The Western Kentucky football team announced two additions to the team Friday as part of the early signing period.

Tight end River Helms and linebacker Matthew Flint are the newest players in the Tops’ signing class.

Helms is a 6-foot-4, 225-pound tight end from Lester, Ala. He had 42 receptions for 561 yards and eight touchdowns in his final two seasons at Limestone High School, according to statistics submitted to MaxPreps. He is rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports, and the 26th overall tight end in the nation and 20th overall player in Alabama. His other options included Kentucky, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Florida State, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Pitt and Coastal Carolina, among others.

Flint, a 6-foot, 240-pound linebacker, committed to the Hilltoppers on Thursday, after previously playing at North Carolina, where he appeared in four games over two seasons. He played two games in 2018 and redshirted, and played in the first two games of 2019 before an injury ended his season. He did not compete in 2020, choosing to opt out before announcing his intention to transfer.

The Huntsville, Ala., native earned 4A First-Team All-State honors while at Madison County High School, where he was rated the No. 16 outside linebacker in the state of Alabama and the No. 36 in the country by 247Sports, the No. 23 player in Alabama and the No. 33 outside linebacker nationally by ESPN, and the No. 21 player in the state and the No. 48 outside linebacker in the country by Rivals.

WKU announced the signings of quarterback Chance McDonald and cornerback Miguel Edwards on Wednesday during the first day of the early signing period, and announced the addition of receivers Jerreth and Josh Sterns on Thursday. Adam Cofield, a three-time national champion running back at North Dakota State, also signed with WKU as a graduate transfer earlier this month.

– Follow sports reporter Jared MacDonald on Twitter @JMacDonaldSport or visit bgdailynews.com.