West Virginia’s secondary got exposed in the second half of Saturday’s season opener against Coastal Carolina, but the Mountaineers are already bringing in more help.
According to On3’s Pete Nakos, former Georgia defensive back JaCorey Thomas has committed to WVU for the 2026 season.
Thomas is a true five-in-five player. He never redshirted at Georgia, whether it was a regular redshirt or a medical one, and was granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, as many players in that situation have been.
His path has one wrinkle that could confuse people: he did take part in rookie minicamp with the Carolina Panthers after going undrafted. That, though, is not the same situation as LSU players who are returning to school after being on NFL contracts.
At LSU, tight end Dae'Quan Wright also went undrafted, but he signed a contract that officially put him on the Cleveland Browns’ roster. He even dressed for preseason games with the Browns, though he did not play.
A rookie minicamp invite is different. It does not come with a contract or any guarantee of one. It is a tryout, both for the team he’s with and for the other 31 clubs that can evaluate his tape.
Thomas also isn’t taking anyone’s spot on West Virginia’s roster. The Mountaineers had a vacancy or two available, so his addition does not force another player out.
On the field, Thomas gives WVU some versatility. In 2025 at Georgia, he played most of his snaps - 352 - at free safety.
He also logged 72 snaps in the box and 50 at slot corner. Two years ago, in a much smaller role, most of his work came in the slot, where he played 80 snaps.
That kind of flexibility gives Alley options. Thomas can line up at either safety spot or potentially at the nickel/sam role. That’s a spot where West Virginia has had very little depth behind Geimere Latimer, with Maliek Hawkins getting just three snaps there and true freshman Miles Khatri one.
When Thomas will actually get to campus and when he’ll be eligible to play remain to be seen. Rich Rodriguez is expected to provide more clarity in the next two days, though with the way he likes to keep things under wraps, the exact timeline may stay murky for a while.
In Other News...
WVUs Defensive Breakthrough Came With One Immediate Concern
West Virginia opened the season with the kind of defensive performance Zac Alley had been chasing, squeezing Coastal Carolina on the ground and sending constant heat at the quarterback. The Mountaineers produced 39 pressures, their most in Alleys 13 games, a notable jump for a defensive line that entered the year with plenty of inexperience and still managed to look disruptive from the start.
The problem for West Virginia is that the breakthrough came with a major health scare attached. Darius Wiley went down with a lower-body injury during the game and had to be carted off the field, leaving the Mountaineers waiting for an update on his condition. For a defense that finally flashed the activity and edge it wanted, the next question is whether it can keep that momentum if Wiley is forced to miss time. [Read more 🡒]
WVUs Schedule Just Got More Interesting After Week One
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Oklahoma State and Cincinnati in particular now sit on opposite ends of the early conversation, which matters for a West Virginia team trying to judge where the real trouble spots might be. The Cowboys opener raised immediate questions about their polish, while Cincinnatis debut suggested a much higher ceiling at quarterback than some may have expected. For the Mountaineers, the bigger picture is still forming, but the first week at least gave a few upcoming matchups a little more edge. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Hawkins Jr. Showed WVU More Than Just Running Ability
Mike Hawkins Jr. arrived in his first game at quarterback and gave West Virginia more than the burst plays that tend to get the most attention. He completed 11 of 14 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown while also carrying the ball 20 times for 103 yards and another score, showing a mix of vision, athleticism and composure that helped steady the offense when it needed it most.
The second half was less smooth for the Mountaineers, but the issues around Hawkins were not really about Hawkins. Penalties, a fumble and some predictable play-calling slowed the offense down, which left the debut with a little more frustration than the opening script suggested. Still, the larger takeaway for WVU was clear: Hawkins did not just flash as a runner, he showed he can handle the full job. [Read more 🡒]