Evaluating West Virginia's Five Biggest Transfer Portal Needs

Highlighting the areas West Virginia must address in the transfer portal this offseason.

Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

With the bowl game now in the books, things are going to move very quickly in terms of the transformation of West Virginia's roster. Several players will announce their intentions to enter the transfer portal while Rich Rodriguez and his staff browse the portal for help.

An argument can be made that West Virginia needs to upgrade at virtually every position, but some are more pressing than others.

Quarterback

If you've read my stuff or listened to Between The Eers, you probably knew this was going to be on here. I don't doubt Nicco Marchiol whatsoever, so let's get that out of the way. He may not be a perfect fit for Rodriguez's offense, but he can certainly operate it and win games. That being said, you can't just go into 2025 with Marchiol, Khalil Wilkins, and Scotty Fox. There needs to be some level of competition for the starting job. There are plenty of options out there in the portal; it's just a matter of what kind of splash they want to make. Do they go get a big-time name? Probably not. But grabbing someone with starting experience isn't necessarily out of the mix.

Receiving Tight End

The Mountaineers will miss Kole Taylor's production in the passing game in a big way. Treylan Davis and Jack Sammarco are as good as it gets from a blocking standpoint. Finding a receiving threat out of the portal would be a nice way to compliment those two, plus it gives you a more complete room. Someone with one year of eligibility remaining will do just fine, giving Sammarco another year to improve his pass-catching abilities.

Elite pass rusher

T.J. Jackson is on his way to the next level, so West Virginia has to find a way to replace 6.5 sacks. This doesn't have to be an edge presence either, although it's probably preferred. West Virginia is also losing Fatorma Mulbah, Sean Martin, and potentially Edward Vesterinen. Simply put, they need bodies along the defensive line. After leading the Big 12 in sacks in 2023, the Mountaineers finished 11th in that category this season.

Speed at linebacker

Josiah Trotter and Trey Lathan are both extremely talented linebackers, but they do have deficiencies, particularly in pass coverage. Trotter is out the door, so you already need one replacement, and you could argue that Lathan may be better suited to be a stand-up rusher off the edge. Regardless of what defensive configuration the Mountaineers choose to go with, they have to get faster in the second level. So many offenses in the Big 12 like to go east and west and uptempo. You need to have true athletes at linebacker and ones that are well-conditioned. Expect at least two new faces here.

Overhaul of secondary

Do I really need to offer much analysis here? Even the most casual football fan could tell this is the biggest area of concern for West Virginia entering 2025. I will, however, echo what I said about the linebackers...they need more speed in the back end. Way too often, guys were getting blown by, and not just on shots down the field; it was the underneath stuff, too. More physicality out of the cornerback position would be ideal as well. This year's bunch really struggled to disengage from blocks on the perimeter, which sprung several big plays.

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

Who Are the Top Five Offensive Players Rich Rodriguez Must Retain?

Rich Rodriguez's Offseason Checklist for a Successful Year One at WVU

West Virginia QB Ryder Burton to Enter Transfer Portal

What Chad Scott Said Following the Loss to No. 25 Memphis