West Virginia’s receiver class took a hit Thursday when Jacobi Pasley, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound playmaker from Bradwell Institute in Hinesville, Ga., flipped his commitment to Vanderbilt.
Pasley had been pledged to the Mountaineers since May 1, when he chose West Virginia over Cincinnati, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Pitt, Tulane, Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky. Since then, his offer sheet has expanded, with Florida, Georgia, Pitt and Vanderbilt all joining the mix.
The move wasn’t exactly out of nowhere. Pasley had seemed headed this direction for a while, especially after SEC schools started showing serious interest.
On the field, he’s put together a big season. Pasley has 40 catches for 1,003 yards and 12 touchdowns, and he’s averaging 25.1 yards per reception. He’s also shown up as a threat in space, with an 85-yard punt return and seven carries for 32 yards.
Even with Pasley out of the class, West Virginia still has a solid group of receivers committed. The Mountaineers currently hold pledges from Brock Burrus, Carter Davis, Chase Guers and Roscoe Hayes.
There’s still a chance West Virginia adds another receiver before signing day, but it doesn’t sound like a must-have move. The staff would prefer to keep its top returning wideouts - Prince Strachan, John Neider, Cyrus Traugh, Keon Hutchins and TaRon Francis - along with some younger players who have spent this season developing. With those pieces, plus the four committed receivers and the expectation of help from the transfer portal, adding another high school wideout just to get to five in the class doesn’t appear necessary.
In Other News...
West Virginia Faces A Sneaky Test As Unbeaten Start Continues
West Virginia has opened the season 2-0 and now gets another chance to keep building momentum when Mercer comes to town. The Mountaineers have already shown they can get contributions from multiple players, and that balance has helped them settle in quickly after a recent win over Stetson. With a three-game streak on the line, this one has the feel of a useful early-season checkpoint rather than a routine nonconference date.
Mercer arrives at 2-2, but that record does not make this an easy night for West Virginia. The Bears are coming off an overtime win against Georgia Southern and have several players averaging double figures, which means the Mountaineers will need to stay sharp from the opening tip. For a team trying to keep its unbeaten start intact, this is the kind of matchup that can expose whether the early success is built to last. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Has One Lineup Call That Still Matters Vs Kansas
West Virginias weekly availability report brought a little clarity ahead of Kansas, with the Mountaineers set to be without tight end Cam Ball and offensive lineman Lamarcus Dillard. On the plus side, quarterback Jyron Hughley and safety Jacob Bradford are expected to be available, which gives the staff a few more options as it sorts through the final pieces of the game plan.
The Jayhawks have their own absences to manage, including offensive lineman Connor Stroh and quarterback Cole Ballard, with Amir Herring and Chase Jenkins listed as possible replacements. For West Virginia, the bigger question now is how those availability updates shape the matchup on both sides of the ball, especially with one lineup decision still carrying real weight heading into kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Bachmeiers Holy War Slide Just Raised A Bigger BYU Question
Week 10 kept the Big 12 quarterback picture moving in a hurry, with Noah Fifita rescuing Arizona late and Thomas Castellanos turning in one of the weekends sharper performances for Texas Tech. The leagues weekly pecking order is getting harder to sort as the calendar flips toward Week 11, especially with several notable matchup spots ahead that could reshape how the conferences passers are viewed.
For West Virginia fans, the bigger takeaway is how quickly the quarterback conversation can change from one Saturday to the next. With Michael Hawkins Jr., Isaiah Marshall and Devon Dampier among the names set to factor into the next round of games, the race for the top eight is still fluid, and the Mountaineers will be watching closely to see which arms keep climbing and which ones slip after a rough weekend. [Read more 🡒]