West Virginia wanted the right fits for transfer additions on offense
The West Virginia football program wanted to be careful with what they did on the offensive side of the ball when it came to adding transfers to the mix.
For now, the number of total additions is only two with Oklahoma State wide receiver Jaden Bray and Jacksonville State offensive tackle Xavier Bausley which fits what head coach Neal Brown outlined.
“Receiver and offensive line would have to be the right guy,” Brown said.
And there’s a reason for that considering so much of the production and pieces return across the board on that side of the ball heading into 2024. But that doesn’t mean some help can’t be used.
Bray, 6-foot-2, 200-pounds, was a key target for the Mountaineers as soon as he entered the transfer portal, and the coaches were able to get him to campus for a quick official visit in December.
The Oklahoma native spent three seasons with the Cowboys where he hauled in 48 passes for 686 yards and 4 touchdowns across 25 games on the field. During that time, Bray flashed big play ability and turned in a 4-catch, 53-yard performance with a touchdown against the Mountaineers this past season.
Related: Crafting the 2024 WVU offensive depth chart: Volume 1
Bray played 1,070 offensive snaps during his time with the Cowboys and saw his most this past season with 301. However, he made those count flashing big play ability with an average of 12.7 yards per reception. Bray is an outside receiver, that can make plays down the field as he spent 292 of his snaps this past season in that role. He also was good in contested catch situations with reeling in 7 of 11.
The Mountaineers returned plenty at the wide receiver spot, but still needed to replace what another transfer in Devin Carter was able to bring to the table last year with 27 catches for 501 yards and 2 scores. Bray is an ideal fit as a big-bodied outside receiver with experience in the Big 12 already.
On the offensive line West Virginia wanted to find an offensive tackle body type with multiple years of eligibility remaining and was able to find that in Bausley. The 6-foot-5, 315-pounder, is a prospect that the Mountaineers were familiar with after hosting him as a high school prospect at South Charleston.
While West Virginia did not offer Bausley the first go-around, once he entered the transfer portal after earning all-freshman Conference USA honors this past season as the starting right tackle for the Gamecocks it made it a no-brainer. Bausley obviously has ties to the state and understands what the program means to the people within it, but his ability made it a perfect match.
Bausley took official visits to Kentucky and Pittsburgh along with West Virginia, but ultimately settled on the Mountaineers to spend his next three seasons. When looking at the right type of player, Bausley certainly fits that bill and is what the football program wanted to find.
Now, as far as additional transfers are concerned the focus now will be primarily on the defensive side, but the coaches are keeping an open mind for right fits at certain spots such as a multiple-year tight end option. The coaches weren’t going to add a lot on offense, but the coaches like the direction there.
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