Another former West Virginia defender is trying to buy himself one more year.
On Thursday afternoon, former Mountaineers defensive lineman Eddie Kelly Jr. told me he will pursue an extra season of eligibility and wants that season to come at West Virginia. That comes a day after former WVU cornerback Jordan Scruggs said he will seek a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the NCAA so he can play one more season of college football, with the goal of doing it in Morgantown.
The push comes after the NCAA shifted to a new age-based eligibility model earlier this summer. Under that setup, student-athletes get five years to play five seasons. But that change does not help players whose eligibility already ran out under the old rules, including 2025-26 seniors.
Kelly’s path has been a winding one. He started at South Florida in 2022, moved to Georgia Tech in 2023, transferred to Missouri in 2024, and then landed at WVU in 2025. Even with that four-school run in four years, he would still have another season available if the NCAA opened the door for seniors from this past school calendar year.
Last fall, Kelly played in 12 games for the Mountaineers and finished with 25 tackles, three passes defended, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks. He also logged five pressures and five QB hurries. His strongest outing may have come in the 31-24 overtime win over Pitt in the Backyard Brawl, when he posted four tackles, including three solo stops, 0.5 sacks, and a pass defended.
Kelly lined up mostly at defensive end in 2025, and that would likely be his spot again if he gets back on the field this fall. At the moment, Coastal Carolina transfer Ezekiel Durham-Campbell is projected as the starter there, and that does not appear to be changing. Behind him are JUCO product Darius Wiley, Bowling Green transfer David Afogho, and redshirt freshman Brandon Caesar.
There is real value in having another experienced piece in that room. Durham-Campbell should handle most of the snaps, Kelly could rotate in, and Wiley could be eased in as a situational pass rusher before taking on a bigger role.
In Other News...
One WVU Transfer Is Already Generating Surprise Buzz For 2026
West Virginias transfer class is drawing the kind of early internal buzz that usually shows up long before the first snap of 2026, and a lot of it is centered on how quickly a few newcomers can fit into the offense and defense. Wide receiver DJ Epps is already being viewed as a possible difference-maker in the passing game, even if he is not the first name most people bring up when they talk about the Mountaineers receiver room.
The same kind of quiet optimism is attached to linebacker Stolsky, whose experience gives him a chance to make an immediate mark somewhere in the middle of the defense, and to Maliek Hawkins, who looks like a depth piece now but could have a longer runway in the secondary. None of that is set in stone this early, of course, but it does say something about how West Virginia sees the class: not just as roster help, but as a group with a few players who could end up shaping the depth chart sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Linebacker Room Just Took Another Turn Fans Will Notice
West Virginias linebacker room has already started to take shape for the coming season, and the depth chart picture is getting clearer as the Mountaineers sort through who fits where. Trey McGlothlin, a true freshman who arrived after high school, had been part of that mix after originally landing with WVU following a decommitment from Oklahoma State, giving the staff another young body to develop in a room that still has several moving parts.
The bigger conversation now is less about one newcomer and more about how the rest of the group settles in behind the top options. Torbor, Jason Hall Jr., Ashton Woods, Stolsky, Cutter, Patterson and Cam Dwyer all factor into the projection work, with roles still being sorted as the season approaches. For a position group that needs both immediate reliability and long-term depth, every roster change matters, even the ones that only register once fans notice the name is no longer there. [Read more 🡒]
Ross Hodge Just Raised New Concern About Javan Buchanan's Status
West Virginias frontcourt picture got a little murkier this week as senior forward Javan Buchanans eligibility situation moved into a more uncertain phase. Buchanan arrived after two seasons at an NAIA school and then put together a productive year at Boise State, giving the Mountaineers a veteran option who could help immediately while they continue filling out the roster under Ross Hodge.
Hodges latest comments suggest the matter may not stay in the basketball offices for long, which is what makes this one worth watching for West Virginia. Buchanans status now affects more than just one players availability, and the Mountaineers are left waiting to learn whether they can count on him as they sort through the final pieces of the roster. [Read more 🡒]