The second time has proven to be the charm for West Virginia and Beanie Bishop.
Bishop left Western Kentucky following the 2021 season after appearing in 36 career games while recording 76 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 12 pass breakups and three interceptions.
The Mountaineers were well aware of what Bishop brought to the table due to head coach Neal Brown having ties to his high school coaches and trainers given the fact that he is originally from the Louisville area, so they elected to pursue him when he entered the transfer portal.
“When he went into the portal the first time, we really tried to get him. We thought he would be a plus player for us. I knew what kind of person we were getting,” head coach Neal Brown said.
Those efforts were unsuccessful as Bishop would land at Minnesota where he saw action in all 13-games but was used primarily as a third cornerback and nickel. He finished with 29 tackles and a sack, but by the end of the season wanted to find a better fit for his skill set.
And West Virginia was waiting.
Because of that homework that was done prior, the coaching staff didn’t even need to watch what unfolded during his time with the Gophers. What the Mountaineers saw on tape during his time with Western Kentucky was a player that simply made a bunch of plays on the ball.
“We wanted somebody that was a veteran, had positive leadership and can cover. And so far, all three of those areas have been checked off,” Brown said.
It was evident from the time that Bishop arrived that he was going to be a leader in the cornerback room and quickly established himself as the alpha personality of that group. And with the season well underway he has made his mark on the field as well.
Lining up primarily on the boundary, Bishop has exceled in man coverage where he does a good job using his hands and eyes to get his eyes back to the football. While he has been successful getting his hands on the football, Bishop has allowed a few interceptions to get away from him and hit the turf.
“He’s been really good as a veteran guy in that secondary room at corner and safety. He goes to work, he’s consistent. He does all the little things such as taking care of his body,” Brown said.
Through eight games, Bishop had 41 tackles, 12 pass breakups and 4 interceptions and his efforts earned him Defensive Player of the Week following a pair of interceptions against UCF.
“Beanie played well in coverage. Played really well in man coverage,” Brown said.
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