West Virginia football transfer impact
West Virginia has been busy in the transfer market under head coach Neal Brown to find the right fits to help the roster.
We take a look at the transfers that came into the program and how they fit in with the rest of the roster from the past two seasons and beyond.
Stats before: 118 catches for 1,906 yards and 10 touchdowns
Stats in 2023 season: 27 catches for 501 yards and 2 touchdowns
Carter is an experienced wide receiver option that spent five seasons at North Carolina State and compiled a long list of stats. The redshirt senior originally committed to Penn State but flipped to the Mountaineers and played in 11 games as one of the key wide receiver options on the 2023 edition of the team.
Stats before: 115 career tackles, 6 interceptions
Stats in 2023 season: 3 tackles
Miller was added in December as a graduate transfer cornerback that is going to compete for time immediately in the West Virginia secondary this coming season. Took official visits to West Virginia, Wake Forest and Duke before picking the Mountaineers. Collected a number of power five offers but was limited to just one game prior to being injured for the season. Miller does plan to apply for another season next year.
Stats before: 17 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown
Stats in 2023 season: 33 catches for 411 yards and 4 touchdowns
West Virginia prioritized adding a pass catching tight end to the roster in the off-season and Taylor has excellent size and skill at 6-foot-7, 250-pounds. He played 693 snaps during his three years with the Tigers and brings experience at the highest level to the Mountaineers tight end room. Taylor delivered in his first season leading the team in the regular season with 33 catches and more than tripling the production at the position from the year prior. Will return for one more season with the program.
Stats before: 241 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 23 passes defended, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions
Stats in 2023 season: 71 tackles, 5 pass breakups and 1 interception
Wilson was one of the more experienced and productive transfer portal safety options available and became a priority of the Mountaineers. The South Carolina native was a three-year starter for Georgia Southern and is coming off a year where he amassed 101 tackles and an interception. He has the positional flexibility to play all over the safety spots for the Mountaineers and played in all 12 games in his first season finishing second on the team in tackles. Has one season left in his career.
Stats before: 105 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 12 passes defended and three interceptions and a sack
Stats in 2023 season: 59 tackles, 20 pass breakups and 4 interceptions
Bishop, who is better known by Beanie, spent four seasons at Western Kentucky and one at Minnesota before transferring to West Virginia. He played in almost 1,000 snaps during the course of his college career and 49 games. A versatile defensive back, Bishop can play anywhere from cornerback to safety and made the most of his final season for the Mountaineers finishing third in total tackles and first with 24 passes defended. Arguably the biggest pull out of the portal for the program in the 2023 cycle.
Stats before: 16 catches, 245 yards and 2 touchdowns
Stats in 2023 season: 10 catches for 201 yards and a touchdown
Horton became a priority in the transfer portal for a number of power five schools given his ability to run and stretch defenses down the field. Equipped with 4.3-speed, the Louisville native put together his best season to date in his final year at Marshall which made him an interesting target in the portal. Committed to Colorado, but took an under the radar visit to Morgantown and eventually flipped his pledge. Horton missed time early in the year but became a deep threat finishing at 20.1 yards per grab. Still has one year remaining in his career heading into 2024.
Stats before: 81 catches for 1,033 yards and 5 touchdowns
Stats in 2023 season: 2 catches for 11 yards
A native of Georgia, Poke played a total of 1,309 snaps across four seasons with the Golden Flashes while appearing in 25 total games. A speed wide receiver in the slot that is also a decisive returner but that was never realized in Morgantown. Poke appeared in just one game due to injuries and inconsistency and entered the transfer portal at year's end to look for another home in his final year of eligibility.
Stats before: 67 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, an interception and 7 passes defended
Stats in 2023 season: 2 tackles
A junior college prospect, Cobb only spent one season at Buffalo but was highly productive in his role as a slot cornerback. Entered the transfer portal and received a number of power five offers before electing to transfer to West Virginia. A versatile defensive back, Cobb was limited to just two games due to injury and then elected to enter the transfer portal with one season left.
