Change is a constant in West Virginia cornerback room
West Virginia has opportunities available at the cornerback spot this season.
Both starters from last season Beanie Bishop and Malachi Ruffin have exhausted their eligibility and with that a combined 1,579 snaps.
If you throw in Andrew Wilson-Lamp, who exited through the transfer portal, three of the top four players who saw the field at the cornerback spot in 2023 are gone.
Bishop was named a consensus all-American this past season after starting 13 games and finishing with 80 tackles, 20 pass breakups and 4 interceptions. Meanwhile, Ruffin compiled 37 tackles and an interception as a seasoned, reliable option on the opposite side.
Out of the players that saw any significant snaps only junior Jacolby Spells returns after he saw action in nine games and registered just 8 tackles and a pass defended across 131 snaps.
But more often than not the depth in the room was challenged.
But because there was so much turnover, it was a guarantee that West Virginia would be using the transfer portal to help fill out that position. And the coaching staff has certainly done that.
West Virginia added four cornerbacks with three of those available for spring ball in Northwestern transfer Garnett Hollis, Colorado State transfer Ty Crandall and Duquesne transfer Ayden Garnes and another in Charlotte transfer Dontez Fagan committing to the program in April.
Hollis, 6-foot-2, 205-pounds, became a priority for the Mountaineers after he entered the transfer portal in February. That resulted in a quick scholarship offer and a few days later a commitment to the Mountaineers. The Tennessee native appeared in 26 games during his time with the Wildcats where he recorded 78 tackles and a pair of picks.
The big cornerback put together his best campaign in his final one in Evanston where he recorded 49 tackles and an interception while starting all 13 games. Hollis brings over 1,000 snaps of power four experience into the fold and will have one year left to close out his career which means you can expect him to step into a major role in the Mountaineers secondary immediately.
Crandall, 6-foot-1, 185-pounds, spent one season at Colorado State where he finished with 19 tackles and an interception across 10 games. He elected to enter the transfer portal after earning a long list of scholarship offers in the process before visiting just West Virginia and UCLA.
Crandall has three years of eligibility remaining and is a high-upside option but in the immediate future as well as what he could develop into down the line. He enrolled in January to start his career with the Mountaineers and is going to be a factor at the position given his skill set.
Garnes, 6-foot, 170-pounds, is coming off a season where he recorded 51 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions and a sack during his sophomore campaign. The Philadelphia native played a total of 688 snaps and graded out as the highest-rated defensive player on the Dukes' roster.
The FCS transfer took an official visit to Morgantown during the Dec. 8 weekend after previously stopping at Cincinnati and made the decision to pick the Mountaineers. He will slot in as an option that can help immediately and will have two years left which makes him intriguing for a number of reasons.
Fagan spent one season at Charlotte where he recorded 21 tackles and an interception while making nine starts in his 13 appearances. Prior to that he spent one year at Independence C.C. and three seasons at Central Oklahoma.
Things moved quickly between the experienced defensive back and the Mountaineers and he committed just a few days after entering the portal. He has one season remaining and should step into an immediate role in the West Virginia secondary at the cornerback spot given his experience.
Overall, the Mountaineers have at least six experienced options battling in the position room and that doesn’t even include any of the younger options on the roster that could develop.
It’s a different spot this off-season but the battle there is only just beginning.
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