7/28/2022 football Edit

Tyson Helton details fall camp, discusses QB competition

WKU head coach Tyson Helton during the Spring Game. (Drew Toennies)

Drew Toennies • InsideHilltopperSports

Staff Writer

WKU head coach Tyson Helton was the first to take the podium during the Hilltoppers' football media day on Thursday as he discussed the format of the program's fall camp, his expectations as camp progresses and his probable choices for starting quarterback.

Helton, who is a few weeks away from kicking off his fourth season as the Hilltoppers' head coach said that as Western Kentucky's season opener against Austin Peay approaches, there are several questions that the team needs to answer regarding each postion.

"We got a good football team. We got a lot of questions that we have to answer by the end of fall camp, and should be some really good competition out there."

— Tyson Helton

Helton said that seeing the competition within each position is a big positive. He added there aren't many positions where there isn't competition at the moment.

The head coach also went into detail about how fall camp would be formatted, saying the first week of practice would feel more like a camp practice. Entering the second week of camp, he said the team is likely going to begin preparing for the regular season.

"For the first week of practice, it'll be a pretty much a normal fall-type camp practice, but then after that, I'm probably going to get into the normal season routine."

— Tyson Helton

Another significant topic of discussion was the quarterback competition, which will resume at the start of fall camp. Helton said he is looking forward to seeing all the quarterbacks compete and his two front runners for starting quarterback at the moment are West Virginia transfer Jared Doege and West Florida transfer Austin Reed.

Helton said that Doege impressed this past spring and the coaching staff is excited to see him work. Reed has also been an intriguing quarterback prospect as he led his former team to a division II national championship. Helton said the two have been phenomenal so far and he is looking forward to watching them compete this fall.

"I think probably the two front runners, as everybody knows, are Jared Doege, the transfer from West Virginia and Austin Reed, the transfer from West Florida."

— Tyson Helton

Helton said there are a few established positions as several offensive lineman that played last season that will be returning to their positions this upcoming season. Helton said for most positions, his plan for fall camp is to test the talent and see which players stand out.

"There's a couple positions that are established. I think a couple of our offensive lineman that played last year, those positions are established, but lots of questions that we got to answer."

— Tyson Helton

Helton said there were a few positions that should be competitive at the start of fall camp. He communicated intrigue in the wide receiver group. He said the entire room of receivers is incredibly talented and he's going to be looking for some real depth from them.

Helton also said that despite an outstanding 2021 campaign for kicker Brayden Narveson, there's some new punters and kickers and he's gotta compete for his job every year.

"We gotta find out who the kickers are. Nobody ever talks about the kicking position. I was a kicking coach at one point, and we got new punters out there and competition at kicker."

— Tyson Helton

Following the conclusion of fall camp, Western Kentucky is set to kick off the season opener against Austin Peay at Houchens-Smith Stadium on Saturday, August 27 at 11 a.m. CT.

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