West Virginia has added another electric arm through the transfer portal with the commitment of Florida International right-hander Owen Puk.

Puk, a redshirt junior in 2025, made 13 appearances this past season with 12 starts, going 4-1 with a 4.91 ERA. He struck out 51 batters over 40.1 innings while holding opponents to a .224 batting average. His arsenal features a big-time fastball that averages in the mid-90s and has touched 99 MPH, paired with a slider that consistently generates swings and misses.

He showed flashes of dominance throughout the season. Puk opened the year with five scoreless innings and five strikeouts against Stonehill and recorded a career-best nine strikeouts in just four innings versus New Mexico State. He followed that with eight strikeouts and only one hit allowed over five innings at Middle Tennessee, and threw four scoreless frames with six punchouts at Bethune-Cookman.

Puk also proved valuable in relief, tossing scoreless outings against Bucknell, Delaware, Louisiana Tech, and No. 17 Western Kentucky.

In 2024, he made 15 appearances (10 starts), striking out 28 in 26 innings. He notched seven strikeouts in a three-inning stint against Florida Atlantic and struck out the side at Iowa late in the season. He missed the 2023 campaign due to injury.

A native of Iowa and product of Marion High School, Puk was ranked as the No. 12 overall player in the state and No. 6 right-handed pitcher by Perfect Game. He helped lead Marion to a 2021 state championship and earned First-Team All-State and WAMAC Conference Player of the Year honors.

Baseball runs in the family, his brother, AJ Puk, was the sixth overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft and is currently a pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Puk’s power pitching and versatility as both a starter and reliever make him a valuable addition to West Virginia’s staff, which is looking to carry its momentum into another standout season.

The mythical ‘High School Transfer Portal’ is in full swing all around the country and teams in the Sunshine State are seeing plenty of new faces pop up in new places.

On Friday, one of West Virginia’s top inside linebackers from the 2024 season announced that he would be leaving his school to head down to the state of Florida.

Kyree Brooks, a 2027 linebacker, announced on X that he will be transferring from Jefferson (West Virginia) to 7-time FHSAA state champion Cocoa. The Tigers won the 2024 Class 2A state championship in a 38-27 win over Gadsden County.

‘I will be transferring to Cocoa to finish my high school career. Go tigers!!’

Last season for the 8-4 Cougars, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Brooks notched 145 total tackles, 10 sacks and intercepted five passes.

Jefferson lost in the WVSSAC’s AAAA quarterfinals to Hurricane, 57-31, in 2024.

Cocoa has won three straight state championships from 2022-24 and looks to make it four this upcoming fall.

2025 COCOA TIGERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 15: vs. Bradford (preseason)

Aug. 22: at Merritt Island

Aug. 29: vs. Mainland

Sep. 5: at Vero Beach

Sep. 12: at Heritage

Sep. 19: vs. Eau Gallie

Oct. 3: at Miami Norland

Oct. 10: vs. Apopka

Oct. 17: vs. The Villages

Oct. 24: at Astronaut

Oct. 31: at Rockledge

Follow High School On SI Florida throughout the 2025 high school football season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!

Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.

To get live updates on your phone – as well as follow your favorite teams and top games – you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App

— Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi

ATLANTA – Residents in the Virginia-Highland neighborhood say they are on high alert after a man was seen lurking outside homes and peering into windows, sometimes near bedrooms and bathrooms. 

At least two families report separate incidents involving the same individual, raising concerns throughout the community.

What they’re saying:

Alisha Brown, one of the victims, said her family’s sense of safety has been shattered.

“We’re both on high alert,” Brown said. “My son, he had to talk to his counselor today because he’s been super hypervigilant and suspicious of everything and everyone around him.”

Brown said she woke up Wednesday morning to find the man standing just outside her bedroom window.

“He would just stand here, which made me feel like he didn’t want to be seen, but he could see into my bathroom,” she recalled.

Just two days earlier, Brown noticed the same man watching her while she was in the garden.

“He made it all the way over and he saw me standing on my porch and then he jumped back,” she said.

Brown also recognized the man in Ring camera footage captured at a neighbor’s home this week.

“My heart dropped into my stomach again,” she said. “It was him. It was him. It fit my description to a T.”

What we know:

Atlanta police responded to Brown’s home on Wednesday and briefly pursued the suspect, but he got away. Authorities say there are similarities between this case and another recent “peeping Tom” incident, though they have not confirmed whether it is the same person.

What’s next:

Brown said she hopes going public will help police find the man.

“I don’t want this to happen to anyone else because it’s very violating,” she said. “It’s hard to put into words. I wasn’t touched, but I feel touched.”

What you can do:

Police are urging anyone with information or who has experienced similar activity to come forward. The man’s face has been blurred in surveillance footage as authorities work to confirm his identity.