West Virginia got a welcome update on the injury front heading into Saturday’s penultimate home game of the 2026 season against Kansas, while the Jayhawks took a hit up front.
Freshman safety Matt Sieg is no longer on the report after initially being listed as probable, which points to him being cleared to play. On the other side, Kansas will be without starting left guard Connor Stroh, who was first tagged as doubtful before being ruled out.
For West Virginia, the report also listed RB Andre Devine, TE Cam Ball, OL Amare Grayson, OL Lamarcus Dillard, DL Darius Wiley and N/S Emory Snyder. The Mountaineers are already preparing to shuffle the offensive line, with Josh Aisosa stepping in for Amare “Bubba” Grayson.
Aisosa’s numbers in pass protection offer a mixed picture. In 61 pass pro plays this season, he has allowed two pressures, one QB hurry and a sack.
His pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus sits at 42.0, but he has been sturdier in the run game, where he’s graded at 71.4. With Mike Hawkins Jr. in the gun, West Virginia can lean on his ability to escape when things break down and help cover for any issues up front.
Kansas, meanwhile, loses one of its most reliable linemen in Stroh. The 6-foot-7, 350-pound guard has been one of the Jayhawks’ best and most consistent blockers all season, especially in the run game. His absence comes with Kansas already dealing with major problems in pass protection, having surrendered 101 pressures on the year and sitting 130th in pass-blocking grade on PFF.
The most likely replacement is junior Amir Herring, a 6-foot-3, 310-pound lineman who has logged 292 offensive snaps this season, including 200 at left guard. Herring has held up reasonably well in pass protection, allowing just two pressures and no sacks on 149 pass plays, though he has been less steady in the ground game, which is where Kansas does its best work.
In Other News...
Mike Hawkins Jr. Is Rewriting WVU Expectations At The Worst Time
Mike Hawkins Jr. has spent this season giving West Virginia a different kind of quarterback conversation, one built on production both through the air and on the ground. He is on the doorstep of becoming the first WVU quarterback to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season, and he recently added another line to the record book by breaking the programs single-season rushing touchdown mark.
For a program trying to build around him, the timing makes the whole situation feel even more delicate. West Virginia is working to re-sign Hawkins, but no deal is imminent, even as former Mountaineers continue to praise what he has done and what he could still become. The longer this stretches out, the more his breakout season starts to look like both a breakthrough and a decision point for the program. [Read more 🡒]
Jaden Bray Just Earned A Rare WVU Honor Off The Field
West Virginia University used halftime of the WVU-Kansas game to spotlight Jaden Bray for work that has nothing to do with catches or yards. The graduate student and wide receiver was named a Mountaineer of Distinction, an honor that recognizes academic achievement and service to the university, and he became the first WVU football student-athlete to receive it.
Brays recognition fits a broader profile that has made him stand out around the program. Along with his community service, he has collected multiple academic and leadership awards, giving WVU another example of a player whose impact extends well beyond the field. The timing of the honor, in front of a home crowd, only underscored how rare the distinction is for a football player in Morgantown. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Fans Saw One Offensive Problem Get Exposed Against Kansas
Kansas controlled the first half at Milan Puskar Stadium, and the biggest concern for West Virginia was easy to spot. The Mountaineers defense had a few moments, including an interception from freshman ChaMarryus Bomar, but the offense never found a rhythm and kept putting the unit back in tough spots as the Jayhawks kept stacking touchdowns.
For West Virginia, the problem was less about one bad series than a sustained inability to stay on the field and answer Kansas surge. The Mountaineers managed only one touchdown before halftime, and by the break the game had already tilted hard enough to leave the home crowd watching a lopsided scoreboard and wondering where the offense goes from here. [Read more 🡒]