West Virginia football producing NFL talent in Big 12
West Virginia only had two players drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft but the program is still doing quite well when it comes to producing talent at the next level.
Offensive tackle Colton McKivitz and safety Kenny Robinson, who was dismissed from school the year prior and pursued a one-year abbreviated stint in the XFL, were all that were selected from the Big 12 Conference program in the fifth round.
Robinson, who spent two seasons in Morgantown prior to being dismissed, was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 152nd pick of the draft and then McKivitz was selected one pick later by the San Francisco 49ers to fill a need along their offensive line.
But even with those lower totals, West Virginia has been fruitful on that front.
Since 2015, the Mountaineers have had 19 players drafted, including a pair of first round picks in Kevin White and Karl Joseph. That total is good for a tie for second in the Big 12 during that time period with TCU, who caught the Mountaineers total by having five players selected this season.
Unsurprisingly Oklahoma is at the top of the board with 30 but not bad for a West Virginia program that joined the league in 2012 and has been producing picks at a high rate.
And it’s not just quantity either, as West Virginia is at the top of the league when it comes to producing top 15 picks as well since the 2012 season.
The Mountaineers have reeled off four top 15 picks over that span (Bruce Irvin and Tavon Austin to go with the two mentioned above) while other conference mates Oklahoma (3), Baylor (2), Texas Tech (1) and Oklahoma State (1) represent the others.
None of the other five schools have met the criteria. It’s a feather in the cap on the recruiting trail for the Mountaineers and one that can point to the development going on within the football program.
While the bulk of those players were developed largely under Dana Holgorsen and his staff, it points to the simple fact that Morgantown has become a hotbed for producing NFL talent compared to conference mates. And that isn’t a bad place to be.
One that the Mountaineers can use to their advantage in the pursuit of even more talent.
WATCH: Musings from the Mountains Episode 78 | Interview with WVU DE Commitment Hammond Russell
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