6:00: Morning News

Brown likens transfer portal to bank account, but admits defensive losses were costly in 2022

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia’s defensive struggles were well-documented last season when the Mountaineers were too often plagued by explosive pass plays and allowed 38 or more points in seven of 12 games.

Earlier this week, head coach Neal Brown said the team lost more than what he originally thought with departures to the transfer portal ahead of the 2022 campaign.

“The portal hurt us last year and more so than I probably realized. I started realizing it when we got into fall camp,” Brown said. “I’m not making excuses. We didn’t have some things established and our trust wasn’t established at this time last year. We have to be better in certain positions personnel wise on the defensive side of the ball.”

Among notable defensive personnel the Mountaineers lost to transfer between the 2021 and 2022 seasons were defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor, linebacker Josh Chandler-Semedo and defensive backs Jackie Matthews, Daryl Porter and Nicktroy Fortune.

Since the 2022 season ended, West Virginia has suffered more defensive attrition, but also added several players it hopes play an important role next season.

Defensive lineman Jordan Jefferson, who assumed Mesidor’s spot last season, moved on to LSU. Defensive end Taijh Alston opted to spend his final season at Colorado. Before the 2022 season ended, cornerback Charles Woods announced his intention to leave the Mountaineers, and he’s since settled on SMU.

Among WVU’s defensive additions through the portal to this point are: Linemen Davoan Hawkins and Fatorma Mulbah and cornerback Montre Miller.

Hawkins comes to Morgantown from Tennessee State and previously played at Kentucky. Mulbah was used in a limited capacity at Penn State, while Miller was a key part of the back end at Kent State.

“The way I think about the portal as I mature and learn as we go through this process is it’s almost like a bank account,” Brown said. “The way I was thinking about it is you have deposits and withdrawals in banking. You hope your deposits are more than your withdrawals. I hope we’re bringing in more than we’re losing and I don’t look at it as a number. The portal works both ways.” 

West Virginia has lost other defensive players since season’s end, though the aforementioned trio are among the more notable departures from the team.

The Mountaineers are also expected to add defensive back Keyshawn Cobb from Buffalo. Cobb committed to WVU on January 8 but has yet to sign his grant-in-aid.

The 45-day window to enter the portal that began nine days after the Mountaineers’ regular season finale at Oklahoma State closed January 18. The next window will be open at the conclusion of spring practice from May 1-15.

Offensively, WVU’s most notable departures by way of transfer are quarterback JT Daniels, wide receivers Kaden Prather and Reese Smith, tight end Mike O’Laughlin and offensive lineman Jordan White.

In need of receivers with the loss of their top four pass-catchers from last season at the position, WVU added Devin Carter from North Carolina State and Ja’Shaun Poke from Kent State. 

Six-foot-7 tight end Kole Taylor from LSU is another addition.

“We have to be at a certain number of 85 [scholarship players] when we start fall camp,” Brown said. “Some people leave because they want to find more playing time and we have to clean out some space. The other thing is some people leave that you don’t want to leave. You want to bring in a higher number of starting level players than you’re losing. I believe we’ve done that. I think we lost two starters in this process and we’d have love to have kept them, but that wasn’t the case.”

Including the transfer additions as well as early and summer enrollees that comprise the 2023 recruiting class, WVU is at 80 scholarship players.

There’s a high likelihood of more players transferring from the program after spring practice, though that may not include starters. 

Brown said the Mountaineers will add at least one more high school player and maybe two from the February signing period, and they figure to be in the mix for a few players when a new crop of talent enters the portal in the spring.

“Understanding that you have another window that happens at the end of April, I expect a little bit of attrition during that,” Brown said. “In that, [also] three to five additions. At least one more secondary player, continue to look for some guys on both fronts and probably another wideout.”





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