Caleb Cox was chosen as EKU’s wide receivers coach in January 2020.
The Colonels aerial attack in 2024 was led by Freshman All-American, Marcus Calwise Jr. who stepped up in a big way in 2024 for the Colonels’ offense being the top target for quarterback Matt Morrissey as EKU finished 8-4 in the regular season, going 6-2 in UAC play returning to the FCS Playoffs.
The first year wide out posted five touchdown receptions and 526 yards on 42 receptions, averaging 12.5 yards per catch.
Recording at least one reception in all but one game in 2024, Calwise got hot at the end of the season, scoring a touchdown in EKU’s last four games, including an 11-yard reception for six in the FCS Playoffs.
Calwise posted a career-best performance in the last week of the regular season with 99 yards on five receptions and one touchdown against North Alabama. His score proved to be the game winner in the fourth quarter as on third-and-14 from his own 33, quarterback Matt Morrissey found Calwise over the middle for the catch and sprint to the end zone for a 67-yard touchdown, reclaiming the lead at 21-15 with 8:10 remaining in regulation.
The performance earned him his second consecutive Freshman of the Week honor in the UAC and third overall of the season, tied for the most in the conference.
Cox’s recruiting prowess shined in the 23-24 season as the Colonels brought in the eighth best recruiting class at the FCS level according to On3 Sports.
In 2023, the EKU receiving core helped the Colonels to the 11th best passing offense in all of FCS with 275.7 yards through the air per game, the best in the United Athletic Conference.
Wideout Jaden Smith also posted the third most receiving yards in the UAC with 781 on the year. Smith also finished second in the conference in receiving yards per game with an average of 71.
In his third season at EKU, the Colonel wide receivers helped quarterback Parker McKinney set single-season records for passing yards, completions, and touchdowns. Three different wideouts caught at least 50 passes for at least 700 yards.
EKU's passing attack topped 300 yards in nine different games, combining for 881 yards in the final two games of the season. The Colonels ranked third nationally in passing offense (329.7 yards per game), eighth in completion percentage (68.6%), and 11th team passing efficiency (161.26).
During the 2021 season, five different Colonel wide receivers caught touchdown passes and hauled in 160 catches to help McKinney set the program single-season record with 229 completions.
Against top-ranked Sam Houston, EKU's passing game racked up 338 yards through the air, led by 103 receiving yards from Matt Wilcox, Jr. The Colonels closed the season with 299 yards passing in an Opportunity Bowl victory over Jacksonville State.
In his first season, Cox helped the offense conclude the fall third in the nation in passing offense (247.4 yards per game) and fourth in the country in total offense (376.4 yards per game). The Colonels ran up a season-high 590 yards of offense against Western Carolina in the 2020 Opportunity Bowl. The unit totaled 400 yards or more of offense in six of the final seven games of the season.
Wide receiver Keyion Dixon was chosen as the national player of the week during the 2020 season. Dixon was third in the country in receiving yards and fourth in receiving touchdowns. Receivers Jacquez Jones (4th) and Jackson Beerman (6th) also ranked among the national leaders in receiving yards.
“I got to know Caleb when I was here in 2015,” head coach Walt Wells said. “Then I had the opportunity to work with him at Tennessee. He’s been around great wide receiver coaches including Zach Azzanni who is with the Denver Broncos now and Tee Martin. Caleb is a great young coach and is doing a great job in recruiting.”
Cox served as an offensive assistant at the University of Tennessee from 2016-19. In 2015, Cox was an offensive assistant at EKU. He worked as the wide receivers coach at Kentucky Christian University in 2013 and 2014.
Cox helped Tennessee reach the Music City Bowl in 2016 and the Tax Slayer Bowl in 2019. He has coached three players who were either drafted or received invitations to an NFL camp, including former Colonel offensive lineman Justin Adekoya.
Cox has extensive recruiting experience in Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina.
A 2013 graduate of Kentucky Christian, Cox earned a bachelor’s of science degree in university studies and Biblical studies while playing wide receiver for the Knights. He earned a master’s in Christian leadership from KCU in 2017 and a master’s in agriculture leadership education communication at Tennessee in 2018.