Stats before: 92 tackles, 8 sacks and 18 tackles for loss
Stats in 2023 season: 6 tackles and a sack
Hawkins originally signed with Kentucky but left the program after a few years and transferred down to Tennessee State where he made the most of his next opportunity. Earning all-American honors in 2020, Hawkins was productive during his time with the Tigers but after graduating elected to try his hand at the highest level once last time. That led him to West Virginia where he served primarily as a reserve and his biggest impact was made in his leadership abilities rather than the stat book.
Stats before: 58 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks
Stats in 2023 season: 19 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss
Bradley only saw 93 snaps during his first season at Abilene Christian but took a major step in his second year recording 49 tackles, 4 sacks and 10 tackles for loss while earning all-conference first team in the process. The Texas native is a pass rushing prospect that could have his best football ahead of him. After seeing over 600 snaps as a sophomore, Bradley saw that cut down but he did show flashes in his first year with the Mountaineers. He will have another year left in his career.
Stats before: 4 tackles
Stats in 2023 season: 22 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss
Mulbah saw limited action over his three years at Penn State serving mostly as a reserve defensive lineman as well as on special teams. He only played around 100 snaps during his time on the field but is being targeted as a high upside depth option for West Virginia on the defensive line. Mulbah was one of the biggest surprises of the transfer class and made his impact felt as the second nose guard. Still has one year left in his career and could step into an even larger role.
Stats before: none
Stats in 2023 season: 19 tackles, 5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks
Durojaiye only saw action on 22 plays during his true freshman season at Kentucky although 16 of those were used in pass rushing situations. Entered the transfer portal and the Delaware native committed to West Virginia where he strongly considered during his initial recruitment. The defensive end stepped into a rotational role in his first year in Morgantown where he made his impact felt as a pass rusher. Still has three years left in his career and the sky is the limit here.
Stats before: 91 catches, 1,245 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Stats in 2023 season: none
Massey has spent time at both Bowling Green and Angelo State and broke out at the second with a combined 81 passes for 1,083 yards and 9 touchdowns in his two years. The Texas native was the leading receiver on his team in 2022 and arrived at West Virginia with just one season remaining in his career. Massey didn't make much of an impact on the field during his lone year in Morgantown.
Stats before: 11-14 field goal attempts, booted 49 of his 67 kickoff attempts for touchbacks.
Stats in 2023 season: 14-17 field goals, averaged 61.5 on kickoffs with 19 touchbacks
Hayes started his career as a punter, but at West Virginia he is going to be asked to serve as a field goal kicker and kickoff specialist. He handled the role well in his last season at Georgia State and the South Carolina native served as the lead place kicker and kickoff specialist for West Virginia. Proved to be a very impressive addition and will still have one more year left in his career.
Stats before: 4,840 yards with 32 touchdowns and 16 interceptions while completing 65 percent of his passes
Stats in 2022 season: 200-327 for 2,107 yards with 13 touchdowns and 9 interceptions
Daniels earned the West Virginia starting quarterback job and has played well through four games leading the Mountaineers to a 2-2 record. However, down the stretch he struggled and was eventually replaced over the final two games of the season. Elected to transfer.
Stats before: 453 snaps, one catch for 14 yards
Stats in 2022 season: 6 catches for 36 yards
Polendey was recruited to be primarily a blocking tight end in 12-personnel looks and did his job. He wasn’t necessarily a threat in the passing game but was asked to take on a bigger role after the injury to Mike O'Laughlin and he did just that.
Stats before: 102 tackles, 5 interceptions, 3 sacks, 21 pass breakups
Stats in 2022 season: 63 tackles, 4 pass breakups
Stats in 2023 season: 43 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack and 1 interception
Floyd has played in the secondary at safety and the former cornerback had an up and down season but played much better down the stretch. Started to settle in over the final couple weeks of the season after making the jump from FCS. Was injured to start his second and final year, but played the best football of his career in Morgantown in the box. Still injuries forced him out of his comfort zone more often than not.
