Breakdown of What WVU Has Lost & Gained Through the Transfer Portal

Accessing the talent coming into the program versus the talent that left.

The NCAA transfer portal has officially become the free agency of college athletics. Each year, more and more names enter the portal, some of which end up returning to the school they intended on transferring from. 

With the NCAA now allowing immediate eligibility, it gives the athletes more of a reason to leave their current program if they had been contemplating it. Before, you were forced to sit out for a year at your new school which kept a lot of kids from transferring because they wanted to play. Since coaches can change schools at the drop of a hat and not have to sit out, why should players be forced to?

There are several reasons for a player to transfer and Myron Medcalf of ESPN said it as good as anyone could. "Stop assuming every transfer is a bad kid who can't handle tough coaching. No, some of these dudes just need to leave and start fresh."

Every fan base gets upset when a player decides to transfer from their beloved program and understandably so. But sometimes fans take it too far. The fact is, very few are going to actually say why they transferred. It could be because of projected playing time, change in coaching staff, change in scheme, grades, moving closer to home, or as Medcalf stated, just needing a fresh start.

In years past, if a program had as many as six or seven kids transfer out of the program, one would begin to think that something is going on with the coaching staff and that there isn't a high level of buy-in from the players. Now, six or seven players from a school hitting the portal is just the norm. 

In the portal (3)

TE Charles Finley

Played in eight games in his first two years with the Mountaineers and only hauled in one reception. With the number of tight ends in the room and lack of production, Finley wasn't a big loss.

DL Tavis Lee

The in-state product saw very limited action during his time at WVU and been buried on the depth chart on defense. Played some on special teams.

LB James Thomas

Played in just four games at WVU, mainly on special teams. 

Transferred to a new school (20)

QB Jarret Doege ----> Western Kentucky

Doege had his moments, but inability to escape pressure and poor decision-making led to subpar quarterback play overall. I think it's safe to say WVU got an upgrade at this position with JT Daniels.

RB A'Varius Sparrow ----> Middle Tennessee

Sparrow was expected to be in the mix in 2021 behind Leddie Brown but was passed up by Tony Mathis and true freshman Justin Johnson Jr.

WR Isaiah Esdale ----> Rice

After four seasons with the Mountaineers, Esdale totaled 56 receptions for 648 yards and two touchdowns. Esdale was a reliable target and will be missed by WVU but it is replaceable production.

WR Sean Ryan ----> Rutgers

Ryan recorded 69 receptions for 882 yards and three touchdowns over three years at WVU. He was more of a depth receiver than anything. 

WR Winston Wright Jr. ----> Florida State

Wright transferring out was a bit of a shock to some. Key playmaker with the ball in his hands, but wasn't quite utilized right and had some consistency issues. Nonetheless, was a solid player for the Mountaineers. Had 60 receptions for 672 yards and five touchdowns this past season.

WR Sam Brown ----> Houston

Brown showed some flashes at the tail end of his freshman season, but really fell off the map in 2021, playing in only one game against Long Island.

TE TJ Banks ----> Akron

Banks wasn't utilized all that much and was mainly needed for depth purposes. 

OL John Hughes ----> Rice

Hughes had some starting experience but saw less and less playing time throughout his career at WVU.

OL Parker Moorer ----.> East Carolina

Moorer lost the starting right tackle battle to true freshman Wyatt Milum and after that, didn't see the field much.

DL Akheem Mesidor ----> Miami

Big loss here for the Mountaineers and without a doubt the biggest one they've had in the transfer portal era. All-Big 12 caliber player with an NFL future. His loss will certainly be noticeable.

DL Darel Middleton ----> Alabama A&M

Middleton transferred in from Tennessee and only appeared in three games making two tackles before entering the portal again. 

DE Eddie Watkins ----> Alabama A&M 

Neal Brown had some good things to say about Eddie Watkins when he first arrived on campus, but it never materialized for him. 

LB Josh Chandler-Semedo ----> Colorado

Weird situation with Chandler-Semedo. Chose to come back to WVU using his COVID year and then later on decided to enter the portal. Was a rock solid starter for the WVU defense the past three years, but it felt like the Mountaineers were ready to move on to get more speed and athleticism at linebacker, i.e. Lee Kpogba.

LB Devell Washington ----> Northern Iowa

Washington came to WVU as a wide receiver and then voluntarily flipped over to linebacker due to the low numbers at the position. He didn't see the field in 2021 and will now be going back to receiver at UNI.

LB VanDarius Cowan ----> Maryland

Cowan, a former Alabama transfer, never lived up to the hype during his time at WVU. He battled numerous injuries and when he was on the field, he would really only play well in spurts. 

