Jaheem Joseph Transferred to WVU for 'Chance to Get in the Playoffs'

The veteran safety believes the Mountaineers can do big things over the course of the next two years.

Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

When safety Jaheem Joseph entered the transfer portal, he knew exactly what he was looking for. After spending the majority of his collegiate career at a prestigious academic school (Northwestern) in a big city (Chicago), he wanted a change.

“I definitely wanted to be in a college town and get that experience. I’ve been watching West Virginia since I was little, watching Geno Smith, Tavon Austin, obviously Stedman Bailey. Geno and Stedman, they’re both from my area so just watching their highlights, l’ve always been familiar with West Virginia."

Because Joseph already knew the rich history of the West Virginia program, the opportunity to finish his career in Morgantown intrigued him when the opportunity arose.

"Everything just lined up perfectly how I wanted. I wanted to come to a historic known program. The culture here, I wanted to just buy into something that's established already. And the team, I mean we brought back majority of the starters that had a lot of production, so I just I wanted to actually get a chance to get in the playoff and compete at a high level.”

While the West Virginia defense didn't play well as a unit against Penn State, particularly in the second half, Joseph graded out as one of the Mountaineers' best defenders in his 30 some-odd-snaps according to head coach Neal Brown and defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley. In order for this defense to remain a top five unit in the Big 12, Joseph and his fellow safeties will need to do an excellent job of putting a lid up top, keeping everything in front of them.

Joseph is eligible to return to WVU for a final season in 2025.

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