From Star Power to Sleeper Picks — Ranking Every West Virginia Transfer

There may be another piece or two still on the way for West Virginia, but the bulk of this year's transfer portal class is in place. Last week, I dropped my thoughts on who I believed to be the top portal acquisitions. Today, I'm doing the entire class.

Yup, let's rank ALL 33 additions. This ranking is a combination of past production, ability to contribute in 2026, and potential. I've also picked out four players who I labeled SLEEPER picks — guys who could be better than expected — and four who have STAR POTENTIAL. And no, Cam Cook doesn't count. He's already a star.

No. 33: K Peter Notaro, Alabama

Young kicker with a lot of potential, but compared to everyone else on the list, he's the biggest unknown, given his lack of experience.

No. 32: TE Cam Ball, Mississippi State

Ball was primarily used as a run blocker for the Bulldogs, appearing in just 30 pass plays on the season, eleven of which he was in as a blocker. I assume he'll fill the Jacob Barrick role.

No. 31: FB Kayden Luke, Arizona

A fullback! Rich Rod is back, glossy helmets returned, and now a bone-crushing fullback is in the mix. West Virginia football is back, folks. He'll play a pivotal role in the run game. Go check out his film, if you can.

No. 30: LB Jason Hall, Villanova (SLEEPER)

Quality run defender making the leap from the FCS level. I may have him extremely low on this list, but I actually really like the skillset he brings to the table. Could be the hidden gem of this bunch.

No. 29: DL Will LeBlanc, UT Permian Basin

I know he's coming up from the Division II level, but don't sleep on this guy. With a couple of years of development, he can turn into a really solid rotational player.

No. 28: S Andrew Powdrell, UNLV

Played corner at UNLV, but appears to be moving to safety for the Mountaineers. Had an okay year with the Runnin' Rebels, posting a 59.2 coverage grade on PFF.

No. 27: TE Josh Sapp, Clemson

A veteran tight end, who has a chance to become a key target in the passing game or, at the very least, serve as a nice complement to Ryan Ward.

No. 26: LB Isaiah Patterson, UNLV

The former UCLA Bruin got his opportunity in Vegas and made the most of it. Still far from being a polished product, but the potential gives him a little boost in these rankings.

No. 25: CB Maliek Hawkins, Oklahoma

Long, athletic corner that will eventually turn into a key piece of this defense. Assuming everything goes well with his development, he should be in a position to start by 2027.

No. 24: K Jack Cassidy, Western Kentucky

Big kicker with a big leg. Went a perfect 3/3 from 50+ yards this past season and had over 70% of his kickoffs go through the end zone for a touchback.

No. 23: CB Chams Diagne, Georgia State (SLEEPER)

WVU wanted to get bigger at corner, and boy, did they with Diagne, who checks in at 6-foot-4, 200+ pounds. Played the ball well in flight, but needs to cut back on the missed tackles.

No. 22: LB Malachi Hood, Illinois

Hot-and-cold player this past year. He had some stretches where he played well in all phases and then would go through two or three games where he struggled across the board. He was a hard one to place.

No. 21: WR John Neider, UConn (SLEEPER)

Super intrigued with how Neider is used and how much. Caught 27 passes this season for UConn and had just one drop. Has a nice 6'2", 205-pound frame that can also be kicked inside to the slot from time to time.

No. 20: CB Jaire Rawlison, Kent State

Not the biggest guy in the world at 5'9", but he doesn't play that small. He's a sure tackler, missing just two tackles in 692 total defensive snaps, which is elite. Could very easily be ranked higher.

No. 19: S Jacob Bradford, LSU

Was a top-200 recruit in the 2025 recruiting class that held offers from a number of Power Four schools. Has a bright future for sure, just not sure how big his role will be next fall.

No. 18: WR Prince Strachan, USC (SLEEPER)

Didn't get much burn at USC, but proved he can be productive when he was at Boise State. Huge frame at 6'5", 215 lbs. If he puts it all together, he could be a dangerous weapon for his offense.

No. 17: OT Carsten Casady, UConn

An unexpected addition, yet a quality one that will give WVU the option to ease Kevin Brown into the starting right tackle role.

