Who Are the 21 Mountaineers Playing in Their Final WVU Home Game?
West Virginia will play their final home game of the 2024 season today, meaning 21 seniors will play their last-ever game at Mountaineer Field.
Of course, there will be more who will be included in that group by either leaving school early or transferring out. However, here are the Mountaineers who are definitely playing in their final home game.
QB Garrett Greene
Although his senior campaign hasn't been as strong as he or anyone had hoped, Greene will always be appreciated for his toughness, leadership, and passion for the game. He fits the description of a Mountaineer to a T. He missed a couple of games due to an upper-body injury but returned last week against Baylor and rushed for over 120 yards.
WR Justin Robinson
Robinson previously spent time with Georgia and Mississippi State before transferring to WVU for his final year of eligibility. He has the size, frame, and skillset to make big plays in the passing game, but for whatever reason, the coaching staff hasn't exerted enough energy into throwing him the football. Coming into today, he has just 12 receptions for 199 yards and three touchdowns.
TE Kole Taylor
Taylor expected to be in the 50-catch range this season, but the quarterback play has been very up and down all year long, preventing him from reaching his goals. He has 35 catches entering the day, so there's still a chance, assuming WVU makes a bowl game. He will go down as one of the best receiving tight ends the Mountaineers have had in recent memory.
LT Wyatt Milum
There aren't many offensive linemen in the country better than Wyatt Milum. The West Virginia left tackle is playing at an elite level once again and is playing his way into a first-round draft grade. He hasn't allowed a single sack in over two years. WVU will certainly miss his production.
C Brandon Yates
Yates has been the Swiss Army knife up front for WVU throughout his career. He's played all five positions, settling into the center spot this year. He went through a few games having some snap issues but has appeared to work that out. He's one of the few players who was recruited initially by Dana Holgorsen's staff and stayed at WVU with the new staff for the entirety of his career.
RG Ja’Quay Hubbard
Hubbard is one of the best stories of this group. He had to completely change his body to get into playing shape and had one of the biggest transformations we've seen in quite some time.
RT Nick Malone
Malone is another cool story. The West Virginia native walked on to the program and continued to pack on weight and strength throughout his career, positioning himself to be a starter in the final year of his career. He's not only been a cool story but a damn good football player. Malone has graded out to be one of the best and most consistent offensive linemen in the country this season.
DL TJ Jackson II
Jackson was extremely productive at Troy and wanted to see if he could put up similar numbers in the Power Four, and oh boy, has he. Jackson is in the top 20 nationally in tackles for loss despite not starting the first two games of the year. He's undersized, but he makes up for it with his twitchiness and athleticism.
DL Sean Martin
The Bluefield product has quietly played some really good football of late. His production doesn't always show up in the stat sheet, but he does a good job of setting the edge and funneling the run game back inside. He'll have a chance to play on Sundays.
DL Fatorma Mulbah
Mulbah was buried on the depth chart at Penn State and, last season, served as a depth option for the Mountaineers. He played well toward the end of the year, especially in the bowl game, and has turned up a few notches since. Against Cincinnati, he posted 13 tackles, which is pretty impressive for a nose tackle.
DL Taurus Simmons
Simmons was a pretty talented pass rusher in high school but was never able to develop into that at the collegiate level. He has, however, turned into a quality special teams player throughout his career.
LB Tyrin Bradley Jr.
Similar to Mulbah, Bradley finished the 2023 season on a strong note and carried that over into 2024, where he has been one of the most consistent playmakers on the defensive side of the football.
LB Ty French
French had the look of an elite pass rusher thanks to what he was able to do at his previous school, Gardner-Webb. Unfortunately, the jump didn't work out quite as well for him defensively. He has just 11 tackles on the year and zero sacks.
CB Dontez Fagan
Fagan transferred in from Charlotte and has had some moments of making big plays, but he has allowed his fair share as well. The one play everyone remembers of his is the dropped interception versus Pitt, which likely would have been a 99-yard pick-six.
CB Garnett Hollis Jr.
Hollis had a pretty rock-solid career at Northwestern, becoming one of the better corners in the Big Ten Conference. When West Virginia landed him in the portal, it felt like an immediate upgrade. But for whatever reason, he just hasn't been a good fit in this scheme. His overall body of work in college will still give him the opportunity to continue his career at the next level.
S Aubrey Burks
Burks has worked through a bunch of injuries over the last two years, which is unfortunate. When he's on the field, he's one of the top defensive backs in the Big 12. His absence has certainly played a big factor in West Virginia's struggles against the pass.
S Kekoura Tarnue
The Jacksonville State transfer has done better in recent weeks as he's finally settled into his role. I'm still surprised that WVU hasn't moved him to corner, a position he's played well at in the past, especially considering their issues at corner.
S Anthony Wilson Jr.
Wilson's physicality is what makes him so fun to watch. He hasn't been great in pass coverage this season, but some of that can be attributed to not having the proper help from linebackers, corners and Aubrey Burks missing the majority of the season.
K Michael Hayes
Hayes has been one of the most accurate kickers the Mountaineers have had this century. He's 10-for-11 this season and 27-for-32 during his two seasons in Morgantown.
LS Austin Brinkman
Brinkman is one of the most underrated players on the roster purely because of the position he plays. Neal Brown has stated several times that he does his job better than anyone else. He'll have a shot at being a long snapper in the NFL.
P/LS Leighton Bechdel
Bechdel has held, punted, kicked, and all of the above. The play everyone will remember him by is the fake field goal for a touchdown that he ran in a few weeks ago against Arizona.
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