West Virginia’s defensive line is headed into fall camp with a very different look, and that may not be a bad thing for Zac Alley’s group. No starters are back from the 2025 team, but there are enough familiar names, a few promising holdovers, and a couple of transfer additions to make this one of the more interesting rooms on the roster.
The headliner is Coastal Carolina transfer Zeke Durham-Campbell. Alley has to feel especially good about landing him.
Durham-Campbell earned All-Sun Belt Third Team honors in 2025 and could have been placed even higher. He was a steady presence in the pass rush, averaging 3.1 pressures per game.
His 37 pressures broke down into 20 hurries, 12 QB hits, and 5.5 sacks.
He also enters this season with a real chance to become a full-time starter for the first time. Last fall, he was mostly a rotational piece and logged 175 defensive snaps.
The next step for him is clear: hold up better against the run. In 13 career games, he has 11 tackles, one tackle for loss, and 0.5 sacks.
Another player generating real buzz is Nate Gabriel. This looks like the year he could turn into a major part of the defense.
Rich Rodriguez, Zac Alley, and others on staff have been talking him up this offseason, and that carries weight because this group does not hand out praise lightly. Gabriel was one of West Virginia’s most dependable run defenders on the line a year ago, and with his size, the staff wants even more from him.
The missing piece is a pass rush. He did not record a pressure in 2025.
Darius Wiley brings a very different profile. At 6-foot-6 and nearly 6'7", he stands out immediately as one of the tallest defensive linemen West Virginia has had in recent memory.
He is still early in the adjustment to Division I football, so the early version of Wiley will lean on length, athleticism, and speed. The long-term goal is to keep adding strength and another 15 pounds or so.
At Hutch CC last season, he produced 57 tackles, 20 TFLs, and nine sacks, and he was named the All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman. For now, he looks like a situational player with much more upside ahead.
Corey McIntyre Jr. is another name to watch in the mix for starting snaps. If he keeps learning the scheme at a strong pace, he has a real chance to push for the job.
That might not happen right away, but it would not be surprising if he and KJ Henson end up splitting snaps pretty evenly by the time conference play arrives. Henson, who played with Wiley at Hutch CC, posted 45 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, and 5.5 sacks.
Like Wiley, his quickness is a big part of what could make him effective.
At nose, Will LeBlanc appears to be the main backup to Gabriel heading into camp. That could shift over the next month, but the staff seems to believe he can help this fall. LeBlanc came from UT Permian Basin and, as a freshman there, finished with 32 tackles, five tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.
Jaylen Thomas is another intriguing piece in the room. He is the biggest lineman West Virginia has, though his production at Northwest Mississippi CC was just okay.
Even so, there is confidence that his best football is still coming. Because the overall defensive line group is on the smaller side, Thomas should find his way onto the field.
He has the ability to clog lanes, occupy blockers, and create chances for others, which makes him a realistic option for meaningful snaps.
There are also a few depth pieces who have been working to climb into the picture. Emerson Joy, Noah Tishendorf, Brandon Caesar, Carter Kessler, Yendor Mack, Gabe Ryan, and Cam Mallory all sit in that mix, and several of them have made progress in the weight room since arriving at West Virginia. The staff has not said much publicly about most of them since last season ended, but one or two could still force their way into the two-deep.
Of that group, Yendor Mack is the freshman worth tracking most closely this year. He added good weight after his senior season and has the strength to hold up as an 18-year-old.
It may take some time, but he has a real shot to help later in the season. Fellow freshmen Cam Mallory and Noah Tishendorf are also expected to have roles after a year of development.
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
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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 🡒]