West Virginia will be with a new football coach soon. However, there are players on the roster that should be a priority to retain.

With the transfer portal the way it is, any player can leave on the roster and have immediate eligibility elsewhere. However, certain players should be important for the next staff to keep.

West Virginia's offense has lived and died by the running game each of the past two seasons, and while the scheme will change, talent level will not. White has produced in each of his first two seasons as a Mountaineer, rushing for 817 yards and seven touchdowns this season. He also has 18 catches for 119 yards and a score.

White's speed makes him a true threat anywhere he's positioned on the field. White also has two years of eligibility remaining following this season, making it even more of a priority to keep him around. You can't teach what White has, and that is quickness and speed.

The other running back is just as important to keep in CJ Donaldson. Donaldson and White have tabbed themselves thunder and lightning with their ability to have speed but also be a bruising back.

Donaldson has spent three seasons at WVU, and this year was the year he was the healthiest, in large part due to the ability for White to produce at a high level. Donaldson has 651 yards and nine touchdowns on the year on the ground and has another 93 yards and a touchdown as a receiver as well.

Donaldson has one year of eligibility remaining, and if you keep him and White around, that's a solid foundation for any new head coach or offensive coordinator.

Similar to White, this was year two for Traylon Ray, who really developed into WVU's wide receiver one this season. Ray had 28 catches for 426 yards and four touchdowns this season, but his season ended prematurely due to a lower-body injury he sustained against Baylor.

Assuming he makes a full recovery, which he's expected to, Ray brings high upside with his ability to stretch the field and cause problems as a vertical threat down the field. Ray also has two years of eligibility remaining, and he seems to be developing into a true threat on offense for the Mountaineers.

Another sophomore from the 2023 recruiting class is Rodney Gallagher. Gallagher took time to see the field, but this season, he's started to stand out on offense. Gallagher has 229 yards and three touchdowns on only 21 catches and also has been used somewhat in the run game.

It's hard to deny the speed of Gallagher, and he's an elite athlete. Gallagher had also been used a little bit on the defensive side of the ball, and while that might not interest a new coach, his versatility and athleticism make him a key candidate to keep.

Over the past few seasons, West Virginia's offensive line has been one of the top-performing units on the Mountaineers. Rimac has been a big part of it, as this year he has graded out as the fifth-best player on WVU's offense, according to Pro Football Focus.

Rimac has played significant snaps each of the past three seasons, with his total number of snaps increasing as well. WVU was already set to lose a large chunk of their offensive line due to eligibility being exhausted, but keeping Rimac would help bring back some level of continuity on that line.

Johnny Williams only played in six games this season but he has a lot of talent. He was behind All-American candidate Wyatt Milum at the left tackle position but was thrust into game action at times this year as Milum battled some injuries.

Williams played in six total games, playing 160 total snaps this season. Williams graded out well with a 74.5 pass-blocking grade. He also has great size at 6-foot-7, 315 pounds. Bringing back Williams would go a long way to the future of the Mountaineer offensive line.

Another linebacker WVU should keep is Trey Lathan. While Lathan has seemingly taken somewhat of a step back in production, he was put in odd positions as far as scheme goes throughout the season. Lathan was only a redshirt-sophomore this season and he had the third-most tackles on the team. He also had 8.0 TFLs and a forced fumble this season. When Lathan is not in coverage down the field he has the ability to be a really good linebacker in this league.

A guy who missed the majority of this season but earned another year of eligibility is Edward Vesterinen. First, WVU is set to lose a large chunk of production on their defensive line this offseason.

In 47 games played, Vesterinen has 47 tackles, 8.0 TFLs, and 4.5 sacks. Vesterinen is a big body on the inside of that Mountaineer defensive line. He played really well down the stretch of the 2023 season, and even with one year of eligibility remaining, he can be an instant impact next year.

Two things are true here. Yes, the West Virginia secondary struggled this season. Also, yes, there are not a lot of returners there, and Jaheem Joseph is arguably the best player on that back end.

Joseph played the second-most snaps on the WVU defense this past season. He finished the year with 38.0 total tackles and an interception. Overall Joseph has lots of value even with the struggles of the overall unit this year.

Like Vesterinen, Redwood is a defensive lineman who was a key contributor for the Mountaineers. He played 359 snaps this season, finishing with 16.0 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, and a sack this season. Redwood was somewhat overshadowed by a lot of more tenured players on the WVU roster and the Mountaineer team as a whole. Redwood, like Vesterinen, brings back experience and talent on what looks to be a somewhat depleted defensive line for West Virginia heading into 2025.

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