EMU: 2024: Transferred to EMU from Coastal Carolina University... Enrolled in classes for the winter semester... Earned 2024 Preseason Athlon Sports All-MAC Second Team Defense and 2024 Preseason Phil Steele’s All-MAC Third Team Defense… COASTAL CAROLINA: Graduated from CCU in August 2023… Played in 55 games for the Chanticleers with 198 tackles (64 solo, 134 assist), 11 TFLs, seven pass deflections, 3.5 sacks, three fumbles recovered, two fumbles forced, and one interception... Graduated in August 2023 with his bachelor's degree in finance... 2023: Was named to the 2023 Preseason All-Sun Belt first team... Named to the 2023 HERO Sports' Group of Five All-American Third Team... Named to the 2023 Lombardi Award Preseason Watch List... Earned a spot on the 2023 Phil Steele Preseason Sun Belt Conference All-Conference First Team... Was named to the 2023 College Football Network Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team... Named to the 2023 Athlon Sports Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team... Was named to the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 Preseason List... Posted 68 tackles (24 solo, 44 assist) to go along with 3.0 TFLs, two QB hurries, two pass breakups, and one interception... Had 15 tackles at Army West Point (Nov. 18)... Finished with 10 stops versus Jacksonville State (Sept. 9)... Notched a tackle for loss at UCLA (Sept. 2) and Arkansas State (Oct. 21)... Added three tackles in the Chanticleer's Hawai'i Bowl victory over San Jose State (Dec. 23)... 2022: Garnered 2022 All-Sun Belt Third Team honors... Named to the 2022 Phil Steele Sun Belt Conference All-Conference Second Team... Played in and started all 13 games for the Chanticleers at linebacker... Led the CCU defense with a team-high 96 total tackles... Ranked in the top six on the team in tackles-for-loss (8.0), sacks (3.5), and pass breakups (4)... Also added two quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, and a team-high three fumble recoveries... Totaled five tackles or more in 12 of the 13 games on the year... Had a season-high 13 tackles, including 1.0 tackle-for-loss, 1.0 sack, to go along with two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup in the road win at ULM (Oct. 8)... Recorded 10 tackles twice - versus Buffalo (Sept. 17) and Southern Miss (Nov. 12)... Also had 1.0 tackle-for-loss and a pass breakup against Buffalo... Added 1.0 tackle-for-loss in the win over the USM Golden Eagles... Tallied nine tackles, 1.0 tackle-for-loss, 1.0 sack, and two pass breakups in the home win over Georgia Southern (Oct. 1)... Registered nine tackles and 0.5 tackles-for-loss versus Old Dominion (Oct. 15)... Posted eight tackles in the home win over App State (Nov. 3) and had seven stops, including 0.5 sacks, in the victory over Gardner-Webb (Sept. 10)... Totaled six tackles in the regular-season finale road loss at James Madison (Nov. 26)... Picked up six tackles, including 0.5 tackles-for-loss in the 2022 TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl versus East Carolina (Dec. 27)... Recorded five tackles in wins over Army (Sept. 3) and at Georgia State (Sept. 22)... Named to the 2022 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Football team... Earned a spot on the Dean's List (3.5 GPA or higher) for the 2022 fall semester... Was named to the President's List (4.0 GPA) for the 2023 spring term... 2021: Played in 13 games on the season, primarily on special teams... Recorded 17 tackles, including seven solo stops on the year... Also had 1.0 tackle-for-loss, 1.0 sack, one forced fumble, and one quarterback hurry from his linebacker position... Picked up a season-high six tackles in the season-opening win over The Citadel (Sept. 2)... Credited with four tackles and a quarterback hurry in the road win at Georgia Southern (Nov. 6)... Had two tackles, 1.0 tackle-for-loss, 1.0 sacks, and forced a fumble in the blowout win over ULM (Oct. 2)... Also had two tackles in the home win over Kansas (Sept. 10)... Tallied one tackle at Buffalo (Sept. 18), against Georgia State (Nov. 13), and versus Texas State (Nov. 20)... Returned a short kickoff for eight yards in the 2021 Tailgreeter Cure Bowl win over Northern Illinois (Dec. 17)... Earned a spot on the President's List (4.0 GPA) for the 2022 spring semester... 2020: Played in all 12 games on the season, playing primarily on special teams... Also lined up at linebacker... Totaled 10 tackles, including four solo stops on the year... Tallied a season-high three tackles in the win at Texas State (Nov. 28)... Picked up two tackles in wins over Campbell (Sept. 18) and Arkansas State (Oct. 3)... Also recorded a solo tackle in road wins at Kansas (Sept. 12) and Troy (Dec. 12)... Registered a tackle in the home win over Appalachian State (Nov. 21)... Named to the Dean's List (3.5 GPA or higher) for both the 2020 fall and 2021 spring semesters... 2019: Redshirt season... Played in four games, starting the season finale versus Texas State (Nov. 30)... Played special teams and at linebacker... Totaled seven tackles and 0.5 tackles-for-loss in the win over the Bobcats... Also saw game action versus Norfolk State (Sept. 14), against Georgia State (Oct. 12), and at Arkansas State (Nov. 16)... Awarded the Most Improved Inside Linebacker Award during 2020 spring practice... Earned a spot on the Dean's List (3.25 GPA or higher) for the 2019 fall and 2020 spring semesters... HIGH SCHOOL: Played linebacker at Charlotte Christian School for Head Coach Jason Estep... A three-year starter on defense... Two-time all-state selection... Totaled 320 tackles, 36.0 tackles-for-loss, and 7.0 sacks over his high school career... Also added an interception, three fumble recoveries, and three forced fumbles... His Knights' team went 31-3 over his three years as a starter (2016-18)... Led Charlotte Christian to back-to-back NCISAA 11-Man Football Division I state championship titles and a pair of top-five state rankings over his last two years (2017 and 2018)... Helped guide the Knights to a state runner-up finish as a sophomore in 2016... A second-team all-state selection his senior season when he totaled 101 tackles, 15.0 tackles-for-loss, 4.0 sacks, an interception, and three passes defended... A first-team all-state pick in 2017 as a junior, recording 147 total tackles, including 86 solo stops, and 17.0 tackles-for-loss... Also lettered in baseball... Named The Charlotte Observer Baseball Player of the Year as a senior... Was also named all-state and the CISAA conference player of the year... Led the Knights to an NCISAA 4A state championship his senior year after back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2017 and 2018... Was 5-1 with 79 strikeouts in 47 innings and a 1.90 ERA on the mound his senior season... As a hitter, he hit .475 with 10 doubles, eight home runs, and 42 RBIs... Led the Knights to back-to-back CISAA conference titles in 2017 and 2018... PERSONAL: Full Name: James Thomas Killen V... Son of Jay and Heidi Killen... Has one brother, Cross, and two sisters, Madison and Jojo... Sport management major.
