WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — West Liberty's receiving corps enters the 2026 season with a proven playmaker at the top, plenty of returning experience and an influx of new talent looking to make an impact in first-year head coach Chad Salisbury's offense.

Trey Singleton, the Hilltoppers' leading receiver a year ago, returns after catching 38 passes for 597 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games. Singleton averaged 15.7 yards per catch and recorded a long reception of 65 yards while averaging 54.3 receiving yards per game.

Jaylin Harcum also returns after a productive 2025 campaign, catching 27 passes for 393 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 14.6 yards per reception and had a 61-yard reception during the season. Rashad Murray returns after making 10 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown.

Junior tight end Levi Gullion also returns after playing a significant role in the passing game last season. Gullion caught 20 passes for 312 yards and six touchdowns in 10 games, averaging 15.6 yards per reception with a long reception of 55 yards. Gullion's six touchdown receptions ranked among the team's top totals in 2025 and give the Hilltoppers another proven target in the passing game.

"Trey Singleton is back. Jaylin Harcum is back. He's been really good for us in the spring. Rashad Murray and Marcel Holyfield III played some football for us last year," Salisbury said.

With Singleton leading the returning production, Salisbury is also excited about the new faces joining the receiving room. Anthony Campbell, a transfer from Seton Hill, arrived on the Hilltop during the spring and has quickly made an impression. Mahki Smith, a transfer from Findlay, has also emerged as a player Salisbury believes can contribute.

"We had a transfer in the spring named Anthony Campbell from Seton Hill who's a Florida kid. He's just been great for us," Salisbury said. "He's just an outstanding kid."
Salisbury is also excited about a group of young receivers, including Dominic Diaz-Ellis and Fode Wilks.

"We're really, really high on our high school group," Salisbury said. "Diaz-Ellis has just been a lot of fun to coach. Wilkes, whose dad's an alum, has been a lot of fun to coach. You know, really like some of these young guys and their ability."

That mixture of established players, transfers and young talent has created plenty of competition throughout the position group as the Hilltoppers work through preseason camp.

For Salisbury, the receivers have a clear set of responsibilities within the offense. While the ability to make plays down the field is important, he wants his receivers to bring a physical presence to every part of the game.

"We want these kids to be able to stretch the field vertically," Salisbury said. "That is what I always look for."

Speed and the ability to get downfield are only part of the equation. Salisbury emphasizes three qualities throughout the West Liberty program — toughness, accountability and togetherness — and believes all three are particularly important at receiver. "We always talk about tough, accountable together here," Salisbury said. "There's not a position at the wide receivers that doesn't apply to more."

That toughness is especially important when receivers are asked to work across the middle of the field or block for the running game. "They've got to be tough to go over the middle," Salisbury said. "They've got to be tough to do the things they do, but they've got to be accountable and they've got to block."

With modern offenses creating more opportunities to stretch defenses horizontally, Salisbury believes blocking has become an increasingly important part of a receiver's job. "They've got to have a tenacious blocking mentality because you have to be able to stretch it vertically and horizontally," he said.

Salisbury also isn't limiting his offense to one personnel grouping. Rather than simply putting the same number of receivers on the field every snap, he wants to create different looks while allowing his players to become extremely efficient in the plays they run. "I think the key to this whole thing is try to run as few plays as possible and as many different sets and personnel groupings, movements, you name it," Salisbury said. "If you're able to do that, then you're just teaching your kids how to run that play and we can get good at it."

That approach puts an emphasis on versatility within the receiving room, as players will be asked to execute their assignments from different formations and alignments. The work ethic of the group has also caught Salisbury's attention during the spring and preseason camp. "We're going up against each other. It's getting monotonous going against each other the whole time," Salisbury said. "It's going to be fun to see them go against somebody else, but they work hard and Coach Hamilton's got those guys humming as far as their work ethic, and I really like them."

The Hilltoppers' receiving corps combined for 199 receptions, 2,612 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2025. With Singleton and Harcum returning to lead the group, Gullion providing another proven target and newcomers such as Campbell, Smith, Diaz-Ellis and Wilks competing for opportunities, West Liberty has plenty of options as it builds its new offensive identity.

For Salisbury, the next step is seeing how the group translates its work in camp when it finally gets to line up against someone other than its own teammates.

"They work hard," Salisbury said. "And I really like them."


 
West Liberty University blends a small-town environment with a comprehensive college experience, fostering students' aspirations through hands-on learning, personalized support, and unique academic programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Learn more at westliberty.edu.