West Virginia using portal to fill needs across the roster
The West Virginia coaching staff signed 22 prospects at the mid-term but knew that that they needed to add a number of transfers in order to round out the additions.
So far so good with the program adding seven transfers to the mix at the January enrollment mid-term and another pair in February.
The Mountaineers have added Colorado State cornerback TJ Crandall, Gardner-Webb outside linebacker Ty French, Oklahoma State wide receiver Jaden Bray, Jacksonville State offensive lineman Xavier Bausley, Duquesne defensive back Ayden Garnes, Troy defensive lineman TJ Jackson and Ohio State linebacker Reid Carrico at the mid-term.
That’s a good mixture of both multi-year and major impact additions for next season which should all play a role in what unfolds next season.
The coaching staff then was able to add a pair of Northwestern defensive backs in cornerback Garnett Hollis and safety Jaheem Joseph in February giving the program some more ammunition in the backend of the defense.
The biggest priority area for the coaching staff was in the secondary and the Mountaineers have added four at that position thus far.
Crandall and Garnes are both cornerbacks that have multiple years of eligibility left, while Hollis is a graduate transfer with one year left and experience. Joseph and Hollis also is an experienced options that played their best football in 2023.
Crandall picked West Virginia over offers from UCLA, Michigan State, Louisville, North Carolina State, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Indiana, California, Purdue, Cincinnati, Wake Forest, Arizona State and Oregon State. The Washington native also will have three years remaining, along with a redshirt season, after recording 19 tackles and an interception in 10 games with the Rams last season.
Garnes is a more experienced option that the program was able to see up close last year in the game against Duquesne and he recorded 51 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions and a sack during his sophomore campaign while playing over 600 snaps.
He has two years left and can fill a role at outside cornerback or nickel.
Hollis started all 13-games in 2023 for the Wildcats and was productive with 49 tackles and an interception. For his career, Hollis played 26 total games and over 1,000 snaps during his time at Northwestern which made him an attractive option given his experience as well as his 6-foot-2 frame.
Joseph spent four seasons at the college level and is coming off his most productive year to date with 24 tackles and 3 interceptions. The Miami native posted strong coverage numbers and has the ability to play free safety where he spent time the year before or even the nickel showcasing the versatility the coaches want to see.
A major focus also was on trying to find an outside linebacker that can rush the passer and it’s hard to not be satisfied with the addition of French. While he only has one year remaining, French appeared in 41 games during his time at Gardner Webb and recorded 239 tackles, 61 tackles for loss, 34.5 sacks and an interception. He recorded a total of at least 8.5 sacks in three of the four seasons he was on the field.
Finding the right fit at wide receiver was also key and Bray addresses that. He spent three seasons with the Cowboys where he hauled in 48 passes for 686 yards and 4 touchdowns across 25 games on the field and flashed big play potential including a 4-catch, 53-yard performance with a touchdown against the Mountaineers this past season. He has two years of eligibility remaining and should provide a veteran presence with potential for a lot more in that room on top of the developing youth.
The Mountaineers also made it a key to find an offensive tackle body type that had multiple years of eligibility remaining and accomplished that with Bausley. The Dunbar native will have three years left after starting 11-games this past season for the Gamecocks and earning freshman honors from Conference USA. Bausley should factor in immediately in the race at right tackle.
After a pair of departures up front on defense, finding some help there also became critical and Jackson is another experienced option with one season of eligibility remaining. Jackson spent three seasons with the Trojans where he appeared in 36 games and racked up 94 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks during that time including earning all-Sun Belt first-team honors in 2022.
Finally, finding quality depth and experience at linebacker was something that West Virginia wanted to do in the first wave of the transfer portal and Carrico fits that bill. A highly recruited option from Ironton, Carrico played primarily on special teams but has the pedigree to make a leap in Morgantown especially with two years remaining in his career.
It remains to be seen if there are anymore additions but it’s clear that the work here is not finished with a couple positions still in need. But so far so good in addressing concerns across the roster.
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