West Virginia came through this offseason without a major hit from the transfer portal, at least in terms of sheer volume. A lot of the players who moved on were already on the outside looking in, either because they were told there wasn’t a spot for them or because the path to real playing time was basically closed.
Still, there were a few departures that could sting in 2026.
One of them was Russell, whose injuries limited him at times but whose size would have been a real asset for a West Virginia defensive line that is running very light. The Mountaineers’ d-line checks in at an average weight of 277.3, which is not where you want to be in a Power Four league.
Russell’s 312-pound frame would have brought needed bulk, and his experience would have mattered too. He never posted eye-popping numbers, but he had plenty of snaps under his belt and held up well against the run.
Without him, West Virginia will need Nate Gabriel to keep progressing, while also leaning on Division II transfer Will LeBlanc, JUCO addition Jaylen Thomas, and redshirt freshman Taylor Brown, who did not appear in a game last season.
At linebacker, Jones was another transfer who could have filled a role. Injuries piled up at running back last season, and he was eventually moved to offense to handle some short-yardage work.
That shift cut into his defensive snaps and his production dipped. If he had been able to spend the offseason focused on becoming a more complete pass rusher, he might have developed into someone who could start or at least play a heavy workload.
West Virginia did address that spot in the portal with Harper Holloman from Western Kentucky, Tobi Haastrup from Oregon, and JUCO transfer Jeremiah Johnson. Even so, Jones would have fit nicely as the No. 2 option behind Holloman.
The biggest loss, though, was Bogle. He was one of West Virginia’s best defenders a year ago, especially against the run.
Working in a backup role at MIKE, he finished with 37 tackles, five tackles for loss, and three sacks, and he missed just one tackle all season. His final four games were especially strong, and he looked like a major piece for the 2026 defense.
That makes linebacker a real concern heading into the fall. Bogle would have likely been the starter over Tyler Stolsky, who transferred in from Florida Atlantic. Behind that group, UNLV transfer Isaiah Patterson, Ashton Woods, and freshman Cam Dwyer will be in the mix for playing time.
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Brenen Lorient Could Change Everything For WVU Next Season
West Virginia has one roster spot left to work with for the 2026-27 mens basketball season, and Brenen Lorient remains one of the most intriguing names tied to it. He has not signed a professional contract, and the NCAAs new age-based eligibility model has opened the door for some players to pick up an extra year, giving the Mountaineers a possible path to keep a familiar piece in the fold.
A recent Ohio judges injunction also created another avenue for 15 players to play again, though it is still unclear whether Lorient will pursue that route. If he does, West Virginias outlook changes quickly, because his return would add real depth across multiple positions and give the staff more flexibility on the wing and in the frontcourt heading into next season. [Read more 🡒]
Why SEC And Big Ten Power Could Put The Big 12 At Risk
The latest round of conference realignment chatter is back on the table after SEC commissioner Greg Sankey again raised the possibility of the league operating on its own, a notion that has lingered around the sport for months. Georgias president has also pushed the idea in public comments, and the conversation keeps resurfacing as college football heads toward a stretch where key media rights deals will expire and the financial pressure points around the Power 4 only get sharper.
For West Virginia and the rest of the Big 12, the concern is less about one commissioners rhetoric than about where all of this leads if the biggest leagues keep testing the boundaries of the current setup. The Big Ten is expected to weigh in during its media days in Chicago, with Tony Petitti likely to address the same questions, and the broader backdrop now includes the possibility of a split FBS landscape or even something closer to a Super League if the sport keeps drifting in that direction. [Read more 🡒]