The West Virginia football program has added an experienced piece to the linebacker room with a commitment from Colorado State transfer Chase Wilson.
Wilson, 6-foot-1, 230-pounds, spent five seasons with the Rams and started 25 games the past two seasons. Over his career, Wilson recorded 234 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 9 passes defended, 6 sacks and 2 interceptions and appeared in a total of 37 games during that time.
The Colorado native earned second-team all-Mountain West honors in each of the past two seasons after 107 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and 3 passes defended in 2023 and 98 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and a pair of interceptions in 2024.
Wilson just entered the transfer portal Jan. 8 and made a quick commitment to the Mountaineers giving the football program an experienced linebacker that has played over 1,700 career snaps.
Wilson is the second linebacker commitment for West Virginia this off-season out of the transfer portal behind North Carolina transfer Ashton Woods and continues a hot steak for the program with a dozen transfer additions since Monday.
Wilson has one season of eligibility remaining in his career.
WVSports.com breaks down the transfer of Wilson and what it means to the West Virginia Mountaineers football program both now and in the future.
The data:
Wilson has appeared in 1,731 defensive snaps during his career and graded out at 71.9 according to Pro Football Focus this past season. That included a coverage grade of 73.5.
Wilson played a total of 788 snaps this past season after playing 721 the year prior. He has been effective as both a pass rusher and when it comes to tackling.
While in the coverage department, Wilson has allowed 68 catches on 90 targets with 4 touchdowns and a total of 2 interceptions. He has spent the bulk of his time in the box, but has shown the ability to move around given his versatility at the position.
Fitting the program:
West Virginia lost both of their top two linebackers in terms of snaps played to the transfer portal in the off-season and Wilson is automatically the most experienced option in the room. With 1,731 defensive snaps he becomes an immediate option to carve out a role in the linebacker room.
Aside from Wilson, West Virginia will return Reid Carrico and Ben Cutter which gives the transfer linebacker a chance to immediately compete for time overall. The Mountaineers needed to find an experienced tackler in that room and Wilson fits that bill and more.
Recruiting the position:
Even with Wilson and Woods in the fold, there is the possibility that West Virginia elects to add more to the mix considering the top two options from last season exited the football program through the transfer portal. The Mountaineers have been aggressive with adding pieces and it’s likely that continues with the coaching staff looking to round out the linebacker room with more options.
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