Related: How did exiting WVU transfers perform at new stops?
Stats before: 468 snaps, 48 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and half a sack
Stats in 2022 season: 13 tackles, 1 tackle for loss
Stats in 2023 season: 21 tackles, 9 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks
Lockhart settled into a rotational role up front on the defensive line and became a solid contributor in his first year with the program. In his second year, Lockhart was even better with 21 tackles and was a disruptive force with his effort stepping in as the starting nose guard. Elected to enter the portal yet again with one year left.
Stats before: 46 snaps
Stats in 2022 season: 1 tackle
Stats in 2023 season: 3 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss
Austin-Cave has two years remaining in his career after coming over from Miami where he primarily served as a reserve linebacker and on special teams. He brings athleticism to the position but dealt with an injury that sidelined him for a few weeks in fall camp and cost him to miss games and then be resigned to special teams. The same thing seemed to play out in his second season where he was a depth piece when he returned.
Stats before: 2,044 snaps, 77 tackles, 16 pass breakups and an interception
Stats in 2022 season: 26 tackles, 3 pass breakup
Ajayi started 35 games during his time at Colorado State and arrived at West Virginia to compete for a starting job. He won the post opposite of Charles Woods in fall camp but an injury has thrust more responsibility on him. Struggled at times and was in and out of the lineup with his own injuries but fared solid.
Stats before: 989 snaps, 68 tackles, 9 passes deflected and 3 interceptions
Stats in 2022 season: 17 tackles, 2 pass breakups
McCormick saw action in 49 games at James Madison but has dealt with the adjustment to the highest level in his first handful of games in Morgantown. Was ejected for targeting in the Pitt game, but like Ajayi dealt with his share of ups and downs after making the leap from the FCS level.
Stats before: 110 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 interceptions
Stats in 2022 season: 62 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 3 pass breakups
Cox started 24 games for the Bison but made the move to Morgantown to showcase what he could do at the highest level. Was moved from spear to WILL linebacker and then back and played his best football down the stretch run of the season. Became one of the most reliable defenders on the entire team.
Stats before: Redshirted
Stats in 2022 season: Has not appeared
Stats in 2023: Appeared in one game
Lawton is going to head into his third year but has yet to make any significant impact or really even see the field during his time with the Mountaineers. Has at least two years left in his career and will look to make a dent in the rotation.
Stats before: 1,018 snaps, 17 starts
Stats in 2021 season: Started all 13 games
Stats in 2022 season: Started 11 games.
Stats in 2023 season: Started 10 games
Nester was a major pull for West Virginia out of the transfer portal after starting 17 games over his first two seasons with the Hokies. Started all 13 games during his first season in Morgantown but started to really emerge at the end of the season. Played well in his second year with the Mountaineers and then elected to return for a final season. He started all 10 games he was healthy kicking out to right tackle.
Stats before: 191 snaps, 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble
Stats in 2021 season: 36 tackles, 1 tackle for loss
Stats in 2022 season: 22 tackles
Stats in 2023 season: 14 tackles, 1 tackle for loss
Dixon is a very athletic linebacker that has multiple years of eligibility remaining. Appeared in 10 games during his first year at West Virginia and really started to emerge down the stretch. Was moved from linebacker to spear early in 2022, but struggled in year two to really finding his football and making an impact. Things didn't change in year three as he struggled to find his footing before eventually being removed from the team after the Houston game and did not return.
Stats before: 84 tackles, 27 pass breakups, 6 interceptions
Stats in 2021 season: 29 tackles and 2 interceptions
Stats in 2022 season: 9 tackles
Woods is a versatile secondary piece that started to emerge with a role at cornerback toward the end of the season. Had several flash plays after earning all-American honors at the FCS level and emerged as a standout on the defensive side for the Mountaineers in the second half of 2021. Was named a pre-season all-Big 12 selection but injured his ankle in the season opener after only a handful of snaps. Appeared in only four games and then elected to enter his name into the transfer portal for his final year before committing to SMU.
