Wheeling, W. Va. - Through the rain and the lightning on Saturday, the Wheeling University Football team battled in their final non-conference game of 2026 against Lake Erie. Shining the effort was sophomore linebacker Jalen Higginbotham, who put together a career-best day in his team's 23-7 effort. On Monday, Higginbotham was rewarded for his career day, being named the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Football Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his collegiate career. 

Higginbotham was on a tear from the middle linebacker position, finishing with 15.0 total tackles, seven solo and eight assisted, while adding one tackle for loss in the effort. It was a career high for the sophomore, and helped propel him to the top of the Wheeling Football tackle leaderboards. As the game went on, Higginbotham got more and more involved, with eight of those 15 tackles coming in the final two quarters of play. The effort came just three tackles shy of tying the single-game record of 18, set by former Cardinal Leonard Sherrod III on September 6th of last season against Walsh. It was the first career double-digit tackle game for Higginbotham, as he raised his game over each of the first three weeks of the season. 

For the year, Higginbotham is now the team leader with 23.0 total tackles, while also leading the way in both solo tackles (10) and assisted tackles (13). His 23.0 total tackles ranks fourth in the MEC, sitting just nine behind Fairmont State's Jeffery Polk for the top spot in the conference. Higginbotham has played strong in both the run and passing game, finishing with one pass break-up, while adding 2.5 tackles for loss through three games this season. After working his way into the starting lineup this season, after serving his time on special teams last year, he is running with his opportunity through the first three weeks of the 2026 season. 

With Higginbotham being announced as the MEC Defensive Player of the Week, the Wheeling University Athletic Department has now had two student-athletes earn conference player of the week honors. Higginbotham is the first Wheeling Football player to earn honors since November 10th, 2025, when both Leonard Sherrod III and Conor Fitzpatrick were honored for their efforts against Glenville State. Last week, Wheeling Women's Golfer Sawyer Hobbs was honored as the MEC's Women's Golfer of the Week after a strong season opener at CAL-U. 

The Wheeling University Football team returns to action on Saturday, September 19th, when the team hosts Fairmont State with kick-off at 6 PM.