How WVU Transfers Were Rated as Recruits and Which Were the Most Coveted Prospects

More additions are on the way for the West Virginia football roster, but the majority of the transfer portal class is in place. Who were the most coveted players of this class when they were coming out of high school?

Listed in order are each WVU transfer with their recruiting grade and star rating by ESPN.

S Kamari Wilson - 90 (5*, signed with Florida)

Wilson made an impact as a freshman at Florida, tallying 39 tackles. He redshirted in 2023, spent a year at Arizona State, and then bounced back at the G5 level in a career year with Memphis.

WR TaRon Francis - 81 (4*, signed with LSU)

Francis did not record any stats during his freshman season, but he has some really intriguing upside that he'll be able to unleash in a not-as-deep receiver room in Morgantown.

QB Michael Hawkins Jr. - 80 (4*, signed with Oklahoma)

Hawkins was expected to be the future for the Sooners, but prioritizing Jackson Arnold initially and then turning to John Mateer changed those plans. Still can still be a dynamic dual-threat, especially in Rich Rod's offense.

RB Cam Cook - 80 (4*, signed with TCU)

He never carried the bulk of the workload in Fort Worth, although he did score nine times in his final season there. In his only season at Jax State, he led the nation in rushing with 1,659 yards.

OL Devin Vass - 77 (3*, signed with Kansas State)

Vass steadily climbed the depth chart and earned a part-time starting role this past season for the Wildcats. He'll be in competition to start at right guard for the Mountaineers in 2026.

LB Isaiah Patterson - 77 (3*, signed with UCLA)

Things didn't work out for Patterson at UCLA, but he produced at a high level at UNLV, giving him a chance to bounce back to the Power Four.

CB Maliek Hawkins - 77 (3*, signed with Oklahoma)

The brother of quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. hasn't seen significant snaps in his young collegiate career, but certainly has the potential to be a multi-year starter in Zac Alley's defense.

TE Josh Sapp - 75 (3*, signed with Clemson)

Sapp hasn't been a huge receiving threat throughout his career, but he should get more targets in this offense, where the tight end can become a favorite of the quarterback.

K Peter Notaro - 75 (3*, signed with Alabama)

Not a ton of experience for the former Bama kicker, but did go 5/5 on PAT's, for whatever that's worth. He'll compete with Nate Flower and fellow transfer Jack Cassidy.

OL Amare Grayson - 74 (3*, signed with Jacksonville State)

A name diehard WVU recruiting fans will know. Neal Brown and Co. recruited Grayson to WVU before he ultimately landed at Jax State. He was an All-Conference USA performer this past season and will be in contention for a starting guard job.

EDGE Harper Holloman - 74 (3*, signed with Western Kentucky)

The twitchy pass rusher generated 42 pressures last season, which would have led the Mountaineers' defense by a mile. He'll be a welcome addition to WVU's front seven.

LB Malachi Hood - 74 (3*, signed with Illinois)

In his first season as a starter, Hood tallied 44 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a pass breakup.

WR Prince Strachan - 70 (3*, signed with Boise State)

Strachan racked up 578 yards and three touchdowns in two seasons at Boise State before transferring to USC. There, he got buried on the depth chart, but at WVU, he'll be in contention to start.

Transfers who were unranked or didn't have a profile

WR John Neider, WR DJ Epps, TE Cam Ball, OL Wes King, OL Cam Griffin, OL Carsten Casady, EDGE David Afogho, DL Will LeBlanc, LB Tyler Stolsky, CB Andrew Powdrell, CB Geimere Latimer, CB Chams Diagne, P Bryan Hansen, K Jack Cassidy.