West Virginia uses the portal to fill needs across the roster
The West Virginia coaching staff signed 22 prospects at the mid-term but knew that they needed to add a number of transfers in order to round out the additions.
So far so good with the program adding seven transfers to the mix at the January enrollment mid-term, another pair in February, and then four more after spring ball.
The Mountaineers have added Colorado State cornerback TJ Crandall, Gardner-Webb outside linebacker Ty French, Oklahoma State wide receiver Jaden Bray, Jacksonville State offensive lineman Xavier Bausley, Duquesne defensive back Ayden Garnes, Troy defensive lineman TJ Jackson and Ohio State linebacker Reid Carrico at the mid-term.
That’s a good mixture of both multi-year and major impact additions for next season which should all play a role in what unfolds next season.
The coaching staff then was able to add a pair of Northwestern defensive backs in cornerback Garnett Hollis and safety Jaheem Joseph in February giving the program some more ammunition in the backend of the defense.
Things were bulked up even further in the backend when West Virginia added Charlotte cornerback transfer Dontez Fagan and Jacksonville State safety Kekoura Tarnue into the fold. And then at quarterback with BYU transfer Ryder Burton in early May followed by Mississippi State wide receiver Justin Robinson.
The biggest priority area for the coaching staff was in the secondary and the Mountaineers have added six at those positions.
Crandall and Garnes are both cornerbacks who have multiple years of eligibility left, while Hollis is a graduate transfer with one year left and experience. Joseph and Hollis also is an experienced option who played their best football in 2023.
Crandall picked West Virginia over offers from UCLA, Michigan State, Louisville, North Carolina State, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Indiana, California, Purdue, Cincinnati, Wake Forest, Arizona State and Oregon State. The Washington native also will have three years remaining, along with a redshirt season, after recording 19 tackles and an interception in 10 games with the Rams last season.
Related: What returns for West Virginia football on offense in 2024?
Garnes is a more experienced option that the program was able to see up close last year in the game against Duquesne and he recorded 51 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions and a sack during his sophomore campaign while playing over 600 snaps.
He has two years left and can fill a role at outside cornerback or nickel.
Hollis started all 13 games in 2023 for the Wildcats and was productive with 49 tackles and an interception. For his career, Hollis played 26 total games and over 1,000 snaps during his time at Northwestern which made him an attractive option given his experience as well as his 6-foot-2 frame.
Fagan spent one season at Charlotte where he started nine games and was highly productive, especially in the area of coverage where he posted strong numbers. He recorded 21 tackles and an interception and has one year remaining.
Joseph spent four seasons at the college level and is coming off his most productive year to date with 24 tackles and 3 interceptions. The Miami native posted strong coverage numbers and has the ability to play free safety where he spent time the year before or even the nickel showcasing the versatility the coaches want to see.
Tarnue spent only one season at Jacksonville State but was highly productive recording 53 tackles and 3 interceptions across 628 snaps. He was productive in both coverage and run support allowing just 26 of 45 passes to be completed for 263 yards and zero touchdowns in his coverage.
The Liberia native also recorded 11 interceptions during his two years at Rochester Community and Technical College. He has one year left and his versatility will allow him to slot into a role immediately for the Mountaineers at cat safety.
A major focus also was on trying to find an outside linebacker that can rush the passer and it’s hard to not be satisfied with the addition of French. While he only has one year remaining, French appeared in 41 games during his time at Gardner Webb and recorded 239 tackles, 61 tackles for loss, 34.5 sacks and an interception. He recorded a total of at least 8.5 sacks in three of the four seasons he was on the field.
Finding the right fits at wide receiver was also key and Bray and Robinson address that. Bray spent three seasons with the Cowboys where he hauled in 48 passes for 686 yards and 4 touchdowns across 25 games on the field and flashed big play potential including a 4-catch, 53-yard performance with a touchdown against the Mountaineers this past season. He has two years of eligibility remaining and should provide a veteran presence with potential for a lot more in that room on top of the developing youth.
Robinson spent four years at the college level between two at Georgia and two at Mississippi State. At 6-foot-4, 220-pounds, he provides the outside wide receiver option that the Mountaineers were looking to find and with 980 snaps of experience under his belt he checks that box as well. Robinson has hauled in 53 catches for 601 yards and 4 touchdowns over the course of his college career.
The Mountaineers also made it a key to find an offensive tackle body type that had multiple years of eligibility remaining and accomplished that with Bausley. The Dunbar native will have three years left after starting 11 games this past season for the Gamecocks and earning freshman honors from Conference USA. Bausley should factor in immediately in the race at right tackle and has three years remaining.
After a pair of departures up front on defense, finding some help there also became critical and Jackson is another experienced option with one season of eligibility remaining. Jackson spent three seasons with the Trojans where he appeared in 36 games and racked up 94 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks during that time including earning all-Sun Belt first-team honors in 2022.
Finding quality depth and experience at linebacker was something that West Virginia wanted to do in the first wave of the transfer portal and Carrico fits that bill. A highly recruited option from Ironton, Carrico played primarily on special teams but has the pedigree to make a leap in Morgantown, especially with two years remaining in his career and performed well during the spring.
The last piece added was Burton who did not see the field at BYU but tossed for 1,972 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior. He will fill a role as a depth piece initially but has all four years of eligibility remaining in his career.
It remains to be seen if there are any more additions but it’s clear that the work here is not finished with a couple of positions still in need. But so far so good in addressing concerns across the roster.
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