MAILBAG: Ceiling/Floor, Kerr's Arrest, Stadium Expansion, Underrated Players + More

Answering this week's questions from Mountaineer fans.

WVU Athletics Communications

Good Monday morning, Mountaineer fans! It's time to crack open this week's West Virginia On SI mailbag.

From @Dalandow212:

Q: Who do you think can step up and fill the void left by Maxx Yehl, as ace 1A or 1B, alongside Chansen Cole? Will it come from in-house, or do you think one of the transfer portal guys will fill that spot?

A: It's way too early to know. And I only say that because they may not be done adding through the transfer portal, and several guys will have opportunities to improve throughout the summer and fall to position themselves to be that guy. I will give you some names to watch, though. In-house-wise, I would say JJ Glasscock and Weston Smith are two underrated names to keep in mind. It'll be interesting to see if David Hagen can make a leap, too. With the transfer arms, my mind goes to Drew Becker (Ashland, D-II), Griffin Paige (Wright State), and Robert Satin (Tampa, D-II).

From @MmaMountaineer:

Q: Ceiling and floor records for WVU football this year? Same question for basketball.

A: Love that you asked this because I actually plan on doing an in-depth article on this very topic this week for football. I don't want to give my answers away; however, I'll say the floor probably isn't as low as some may think, and the ceiling probably isn't as high as you'd think. I think there are three records WVU likely finishes with, so if you put those two together, you probably have a good idea as to where my mind is at. Sorry for skirting around the question, but you'll get the full answer here very soon.

From @wvufan2023:

Q: Who do you think the most underrated player for football and basketball will be this year? Give only one for each team.

A: For football, I'm going to go with tight end Cam Ball. I don't know that he ends up being the leading receiving option at tight end, but I do know Mike Hawkins Jr. LOVED throwing to him in the spring. That 6'7" frame probably has something to do with that. Keep an eye on him. For basketball, I'll rock with Martin Somerville. He's a very good defender who can playmake on the offensive end as well. His shooting numbers weren't great last year at Florida State, but he didn't have much help around him. Plus, he made the jump up from mid-major ball at Manhattan. I think we'll see him shoot it more efficiently in 2026-27 and be a valuable piece of the rotation.

From @WVUMOTOWNDOWN:

Q: Odds we see additional seating down the first base line next baseball season?

A: Next season? Probably not very likely if we are talking about an actual structure. These things take time, and WVU just started browsing options for an architect. It will take a while for them to go over ideas, consider them, and ultimately raise the money to get it done. Plus, the construction will take some time to complete as well. I'd think 2028 is a safer bet. That said, maybe they'll find a way to implement a temporary seating setup for 2027.

From @MrEd315:

Q: Who’s on your Mount Rushmore of WVU athletics?

A: Oooh, great question, Ed. There are so many deserving candidates which makes this incredibly hard. You have to start with Jerry West, Major Harris, and Pat White. I don't think you can even have a Mt. Rushmore without those three on it. They all put WVU on the map and did things that had never been done before — true legends. For the fourth and final spot? Whew. My top list to pick from would be Darryl Talley, Steve Slaton, Tavon Austin, JJ Wetherholt, "Hot Rod" Hundley, and Da'Sean Butler. You can't go wrong with any of them, but I'll go with Slaton. What he did in just three seasons is just flat-out stupid and unlikely to ever be replicated.

From @goJohnnyA:

Q: Kerr?? More arrests coming??

A: Crazy situation, isn't it? I'm not sure that there will be more arrests as far as former WVU players go, if that's what you're asking. From what I gather, this was a Kerr situation and not something that others on the team were involved with. That said, there isn't much information available on the situation, and I'm not in the business of speculating further on a matter of this significance. It will be interesting to see what exactly went wrong and how many people are involved.

From @wvuremfan:

Q: How can you possibly measure the value of the exposure for WV during the World Cup with the world singing OUR song? Makes me beam with pride singing along!

A: You simply can't. And that's the beauty of it. What is wild to me is that it appears that a good chunk of the nations didn't even know WVU sings it after every win. I thought that was a pretty well-known tradition. Regardless, it's a huge deal for the university to get that type of recognition. Now, they have to capitalize on it. If the football, men's and women's basketball, and baseball teams all have solid years in 2026-27, you have completely changed the trajectory of WVU athletics. Strike while the iron is hot.

To participate in next week's mailbag, send me a DM on X (@Callihan_) reply to my tweet asking for submissions on Saturday, or place your question in the comments section under my post on Facebook.