Tomiwa Durojaiye is an interesting case study of sorts.

The Kentucky pass rushing transfer was recruited by West Virginia out of high school in the 2022 recruiting cycle, but the Mountaineers finished as the runner up.

At one time, that would have closed the book on things but in today’s transfer portal world things have a way of circling back around rather quickly. That’s what happened here as well as Durojaiye spent only one season in Lexington appearing in four games and preserving a redshirt in the process.

The Wildcats didn’t want to see him exit the program given his size, youth and potential, but he did so anyways, and West Virginia was there waiting. Safety Raleigh Collins, who had a personal connection with Durojaiye considering they are both from Delaware, helped things along, as well.

“We recruited him, so we knew him, and we felt really good that the people at Kentucky had positive things to say about him. They didn’t want him to go,” head coach Neal Brown said.

That previous relationship was important because Durojaiye didn’t spend enough time with the Wildcats to pile up any production. That meant there needed to be some background.

“There were two years of recruiting,” Brown said.

Durojaiye has made the transition from an outside linebacker to the defensive line and the expectation for him is that he will be able to contribute this fall for the Mountaineers up front. Just how much is going to depend solely on how he develops but he is going to have every opportunity to prove himself.

Durojaiye has effectively gone through two spring practices after enrolling at Kentucky early to start his career and is now in his second fall camp while maintaining all four years of eligibility.

Given his combination of size and length, Durojaiye offers plenty of upside especially with how impressive he has been in other areas.

“Tomi is really, really smart. He is really quick on the uptake and he’s a high effort guy. And that’s everything he does whether it’s in the weight room, the practice field,” coordinator Jordan Lesley said. “A guy like that, that has that body type it won’t be long, and he’ll be depended upon this year.”

It’s also interesting in the sense with the way that players jump around from roster to roster, Durojaiye has already exhausted his one-time transfer option. That means that effectively the Mountaineers have locked in a talented prospect that they had high on their board despite losing him initially.

That’s why relationships and connections matter perhaps more than ever on the recruiting trail.

And now it’s up to Durojaiye to prove he’s up to the task on the field.

“I do feel like he has a chance to earn his way into the rotation and be a factor for us,” Brown said.

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