Rodney Tisdale Jr. wasted no time letting it be known that he could lead Western Kentucky’s offense.
The redshirt freshman quarterback filled in for Maverick McIvor midway through the season and has since been QB1. McIvor was battling a shoulder injury, but even when he was cleared to return, WKU stuck with Tisdale.
In his first game as a starter, he finished with 300 total yards and a passing touchdown to help lead the Hilltoppers to a 28-27 overtime win over Louisiana Tech. That included some key plays in overtime.
New Customer Offers at BetMGM
Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l Terms
Tisdale was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year after starting the final five games and finishing the regular season with 1,367 passing yards and nine touchdowns. His completion percentage of 67.7% ranks at the top of CUSA, but he struggled with interceptions, tossing six total and one in every game he started.
That could be a challenge for Tisdale against Southern Miss in the New Orleans Bowl, which kicks off at 5:30 p.m. ET Tuesday.
The Golden Eagles are tied with Notre Dame with 21 interceptions, which is the most in the FBS, and they look like they’ll have most of their secondary suiting up for this matchup.
Regardless, Tisdale has already shown some perseverance in trials he’s faced this year.
“I’m glad Rodney has the games he’s got under his belt,” WKU head coach Tyson Helton told the media last week. “He’s grown a lot. He got thrown into the fire in some very challenging games. I like where he currently is. He’s still developing, he’s still growing, but he’s done very well.”
Tisdale isn’t the only freshman who has been making a lot of noise in WKU’s offense this year.
In his first collegiate game, true freshman running back Marvis Parrish rushed for 52 yards and had six receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown to help lead the Hilltoppers to a season-opening win over Sam Houston.
He maintained that play throughout the year and finished with 714 total yards while splitting backfield duties. He was also named to the CUSA All-Freshman team. Interestingly, Parrish only scored one TD this year, and that was through the air against Sam Houston.
La’Vell Wright logged 10 touchdown rushes and 80 carries this season but has since entered the transfer portal, meaning Parrish and senior RB George Hart III could both see larger workloads against Southern Miss.
Along with the backfield duo, offensive lineman Elijah Williams also earned All-Freshman honors after starting four games this year.
With Tisdale and Parrish back making plays for WKU’s offense in 2026, it won’t be surprising if the Hilltoppers — once again — have one of the top offenses in the league. Getting reps in the New Orleans Bowl should only aid in their development.
WKU Punter Cole Maynard Earns National Honors
Maynard was one of the best weapons for the Hilltoppers this year and one of the best punters in the nation.
On his 51 punts this season, 12 were downed inside the 20-yard line while 25 went 50-plus yards. He had a long of 71 yards and only five touchbacks. His current average of 48.7 yards per punt would be a new WKU single-season record and leads the FBS.
His efforts earned him Associated Press All-American and American Football Coaches Association All-America first-team honors. He was named the CUSA Special Teams Player of the Year and was a first-team All-CUSA selection.
New Orleans Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss Prediction
I predict Western Kentucky wins and covers the spread. College football betting odds have the Hilltoppers as a 1.5-point favorite, as of this writing.
USM had a lot of success this year, but with that came former head coach Charles Huff leaving for Memphis. I think his departure — and the departure of other staff members — will have an impact in this game.
The Hilltoppers have been to a bowl game in all seven of Helton’s seasons as head coach and are 4-2 in those trips. I think Helton knows how to have his team prepared for these games, and that’ll be a difference in the outcome.
