hadn’t played since an Oct. 9 loss at Missouri. Stout announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal Nov. 8.

“Really, I just wanted to bet on myself. Really just wanted to play around some dogs, get coached by the best coaches,” Stout said. That’s really it.”

By the end of his third spring practice – the final session of the first week – he had already made a name for himself with the staff and veteran teammates.

“He’s really explosive and very competitive and I think you can see him doing that. He’s got a wide-ranging skill set,” WKU defensive coordinator Tyson Summers said after the March 26 practice. “I love Upton. He’s done an outstanding job the last three days.”

“If y’all come to practice, No. 21, he’s going to make some plays, at least once,” redshirt senior defensive end Juwuan Jones said March 26. “He makes multiple plays every day and he’s very physical. He brings a different mentality to the defense. It’s something that we already have, he’s just adding to it. Very physical.”

“I like Upton,” redshirt senior linebacker Jaden Hunter said March 26. “He’s very stout, very stout. I like him.”

Stout, who was rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports and ESPN out of North Shore High School in Houston, describes his game as fast and physical – the same words others around the program have used to describe him, too.

He’s in the cornerbacks room, but Hudson says he’s “an extremely versatile piece” and praises his high football IQ along with his athleticism he’s shown throughout practices.

“This guy’s a big-time playmaker. He’s a bullet. He’s a heat-seeking missile. He’s everywhere,” Hudson said. “You’ll see him out here when you come out here because this guy flashes all across the field, and he’s the type of guy that plays at a different speed and he can get the rest of the guys just being accountable by osmosis to play at that same speed.”

WKU will finish its ninth practice and third week of spring ball Saturday. The Hilltoppers are scheduled to hold five practices after that ahead of their April 23 spring game.

So far, Bowling Green has been a good fit for Stout.

“Loving it. I ain’t going to lie, I’m loving it,” he said. “I’m loving Western and everything about it.”

WKU is scheduled to open the 2022 season against Austin Peay on Aug. 27 at Houchens-Smith Stadium.{&end}