WVU's defense scattered with some of the best at their position, per PFF
West Virginia hit the transfer portal this offseason to fill needs, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
At least on paper, those needs were filled as Pro Football Focus is high on four transfers to the Mountaineer defense.
Defensive Tackle
West Virginia dipped into the transfer portal to gain depth at the defensive tackle position, as they lost two important pieces up front from last season to the portal, and lost the top three players on defense who led the Mountaineers in sacks.
The void was filled with the addition of T.J. Jackson, a 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive lineman from Troy.
Jackson has 94 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks in 36 games played in his career.
PFF likes Jackson a lot, as he is the clear-cut-cut highest graded returning defensive tackle according to the site. PFF gave Jackson an 89.7 grade which is first among all Big 12 DT's, while the next closest is Cincinnati's Dontay Corleone, who had an 83.3 grade.
One of the big jumps last season for Jackson was his tackling ability. In his first two seasons at Troy, Jackson graded out at a 56.0 and 55.9 in tackling, but this past year that number jumped to 83.7.
Cornerback
Last season, WVU lost corners Beanie Bishop and Malachi Ruffin, who both were out of eligibility, and they needed to add bodies to the secondary.
Ayden Garnes was one of the transfers WVU brought in to try and fill the void. A Duquesne transfer, Garnes is ranked as the second-best returning cornerback in the Big 12, with an 87.4 grade, only behind Preston Hodge of Colorado.
Garnes took a dramatic leap in his performance according to PFF as he had a 60.7 defensive grade in 2022, before grading out to 87.4 on defense in 2023. Against WVU in week two of the 2023 season, Garnes had a 71.3 overall grade on defense, but it was his third-best tackling performance of the season according to PFF.
Another name on the list for WVU is Kekoura Tarnue. He ranks as the fourth-best cornerback, two spots behind Garnes on the best in the Big 12.
Tarnue is. from Jacksonville State and adds experience and production to the back end of WVU's defense.
EDGE/LB
Ty French will fill an immediate need for WVU, as they are going to try to fill the spot vacated by Jared Bartlett. While Tyrin Bradley returns, French brings a lot of talent and upside, something PFF agrees with.
French is a transfer from Gardner-Webb, where in 41 career games he compiled 239 tackles, 61 tackles for loss, 34.5 sacks and an interception.
French is on two lists of top returners in the Big 12 by PFF, as he's the 10th-best returning. EDGE, and the seventh-best returning linebacker. His defensive grade is a 74.2, as he's turned in four seasons of a grade of 67.3 or higher.
Safety
At the safety position, WVU is poised to have to legit pieces, according to Pro Football Focus.
Jaheem Joseph and Aubrey Burks rank second and third respectively in returning Big 12 safeties grade.
Joseph, a transfer from Northwestern is coming off a season with 24 tackles and three interceptions, his best season of his career. It's similar for Burks, who has played in three seasons for the Mountaineers, but his last two seasons have been his most successful.
In 2023, Burks had two interceptions, 48 total tackles, 4 TFL's, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.
Joseph's best game according to PFF came in Northwestern's bowl game against Utah, where he finished with a 92.0 overall grade on defense, playing 36 snaps. He grades out best as a cover guy at 81.0 in coverage for the season and graded at 77.0 for tackling.
Burks had most of his success come in pass coverage according to PFF, grading out as at 83.6 in coverage.
On paper, the Mountaineers bring a lot of talent on the defensive side of the ball. While there is no guarantee they will produce, it's a good sign going forward for the Mountaineers.
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