Neal Brown Talks First Impression of Transfers

WVU head coach Neal Brown offers some insight on the new guys.

West Virginia redshirt junior Jaden Bray spring practice. / Christopher Hall

It's still the honeymoon phase, but a week into spring ball and West Virginia head football coach Neal Brown has been pleased with how the new guys have looked. At the end of practice on Wednesday, Brown provided some thoughts on each of the transfers.

OL Xavier Bausley (Jacksonville State)

"Xavier Bausley has got some really raw tools. Again, it's harder for the o-line, d-line to really practice when we don't have pads on, but I like his athleticism."

WR Jaden Bray (Oklahoma State)

"Jaden Bray had a great day (two). The first practice for all those transfers, they know they came to play that's why they transfer and they put pressure on themselves and everything's new. Like where to go, what to do, new reps and schemes so they're all anxious and usually there's a big jump between practice one and practice two and Jaden had that. The thing that's really impressed me is he's extremely humble. He's had success at Oklahoma State. He knows that he's capable and talented enough to have a lot more success. He's came and he's worked extremely hard. He's a natural ball-catcher. He's a really good football player. Like when we do special teams, he does some things on our coverage units that a lot of wideouts don't do."

CB Garnett Hollis Jr. and S Jaheem Joseph (Northwestern)

"Garnett and Jaheem, they didn't have the conditioning background that the rest of our guys did leading into spring ball, so we're watching their reps. But I thought they both made some plays and showed up in the pass game a little bit more."

CB TJ Crandall (Colorado State)

"TJ Crandall, this is his second semester. A lot of times we get transfers, we get them older. I was telling ShaDon (Brown) this in our staff meeting this morning, like, remember now this is his second semester. So he's very much in the learning process, but he made a couple really nice plays today."

DL T.J. Jackson (Troy)

"T.J. Jackson is going to be a factor for us."

LB Reid Carrico (Ohio State)

"Reid Carrico had a nice first day and I like how he plays. He plays very under control. I think this defense is going to fit his skillset more so than the defense he played at Ohio State. They play at a high level, I just think from a system, schematic standpoint I think we're a better fit."