Stats before: 582 snaps, 30 tackles and a sack
Stats in 2021 season: 2 tackles, 1 sack
Middleton was a late addition to the West Virginia roster but was limited to only 3 games before he elected to leave the program and enter the transfer portal. He elected to transfer to Alabama A&M.
Stats before: 211 tackles and 11.5 sacks
Stats in 2021 season: 12 tackles
Stevens was a late addition as a transfer prior to the start of the 2021 season and played a limited role with the Mountaineers.
Stats before: 2,353 snaps, 287 tackles, 8.5 sacks
Stats in 2020 season: 88 tackles, one sack, one interception
Fields came into the program as an immediate impact type of prospect with 37-career starts under his belt at Arizona prior to arriving in Morgantown and he didn't disappoint. The senior linebacker was all over the field for the Mountaineers recording five games of 10+ tackles in nine total contests. He led the team in tackles and was as valuable as any defensive player on the roster. Opted out of the bowl game and entered the NFL Draft where he was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round. It was only a season, but Fields made a significant impact at West Virginia.
Stats before: 2,061 snaps, 157 tackles, 5 interceptions, 12 pass breakups
Stats in 2020-21 seasons: 37 tackles
Young is by far one of the most experienced options on this list seeing over 2,000 snaps at the power five level during his three years at Arizona. However, it was on scout team for the majority of the year as Young was not granted a waiver to play immediately for the Mountaineers. He was granted the ability to play in the Liberty Bowl and played 63 snaps while recording 4 total tackles. Started at multiple positions in 2021 and recorded 33 tackles.
Stats before: 464 snaps, 28 sacks and 2 sacks
Stats in 2020 season: 2 tackles
Brand was a situational player at Maryland and so far has been counted on to fill the same role at West Virginia as a pass rushing presence at outside linebacker. Brand received an eligibility waiver to begin playing after the Texas Tech game and finished with 10 snaps across two contests. He had two years to play two remaining in his career given the changes to the rules by the NCAA but elected to enter the transfer portal without every really making an impact in Morgantown.
Stats before: 42.2 yards per punt on 156 attempts, made 39 of 51 field goals
Stats in 2020-21 seasons: 89 punts for an average of 42. 27 pinned inside the 20. 3-4 on field goal attempts.
Not much mystery came with Sumpter who was recruited to immediately step in and punt the ball for the Mountaineers. He's did just that serving primarily as the starting punter for the Mountaineers. Sumpter was a three-year starter at Troy and has quickly settled into the lead role in Morgantown although he did share some time with Kolton McGhee during the season. Still, Sumpter had the most punts on the roster this year and was efficient pinning the ball deep. Even took over field goals late in the year and connected on 3 of 4. Filled that role as the punter again in 2021
Stats before: Saw action in two games
Stats in 2020 season: Out for the year.
Stats in 2021 season: 4 games
Stats in 2022: 12 games
Hubbard played in two games at Virginia but elected to transfer at the end of the season and after entering the transfer portal decided to commit to the Mountaineers. Hubbard fills a massive need for the program at offensive tackle or offensive guard and has the pedigree as he was originally a four-star prospect coming out of high school. But he is going to need some time to develop. Hubbard was granted an immediate eligibility waiver by the NCAA to compete after the Baylor game but didn't see the field and missed the rest of the season after having surgery on an injured shoulder. Has four years left to play four but was injured in spring practice. Did make it back but was only limited to four games and a handful of snaps. In his second season on the field, Hubbard has emerged as the starter at right tackle and has been working at guard this spring.
Stats before: 17 games, 284 snaps, 740 yards and 8 touchdowns
Stats in 2020 season: Did not see game action and entered the transfer portal
After redshirting in 2017, Dobson served as a dynamic piece to the Blue Raiders offense although he was only used in a limited fashion. He scored eight touchdowns during his time there, but only touched the ball 64 times resulting in a touchdown every eight touches. He had two seasons of eligibility left and received a waiver to play after the Baylor game but it simply never materialized in Morgantown. After being suspended for the opening game that he couldn't even play in, he elected to enter his name into the transfer portal mid-season without ever playing a down at West Virginia.
