Gardner-Webb football has certainly embraced the transfer portal as the calendar turns to 2025 and Cris Reisert prepares for his second season as head coach.
GWU, coming off a 4-8 campaign, announced the signing of former Marshall quarterback Cole Pennington on Wednesday. The Runnin’ Bulldogs earlier signed transfer QB Nate Hampton, formerly of Liberty.
Pennington, the son of former Marshall great Chad Pennington, had been on the Thundering Herd’s roster the past three seasons, mostly in a reserve role. He redshirted in 2022, started three times in 2023 and played in three contests this past year.
The Versailles, Ky. product (Sayre HS) had his biggest games in 2023, completing 15 of 20 passes for 201 yards against Georgia Southern and throwing for 258 yards in the Frisco Bowl against UTSA. Pennington only made seven pass attempts in 2024, completing five for 57 yards and a touchdown.
Pennington came out of high school as a three-star prospect and chose Marshall over offers from Akron, Ball State, Eastern Kentucky and UT Martin. He went 16-4 as a starter at Sayre High, throwing for more than 4,000 yards and 56 touchdowns, per his Wikipedia page. He completed 70 percent of his passes.
Hampton is from Advance and threw for 3,300 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior at Davie County High before joining Liberty in 2021.
Gardner-Webb is searching for a replacement for 2024 starter Tyler Riddell, who led the state’s FCS ranks in passing yards with 2,573. Riddell, who hails from the Tampa, Fla. area, entered the portal at season’s end with one year of eligibility remaining.
READ MORE – FCS Stat Champions: GWU’s Riddell, WCU’s Gonzales Lead The Way
The Bulldogs’ quarterback room looks strong heading toward spring drills.
In addition to the additions of Pennington and Hampton, GWU inked standout high school prospect Finley Polk during the early December signing period. Polk just led Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, S.C., to a state championship in December. He completed 274-of-383 passes for 3,712 yards and 46 touchdowns (with only six interceptions) during Northwestern’s run to the 5A Division II crown.
Reisert and staff have bulked up the receiving corps with four former FBS wideouts – Markel Fortenberry (Liberty), Jalen Harris (Coastal Carolina), Jaylen Hampton (Western Kentucky) and Chris Lofton (James Madison). The Bulldogs also reported a signing by former Kennesaw State tight end Gatlin Hancock.
GWU signed two North Carolina high school receivers among its 11-man early class: Sean Brady from Charlotte (Hough HS) and James Newton from Burlington (Western Alamance HS.
Other recent transfer commitments include punter Brady Braun, who most recently played at Coffeyville Community College, and offensive lineman Adam Hickerson, who moves up from D3 Sewanee.
Braun, who started his college career at Oklahoma in 2022 and transferred to UL Monroe in ‘23, averaged 41.9 yards per kick with a long punt of 82 yards in his one year at Coffeyville.
Gardner-Webb Transfer Portal Commitments
Incoming Transfers
- Brady Braun (P): From Coffeyville CC
- Ryan Demonbreun (TE): From Kentucky Wesleyan
- Jackson Door (P): From Stony Brook
- Markel Fortenberry (WR): From Liberty
- Jaylen Hampton (WR): From Western Kentucky
- Nate Hampton (QB): From Liberty
- Gatlin Hancock (TE): From Kennesaw State
- Jalen Harris (WR): From Coastal Carolina
- Adam Hickerson (OL): From Sewanee
- Chris Lofton (WR): From James Madison
- Sabin Mclaughlin Jr. (DB): From Davidson
- Cole Pennington (QB): From Marshall
- Daejuan Thompson (LB): From Garden City CC
- Charles Viorel (K): From Fullerton College
- Jaden “Cash”Watkins (DB): From Garden City CC
- Trey Weems (DL): From Thomas More University
Outgoing Transfers
- Pius Njenge (DL): To Tarleton State
- Phinnell Marshall (DL): To North Carolina A&T
