BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Football wide receiver Jonathan Stafford Jr. was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Week for the second straight week, CUSA announced Monday.
The true freshman led WKU with 108 yards on 10 receptions in Thursday's CUSA opener against New Mexico State at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Both marks were career highs, and it marked the first time a Hilltopper player had 10 receptions in a game since Malachi Corley caught 10 passes in a 28-23 win over Sam Houston on Nov. 18, 2023. It was the first 100-yard receiving game for a WKU player this season and the first since Matthew Henry recorded 126 yards receiving in the win over Southern Miss in the 2025 New Orleans Bowl.
Stafford now has 30 receptions for 260 yards this season – both team highs. With six more receptions, he would be tied for fourth with Jake Gaebler and Marvis Parrish for receptions in a season by a WKU freshman. Malachi Corley is the freshman receptions record holder at WKU with 73 in 2021, while Easton Messer is second with 42 in 2023 and Jack Doyle is third with 37 receptions in 2009.
It is the second time this season Stafford has been named the CUSA Freshman of the Week. He was also named the CUSA Freshman of the Week after WKU's Sept. 26 win over Merychurst. It is WKU's second weekly award of the season.
The Hilltoppers will return home to face Missouri State on Thursday, Oct. 8. Kickoff at Houchens-Smith Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and the game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network. The game will be a Black Out game, and fans are encouraged to wear black. To purchase tickets to the game, click HERE or call the WKU Ticket Office at 1-800-5-BIGRED.
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