Landon Drumm has wasted little time making his presence felt in West Virginia’s wide receiver room.
When senior receiver Jaden Bray spoke with reporters Friday afternoon, he was asked generally about the group, and the first name he brought up was Drumm - a true freshman who arrived in the summer from Alaska and, according to Bray, has already looked like he belongs.
“I’ll start off with Landon Drumm. He’s a young guy, but you couldn’t even tell.
It’s like he’s been here a year. He got here in the summer, and he came here from Alaska, so he did a lot of traveling to come out here, and it seems like he came out here ready to work.
Just seeing the strides that he has taken has been pretty great, especially because of how young he is. Every day he is coming in to work.
And since the first day- I know it’s the third day, but he’s always putting something on film every day, and it’s catching my attention, and I’m pretty sure it’s catching the coach’s attention.”
That doesn’t mean Drumm is suddenly near the top of the depth chart. He’s not. But it does say plenty about where he stands right now: a freshman who is forcing people to notice him and pushing for a role in the back end of the rotation.
The 6-foot-3, 187-pound receiver is most likely headed for work at the ‘X’ spot, and Prince Strachan’s banged-up status has created more opportunity for others to get reps. Bray also pointed to Strachan, John Neider and DJ Epps as important pieces in the room.
Drumm’s path to Morgantown has been an interesting one. The Anchorage, Alaska native played his senior season at Arapahoe High School in Colorado, where he caught 56 passes for 1,013 yards and nine touchdowns. Even with that production, he came in as an overlooked recruit, with offers from Cal Poly, Montana State, Northern Colorado and San Diego before choosing West Virginia.
That sort of profile fits the way he was viewed going back to signing day, when he was tagged as a “hidden gem” and described as a slightly taller version of former WVU wide receiver Marcus Simms. He may not be in the two-deep this fall, but the early signs suggest it may not take long for him to get there.
In Other News...
Andre Devine Is Forcing West Virginia To Find Him A Role
Andre Devine has been one of the more intriguing practice notes around West Virginia this fall, with Rich Rodriguez saying the running back has shown flashes even as the staff continues to sort out where he fits. Devine has added some weight since last year, but he is still a smaller back and remains behind other runners on the depth chart, which makes the road to meaningful carries a crowded one.
For now, the most realistic path to the field may come away from the backfield entirely. West Virginia can use another explosive option on special teams, and Devines return ability gives him a chance to carve out value while the offense keeps evaluating the bigger picture at running back. [Read more 🡒]
Two WVU Freshmen Are Turning Heads But One Name Stands Out
ESPNs Billy Tucker put a spotlight on two West Virginia true freshmen in a recent ranking, and it is easy to see why Kevin Brown and Matt Sieg are already drawing attention in Morgantown. Brown has been working mostly at left tackle, where he has looked like the kind of newcomer who can force his way onto the field early, while Sieg gives the Mountaineers a different kind of versatility as a safety who could also help on offense.
For a program trying to build depth without waiting around for it, having two freshmen land among the Big 12s top 10 is the kind of early validation coaches and fans notice. The list also opened the door to a broader conversation about the class, including another newcomer, Latimer, who has generated enough buzz that his absence from the top 10 felt like part of the story in its own right. [Read more 🡒]
WVUs New Recruiting Pipeline Has Mountaineers Fans Dreaming Big
West Virginias latest recruiting haul has given the program something it has been chasing for years: a class with real national weight and a built-in chemistry component. The headliner is Miles Sadler, the top-ranked player in the group, and he is joined by two teammates from Bella Vista Prep, the program that just won the Chipotle High School Basketball National Championship. For a fan base eager to see the Mountaineers climb back into the Big 12 conversation, it is the kind of class that makes future projections feel a lot less abstract.
Ross Hodge has already pointed to the 2026-27 season as the point when this roster should start to look more like the one he wants, with the freshmen and incoming transfers adding speed and physicality. There is also a clear sense that West Virginia is not just collecting talent, but building it through a recruiting approach and development plan shaped by Hodge and assistant Yusut Ali. The promise is obvious enough to get people talking now, even if the real answer to how high this group can rise is still a year away. [Read more 🡒]