Syracuse adds former Western Kentucky DB Jai Eugene Jr.
Former Western Kentucky defensive back Jai Eugene Jr. is the third WKU player to choose Syracuse from the transfer portal. Lars Jendruschewitz | Senior Staff Photographer
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Syracuse continued to add players through the transfer portal Friday, with the latest being Western Kentucky defensive back Jai Eugene Jr, 247Sports reported Friday. Eugene played 10 games in 2025 and produced 21 tackles, five pass deflections and 0.5 sacks.
Eugene started his career at Tulane, where he played just one game and redshirted in 2023. He then transferred to WKU, totaling 24 tackles over two seasons. He’ll have two years of eligibility left when he joins the Orange.
He follows two Hilltopper teammates — Nazir Ward and Noah Meyers — to Syracuse. Both Ward and Eugene’s transfers will help strengthen a secondary that lost starting safeties Devin Grant and Duce Chestnut to graduation but retained young pieces like Braheem Long Jr. and freshman phenom Demetres Samuel Jr.