No. 16: WR TaRon Francis, LSU (STAR POTENTIAL)

Former big-time recruit in the 2025 recruiting class who didn't see the field for the Tigers as a true freshman. Loads of potential here and could end up being one of the best pickups from this class down the line.

No. 15: EDGE David Afogho, Bowling Green

I still may have Afogho too low. He gets after the passer consistently, even if he doesn't get all the way home. Generated 27 pressures and 22 hurries in 2025.

No. 14: WR DJ Epps, Troy

Comes to WVU with just one year of quality production at Troy, but could be a sneaky good add. Hauled in 47 passes for 512 yards and five touchdowns in 2025.

No. 13: OL Devin Vass, Kansas State

Part-time starter at K-State who didn't allow a sack in 199 pass plays this season. Still has another level or two to tap into and needs to become more consistent.

No. 12: LB Tyler Stolsky, Florida Atlantic

Blue-collar, old school, hard-nosed football player that fits right into the Hard Edge culture. Very Chase Wilson-like.

No. 11: P Bryan Hansen, Colorado State

A punter nearly cracking the top-10?!? Why not? Let's show some love to the specialists for a change. Anytime you go out and get what is perceived to be the best punter in the portal, that's a huge win for your special teams unit.

No. 10: EDGE Tobi Haastrup, Oregon (STAR POTENTIAL)

This dude is built like a unit and could very easily become a DUDE in a short period of time. Another one of those highly coveted 2025 recruits that saw minimal to no action as a true freshman, who WVU is betting long-term on.

No. 9: EDGE Ezekiel Durham-Campbell, Coastal Carolina

Well-rounded player who will be a huge boost to the defensive front. Long, athletic, and can get after the passer. Had 37 pressures, 20 hurries, and five sacks while earning a 71.7 run defense grade by PFF.

No. 8: OL Cameron Griffin, Jacksonville State

Super versatile lineman who has played all five spots in his career. He may or may not start, but his addition is super valuable to this team, which is why I have him slotted so high. Guys who can play every spot at a high level consistently are hard to come by.

No. 7: CB Geimere Latimer, Wisconsin

Latimer's best football was under Rich Rodriguez at Jacksonville State. He spent some time there with Zac Alley, so he knows the scheme, his role, and now has Power Four experience. He needs to become an all-league performer in 2026.

No. 6: QB Michael Hawkins Jr., Oklahoma (STAR POTENTIAL)

Placing Hawkins this high is obviously a bet on him winning the job AND playing well. We'll get a better read on the situation after spring ball, but I have a feeling this is going to work out, and he'll be your QB1. Dynamic dual-threat who has started SEC games.

No. 5: EDGE Harper Holloman, Western Kentucky (STAR POTENTIAL)

Holloman is such an interesting case. If you ask him to pin his ears and go get the quarterback, he'll do exactly that. He tallied an absurd 42 pressures, 35 hurries, and two sacks. That last number, in addition to his overall tackles, could have been much higher if he didn't have a 27.5% miss tackle rate. That has to improve, as well as his pass coverage, although he won't be doing much of it.

No. 4: S Kamari Wilson, Memphis

One of my favorite highlight tapes to watch in this class. Plays the game fast and physical. You can see why he was a big recruit coming out of high school and played legit snaps for Florida as a true freshman.

No. 3: OL Amare Grayson, Jacksonville State

Grayson allowed just nine pressures and one sack on 377 pass plays this season. Devin Vass will compete with him for the starting right guard job, but I'd have to think the production, experience, and familiarity in the system give him a huge edge.

No. 2: OL Wes King, Wyoming

The Wyoming product has been phenomenal in pass protection, not allowing a single sack in 1,750 snaps. West Virginia beat out Texas for his services, if that tells you anything.

No. 1: RB Cam Cook, Jacksonville State

The nation's leading running back has to be the No. 1 player here, right? Especially when you throw him into this run-heavy offense, it's hard to envision any other player having a larger impact. Before his time at Jax State, he was in TCU's rotation and rushed for nine scores his last year there.