ESPN Predicts Who Will Be West Virginia's Top Three Transfers in 2025

A few players on the West Virginia roster were recently highlighted by ESPN.

WVU Athletics Communication

It's difficult to predict which transfers will make the biggest impact, especially when so many of them are making the jump up from lower levels. It's even more challenging to pick when there are well over 60 newcomers and counting.

ESPN recently pegged WR Cam Vaughn, EDGE Jimmori Robinson, and CB Michael Coats Jr. as the team's top newcomers for West Virginia, and to be honest, I can't disagree. Here's a quick look at each of them.

WR Cam Vaughn (Jacksonville State)

Jacksonville State's Cam Vaughn celebrates after picking up a first down during college football action at AmFirst Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama October 9, 2024. (Dave Hyatt / Special to the Gadsden Times) / Dave Hyatt / Special to the Gadsden Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Vaughn was a massive get for the Mountaineers in the first transfer portal window. They essentially lost all of their production from a year ago, with the exception of Rodney Gallagher III, so they desperately needed to get an explosive playmaker. The best thing about Vaughn? He still has three years of eligibility remaining and is just scratching the surface as a receiver. He was a quarterback in high school.

EDGE Jimmori Robinson (UTSA)

Dec 19, 2023; Frisco, TX, USA; UTSA Roadrunners linebacker Jimmori Robinson (40) celebrates after a sack against the Marshall Thundering Herd during the first quarter at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images / Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

Robinson put together one heck of a 2024 campaign, racking up 43 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks. At season's end, he was named the American Athletic Conference's Defensive Player of the Year. He has the look of someone who can make a significant impact on a rebuilding defense and perhaps play his way into being a draft pick next spring.

CB Michael Coats Jr. (Nevada)

Nevada Footbal

Coats is a lockdown corner that Zac Alley will be able to trust and put on an island anytime he wants. Last season, he was one of the best cover corners in all of college football, sitting near the top of the leaderboard in passes defended (17). It'll be interesting to see how he adjusts to Power Four football, but if the transition goes smoothly, he could be an all-league caliber player.

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

Former West Virginia WR Hudson Clement Named a Top Newcomer by ESPN

West Virginia Projected to Host Brutally Tough Regional Featuring Defending Champs

ESPN Mock Draft Projects Javon Small to Go Late in the Second Round

ESPN Strangely Ranks West Virginia's Offseasons Among the Worst in the Big 12