Cornerback Jacolby Spells to Return to West Virginia for Final Year

The veteran cornerback is staying in Morgantown.

West Virginia University defensive back Jacolby Spells. / Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

Very few players will be returning on the defensive side of the ball for the West Virginia Mountaineers in 2025, particularly in the secondary.

Spells suffered an upper-body injury last spring and missed some valuable practice time then and at the start of fall camp. He appeared in four games, making four tackles and two breakups.

Due to the lack of depth in the cornerback in 2022, Spells was forced into a role he probably wasn't quite ready for when Charles Woods was lost for the season with an injury. Spells did record a pick-six on the road in the win over Virginia Tech but struggled to hold up in pass coverage on a weekly basis. Since his freshman campaign, Spells has primarily been used on special teams and as a depth piece at corner.

A new defensive coaching staff and scheme give him a chance at a fresh start, and perhaps one that will allow him to play up to his recruiting ranking coming out of high school.

He will have one year of eligibility remaining.

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