With fall camp one sleep away, West Virginia’s defensive picture is starting to come into focus - even if a few spots still feel like they could shake out in a hurry once the pads go on.
Up front, the projection starts with Zeke Durham-Campbell and Darius Wiley at defensive end, followed by Emerson Joy, Noah Tishendorf, Brandon Caesar and Carter Kessler. At defensive tackle, Corey McIntyre Jr. gets the first nod, with KJ Henson right behind him and Wilnerson Telemaque, Yendor Mack and Gabe Ryan also in the mix. Nose tackle brings Nate Gabriel to the top of the list, then Will LeBlanc, Jaylen Thomas, Taylor Brown and Cam Mallory.
At edge, Harper Holloman leads the group, with Tobi Haastrup, David Afogho and Jeremiah Johnson following. The linebacker spots are where things get murky in a hurry.
Ben Cutter is projected at MIKE, with Tyler Stolsky, Isaiah Patterson, Cam Dwyer and Troy Fischer behind him. At WILL, Malachi Hood is first up, then Cam Torbor, Ashton Woods, Jason Hall Jr. and Antoine Sharp Jr.
Nickel/SAM has Geimere Latimer at the top, followed by Maliek Hawkins, Miles Khatri, Emory Snyder and Jayden Ballard.
The secondary has its own set of moving parts. Chams Diagne and Nick Taylor are projected as the top corners, with ChaMarryus Bomar, Rayshawn Reynolds Jr., Vincent Smith, Simaj Hill, Da'Mun Allen, Jaire Rawlison, Makhi Boone and Jayden Bell all in the mix behind them. At safety, Kamari Wilson and Andrew Powdrell are the projected starters at free and boundary safety, with Matt Sieg, Jacob Bradford, Tim Roberson, Shane Cornali, Kameron Reddic, Da'Mare Williams, Rickey Giles and Alex Adebayo filling out the group.
There’s real confidence that Henson will log plenty of meaningful snaps, but McIntyre is the name getting the strongest buzz after his offseason work. The belief here is that he’s in position to win the starting job and finally turn the corner this year.
Behind Holloman at edge, the battle looks wide open. The expectation is that all three backup options could see the field, and that competition is likely to stretch into the season.
Jeremiah Johnson, the JUCO transfer, is part of that fight too. Haastrup also stands out as a player whose potential could translate into a situational role this fall.
Linebacker may be the hardest group to pin down. Ben Cutter could be paired with Tyler Stolsky, or with Malachi Hood, or with Cam Torbor.
Another possibility is Stolsky alongside Hood or Torbor. Torbor looks well positioned as the backup WILL, and there’s even a sense he has a real chance to take the job from Hood.
Cornerback is just as unsettled. There are a lot of possible combinations there, and some of those players may wind up starting games at some point. For now, the projection leans toward the two corners who saw snaps last year and already have a year in this system as the backups to Diagne and Taylor.
In Other News...
West Virginia Fans Have Plenty To Debate In EAs Madden Ratings
West Virginia fans got a fresh offseason talking point this week with the release of EA Sports Madden ratings for nine former Mountaineers currently in the game. The list gives the fan base plenty to sort through, from which alumni earned the highest marks to which current NFL team each player now represents, and it naturally invites the same kind of side-by-side debate that follows any ratings reveal tied to a college pipeline as deep as West Virginias.
The bigger wrinkle is that the roster may not be finished yet. A few former Mountaineers are still absent, including Rasul Douglas, who signed with the Washington Commanders after the games roster likely had already been set, and there is still a chance some late additions could surface before the end of August. For a fan base that tracks its pros closely, that leaves the conversation open a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginias Forward Outlook Now Hinges On A Fight Still Unsettled
West Virginias roster planning has picked up an extra layer of uncertainty as Brenen Lorient and Javan Buchanan look to extend their college careers. Their eligibility status matters well beyond the paperwork, because the Mountaineers are trying to map out a future under Ross Hodge while holding enough flexibility to manage what comes next in the frontcourt and beyond.
A U.S. District Judge recently granted a preliminary injunction that gave members of the 2022 class a path to a fifth year, and Hodge has said he is cautiously optimistic given how similar cases have been trending. Still, the situation is far from settled, and the appeal now hanging over the ruling leaves West Virginia waiting on a decision that could shape how much experience the roster keeps for another season. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Just Made A Money Move Fans Will Definitely Notice
West Virginias athletic department has added a new corporate backer in a move that will be impossible to miss on game day. Antero Resources and WVU have agreed to a five-year partnership that puts the companys name and logo on a sponsor patch for every Mountaineer team, with the patch placed on the left shoulder panel and designed to meet Nikes specifications.
The deal goes beyond a simple uniform add-on. Antero Resources also will be involved with WVU players in branding and marketing efforts, giving the partnership a broader reach across the department. For a program that is always looking for ways to strengthen its financial footing and presentation, it is another visible sign of how college athletics keeps evolving. [Read more 🡒]