West Virginia’s transfer portal haul included a name that jumped out right away: Western Kentucky edge rusher Harper Holloman. He ranked fifth in the Mountaineers’ initial portal player rankings, trailing only RB Cam Cook, OL Wes King, OL Amare Grayson, and S Kamari Wilson.
And through spring ball, Holloman backed that up. He emerged as West Virginia’s most steady pass-rushing presence, even if the raw production from his time at WKU doesn’t look like the kind of line that usually screams “difference-maker.”
That’s where the tape matters.
On a recent episode of the In The Gun Podcast, Jed Drenning walked through Holloman’s numbers - 48 pressures, 40 hurries, 39 tackles, seven QB hits, 5.5. TFLs, two sacks - and explained why they don’t capture the whole picture.
“What that tells me is that when opposing quarterbacks are watching tape, they are very aware of him. He’s impacting the play without hitting the quarterback, without sacking the quarterback.
When you have 40 quarterback hurries, that means the other team’s quarterback, the other team’s tackle, and the other team’s o-line know going in they are on high alert. Watch out for this dude; be ready to get the football out fast because we can try and control him, but we’re not going to contain him for the balance of 60 minutes.
When you have a hurry to pressure ratio that high, that’s what that tells me. He’s not a hidden secret.
Opponents are highly aware of him. He shows up on tape, makes an impact, and gets your attention for all the right reasons.
And the other number that sticks out, and it speaks to what you see when you watch him on tape… that first burst…he’s a handful for tackles who aren’t quite agile enough from the waist down. He’s a handful.
He’ll get over that hump in a hurry. But he had a win rate of 17.2%, which was 16th in the entire country.
So as edge rushers go, he’s doing his job, and he’s getting the other team’s attention. So don’t get too caught up in the headline-grabbing stats - sacks or even TFLs - he’s impacting plays without sacking the quarterback, and sometimes he’s impacting plays without even hitting the quarterback.”
That’s the case for Holloman in a nutshell: the disruption is real, even when it doesn’t always show up in the sack column.
The numbers suggest he would have been a major force for West Virginia in 2025. His 48 pressures would have easily led the Mountaineers by a wide margin, more than doubling the team leaders, Reid Carrico and Devin Grant, who each had 24.
With more talent around him now, Holloman shouldn’t be carrying the full load on his own. Opponents will still have to account for him, but that added help should create more chances for him to finish plays in the backfield and put the quarterback on the ground this fall.
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Malik Agbo gives the Mountaineers a veteran option at the same spot, which adds an interesting layer to the picture as Brown keeps pushing forward. For a program that wants stability on the line, Browns rise gives West Virginia a potentially important long-term answer, but it also leaves a familiar spring and summer question hanging over the group as camp approaches. [Read more 🡒]