West Virginia has areas of need remaining in portal
The transfer portal has closed and for the most part, West Virginia came out ahead.
The Mountaineers lost several players that could have played a role this season notably wide receiver EJ Horton and cornerback Montre Miller but was largely able to hold the bulk of the roster together.
And now the focus turns toward identifying and trying to fill the last remaining needs.
“We’ll look to add some pieces potentially in May,” head coach Neal Brown said.
The Mountaineers only have a handful of open scholarships but the focus is expected to largely be placed on the defensive back room at both cornerback and safety.
The program has already added Charlotte cornerback Dontez Fagan since the end of spring football and that helps. The graduate transfer is coming off a season where he recorded 21 tackles and an interception while posting strong coverage totals but with Miller exiting at the conclusion of spring practice and the spring injury to Jacolby Spells there is still a potential need there.
Spells will return early in the fall, but the Mountaineers are going to have to rely on their transfers as well as hope that some of the younger players at the position prove ready to provide some snaps.
Wide receiver is the spot on offense where West Virginia could use a boost with the program’s deep threat Horton exiting at the end of spring. The Mountaineers could look at an additional speed option to replace what has been lost and even consider a bigger-bodied outside option.
The coaching staff had been actively looking at options there as well as at tight end where the program picked up a commitment from junior college target in Dodge City C.C. (Kan.) tight end Gregory Genross. Genross spent two years at Dodge City where he appeared in a total of 17 games during that time and turned that into 26 catches for 265 yards and 3 touchdowns and earned all-conference honors.
West Virginia also will be looking at the defensive line when it comes to depth and possibly an experienced option that can move around.
Health also has been a concern there as Corey McIntyre sustained an injury that was considered to be serious during the spring and Asani Redwood was recovering from a shoulder procedure. It remains to be seen if McIntyre will be available, but Redwood is expected back in time for the fall but adding another versatile and experienced piece up front will address any major concerns there overall.
The final positions that could at least be under consideration is a young pass rusher on the defensive side that could have multiple years left and the same can be said on the offensive line. Those aren’t necessarily immediate priorities for next year but would help massively moving forward.
West Virginia still has needs to fill and the program has at least a little wiggle room to address it.
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