CB Nicktroy Fortune ----> UTSA

Before injury in 2021, Fortune pieced together a strong sophomore season showing the he could be one of the better corners in the Big 12. It was a little surprising to see him transfer down to a G5 school.

CB Daryl Porter Jr. ----> Miami

Porter played well this past season in his first year as a starter. He showed real promise at the position as someone who could develop into a multi-year impact player for the Mountaineers. Definitely a loss that will be felt in what is going to be an extremely young cornerbacks group. 

CB Jackie Matthews ----> Mississippi State

Like Porter, Matthews kicked it up a notch this past season and gave WVU depth in the secondary. His transfer is to likely see an increased role and to have the opportunity to play in the SEC. 

S Kerry Martin ----> Akron

The Charleston, WV native had a strong start to his career making plays as a true freshman. He sat out the 2020 season due to the pandemic and was never able to get himself back in the mix in 2021.

LS JP Hadley ----> North Texas

Hadley lost the long snapping job to Austin Brinkman in 2021. 

Transferred to WVU (11)

QB JT Daniels (Georgia)

Huge get for WVU. They needed a boost a quarterback and JT Daniels provides that and some. The biggest question is his health. He's dealt with injuries all throughout his career. If he stays on the field, this will be a massive addition to the roster.

RB Lyn-J Dixon (Clemson)

Dixon was expected to become RB1 at Clemson in 2021, but things didn't go as planned. Now, he'll come to Morgantown and offer a veteran presence in what is a young running back room. He'll likely split carries or be RB2 behind Tony Mathis. 

TE Brian Polendey (Colorado State)

Not much of a receiving threat, but Polendey sure knows how to block and that's what Neal Brown wants more of in his tight ends. Tough, physical kid that will fit in well at WVU.

DL Michael Lockhart (Georgia Tech)

Lockhart was in line to start at Georgia Tech this upcoming season after seeing a fairly limited role in 2021. No, he won't make up for the loss of Akheem Mesidor but he could be an addition that really pays off down the road. 

DL Zeiqui Lawton (Cincinnati)

The South Charleston product chose Cincinnati over WVU coming out of high school but redshirted and then opted to head to Morgantown. Neal Brown was very impressed with his IQ and how far he's come along since joining the team. Won't be a starter in 2022, but should certainly be in the rotation up front. 

LB Tirek Austin-Cave (Miami)

Austin-Cave was heavily interested in WVU coming out of high school before ultimately choosing Miami. He was unable to establish much of a role through two years in Coral Gables and is hoping to get a bigger opportunity in Morgantown. 

LB Jasir Cox (North Dakota State)

The 6'1", 209-pound linebacker was an All-Missouri Valley Football Conference performer in 2021 registering 58 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions, and two pass breakups in 14 games played.

CB Wesley McCormick (James Madison)

McCormick played in just one game this past season in order to retain his redshirt and will have one year of eligibility remaining. In 2020, McCormick pieced together his best season totaling 20 tackles, three interceptions, and five pass breakups in a COVID-shortened seven-game season. In five years at JMU, McCormick appeared in 49 games and made 22 starts. 

CB Rashad Ajayi (Colorado State)

An experienced corner that played in 37 games during his time at Colorado State. He registered 77 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for a loss and a sack to go with 17 pass deflections and an interception. Ajayi will be in position to battle for a starting job.

S Marcis Floyd (Murray State)

Floyd came to WVU as a cornerback but after moving him around in the spring, the coaching staff feels like he's best suited to line up at safety. He was one guy they were pleased with throughout spring ball and should find his way in the starting lineup. 

K Parker Grothaus (Florida State)

The former walk-on averaged 60.6 yards on 63 kickoffs with 29 touchbacks last season. He will compete for placekicking duties as well. 

RECAP

Yes, the number of players going out doubles the amount of those coming into the program, but when you look at it from a 50,000-foot view, it sort of balances out. Of the 20 that have found new schools, 13 of them have transferred down to a Group of Five (10) or FCS school (3). Five of the eleven who transferred to WVU are from Power Five programs. Many of the players that left WVU were either buried on the depth chart or had a COVID year they could take advantage of. In my opinion, the only key losses were Akheem Mesidor, Daryl Porter Jr., and Winston Wright. Seven of the eleven newcomers have starting experience at the college level. If we're basing it strictly off of talent, I would say WVU came out close to even in terms of gains and losses. The biggest thing with losing 20+ guys is it hurts your depth at certain spots. But also keep in mind, the above list does not include JUCO transfers who will 100% have a role on either side of the ball such as WR Jeremiah Aaron, WR Cortez Braham Jr., LB Lee Kpogba, CB Jaylon Shelton, and so on. 

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