Rick Cosnett
Australian hunk Rick Cosnett will be joining season five of "The Vampire Diaries" as Dr. Wes Maxfield, a professor at Whitmore College. Twitter/ Rick Cosnett

College on “The Vampire Diaries” just got a little more difficult. The CW supernatural drama has just added a potential new villain – and he’s going to come head-to-head with Elena and Caroline!

Australian newcomer Rick Cosnett will be joining “The Vampire Diaries” as Dr. Wes Maxfield, and according to TVGuide.com, he’s Elena and Caroline’s “newest foe.” The blonde blue-eyed heartthrob will be stirring up some attention (and trouble) at Whitmore College as a “somewhat cocky” yet “brilliant” biology professor.

Entertainment Weekly reports that Cosnett’s character will “make fast enemies” with the Elena and Caroline. But what did the Mystic Falls vampires do to get on his bad side? Looking back at the past teachers to grace “The Vampire Diaries” (Professor Shane, Grams, Alaric) it’s probably because he knows about their supernatural background!

Elena and Caroline might not be getting an “A” in his class, but they’ll definitely be doing some homework and begin to suspect that their professor is “hiding a dark and dangerous secret.” Could it be trying to find the vampire that killed his wife? (**Cough, Alaric, Cough**) Or maybe his dark secret has to do with a cure that could help bring his dead wife back? (**Cough, Shane, Cough**).

Whatever his secret may be, “Vampire Diaries” director Joshua Butler teased fans on Twitter that Cosnett will be “a MAJOR addition to the #TVDFamily.” Butler also revealed that we’ll be meeting his character relatively quickly when the show returns. Dr. Wes Maxfield is set to appear in episode two.

Cosnett’s Dr. Wes Maxfield will be joining a couple of other newcomers in season five:

Shaun Sipos – Shaun Sipos of “Melrose Place” and “Life Unexpected” will play Aaron, a hot new Whitmore College student who’s attempting to “escape his tortured past. He’ll bond with Elena over “the fact that they’ve both experienced and survived dark family tragedies.” Janina Gavankar – The former “True Blood” actress will play Tessa, a “beautiful, exotic and self-assured woman” who comes to Mystic Falls to rekindle an old flame. Olga Fonda – The actress will play “a mysterious European beauty who follows Rebekah and Matt back to Mystic Falls.” She has an ominous warning for Stefan about the Originals, but she won’t be leaving town after delivering it. Instead she’ll stick around as a potential love interest for Matt after Rebekah leaves. Kendrick Sampson – The former “Greek” star will play Jesse, a “hot, smart, confident and disarmingly sweet” upperclassman at Whitmore. He’ll reportedly catch the eye of Caroline … but isn’t vampire friendly.

“The Vampire Diaries” season 5 premieres on Thursday, Oct. 3 on the CW at 8 p.m. Will you be tuning in? Let us know what you think about the latest casting spoilers.