Stats before: 19 games, throwing for 4,041 yards, 39 touchdowns and 15 interceptions while completing 63-percent of his passes during his two years at Bowling Green.
Stats in 2019-2021 seasons: 590-911 for 6,453 yards for 40 touchdowns and 19 interceptions
Doege transferred from Bowling Green to West Virginia after an impressive two-year stint with the Falcons where he started games as a true freshman and was the starter all year during his sophomore campaign. Doege inserted his name into the portal in the off-season of his second year and that led to him committing to the Mountaineers in large part because of the offensive system and his ties to Neal Brown, who coached his brother Seth at Texas Tech . Doege appeared down the stretch in 2019 and was the full-time starter in 2020. He finished his third year as the starter but elected to enter the transfer portal for his final year after mixed results.
Stats before: 22 games, 13 catches for 206 yards
Stats in 2019 season: 19 catches, 469 yards, 7 touchdowns
Campbell arrived at Florida State with high expectations but a rash of injuries kept him from ever realizing that potential. Outside of his first season where he was primarily used on special teams in 11 games, Campbell saw only 11 more games over the next three years with a redshirt year sandwiched in-between. A 6-foot-4, wide receiver that has the speed to get behind a defense, Campbell put his name in the portal and at first appeared destined for Penn State before changing course and ending up at West Virginia. Made the most of his final year as a dynamic outside option that was the primary deep threat for the Mountaineers putting together his best season of his career in 2019 before bypassing a waiver and heading onto professional opportunities.
Stats before: 11 games, 12 catches for 162 yards and 1 touchdown
Stats in 2019-2021 seasons: 69 catches, 882 yards and 3 touchdowns
Ryan inserted his name into the portal earlier in the process and West Virginia was one of the schools that was able to contact him. Things only progressed from there and after taking a visit to Morgantown he committed and then signed with the Mountaineers. The 6-foot-4 wide receiver spent one season with the Owls and was productive and that carried over to West Virginia when he's been on the field. Caught three touchdowns in his third season and was productive. Elected to leave the program with one year remaining and transferred to Rutgers.
Stats before: 24 games, 61 tackles and 12 pass breakups
Stats in 2020-21 seasons: 139 tackles, 2 interceptions, 10 passes defended
Addae enrolled at West Virginia after spending three seasons at New Hampshire as a productive option in the secondary. The cousin of former assistant Jahmile Addae, the talented defensive back had to sit out all of 2019 to fulfill transfer rules. Was able to get on the field in 2020 and had a major impact with a true breakout season. Elected to return for a sixth year due to NCAA rule changes and was productive yet again.
Stats before: 16 games, 7 tackles
Stats in 2019 season: 34 tackles, 3 sacks and 5 tackles for loss in 12 games.
Jones played sparingly at Michigan but narrowed his choices down to West Virginia and Toledo as a graduate transfer before selecting the Mountaineers. He increased his production immensely across the board and played in all 12 games for the Big 12 Conference program as a valuable piece up front. Made the most of his last season by putting together by far his most productive at the college level.
Stats before: 31 games, finished 96 punts for an average of 37.4 yards per kick
Stats in the 2019 season: 68 punts, 2,864 yards, average of 42.1
Growden spent three seasons at LSU where he was named as an all-SEC selection his freshman year averaging 41 yards per punt. The Australian native lost his starting job but then emerged as the pooch punter for the Tigers with a total of 47 of his 96 kicks during his career downed inside the 20. He elected to leave LSU with one season remaining in July and eventually settled at West Virginia. Was the primary punter for his one season in Morgantown and filled a major need for the Mountaineers.
----------
• Talk about it with West Virginia fans on The Blue Lot.
• SUBSCRIBE today to stay up on the latest on Mountaineer sports and recruiting.
• Get all of our WVU videos on YouTube by subscribing to the WVSports.com Channel
• Follow us on Twitter: @WVSportsDotCom, @rivalskeenan
•Like us on Facebook
