Hits & Misses: Revisiting WVU's 2021 Transfer Portal Class

Evaluating how the Mountaineers fared in the portal in year three under Neal Brown.

Nov 19, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers offensive lineman Doug Nester (72) is honored during Senior Day before the game against the Kansas State Wildcats at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports / Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

The transfer portal has become a big piece of roster construction over the last six years or so, dating back to the first season for Neal Brown as the head coach at West Virginia. Over the next few weeks, we'll take a look at each transfer portal class Brown and his staff have brought in and evaluate the hit rate of each group.

What makes a player a hit? Either performed at a high level, was a key part of the team's overall success, or met expectations of their specific role.

What makes a player a miss? Failed to live up to expectations or played a minimal role in the team's overall success.

OL Doug Nester - Hit

From day one Nester was rock solid, be it at guard or tackle. Although much of the recognition for West Virginia's offensive line went to Zach Frazier, and rightfully so, Nester played just as big of a part. He was the vocal leader, the guy everyone turned to for tips, advice, and even a little motivation. He should hang around in the NFL for quite a while, especially with his versatility.

DL Darel Middleton - Miss

Middleton was one massive dude, but just couldn't find a role and part of that was due to taking a little longer for him to get into playing shape since he arrived pretty late in the offseason. He appeared in just three games for the Mountaineers registering three tackles and one sack which came against Long Island.

LB Lance Dixon - Miss

Dixon is a bit of a tweener here. You could argue that he was a hit and I wouldn't argue all that much. He did carve out a starting role and had his moments, but for me, he just wasn't consistent enough. Dixon really didn't pop like I thought he would racking up sacks, TFLs, and forced fumbles. He was just kind of there and made an occasional tackle.

CB Charles Woods - Hit

There's no such thing as an expiration date here. Yes, Woods eventually transferred to SMU but while he played in Morgantown, he was one of West Virginia's best defensive players and certainly one of the top defensive backs in the Big 12. To this day, I think the disappointing 2022 season goes a little different if he doesn't sustain the injury in the Backyard Brawl.

Overall Hit Rate: 2/4 (50%).

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