Predicting the Final Pieces West Virginia Will Target in the Transfer Portal

A look at where the Mountaineers could still add to their roster.

WVU Athletics Communications

So far, West Virginia has added 27 players through the transfer portal, and there should still be a few more on the way. Which are the most likely positions for those additions? I've got three spots in mind that could use some help.

Running Back

As I detailed in another in-depth piece this morning, the Mountaineers are short (pun intended) on size and experience. Cam Cook, as of today, is the only back on the roster with Division I experience. Andre Devine was on the roster last year, if you want to count that, but he never registered a carry. They can't afford the risk of having to rely on a bunch of true freshmen if injuries were to pop up.

Defensive Line

Another very youthful group here. Nate Gabriel and Corey McIntyre Jr. are the only returning pieces with experience, although they did add Harper Holloman, who logged nearly 900 snaps last season at Western Kentucky, and Division II transfer Will LeBlanc. Way more questions with this group than there are answers, so wouldn't be surprised if they double-dipped here, depending on where they are with their roster count.

Corner OR Nickel

I believe this will be one of the other, so that's the purpose for the famous Rich Rod depth chart OR above. The reason? I'm not sure exactly what the plan is for Wisconsin transfer Geimere Latimer. In his time at Jax State, he primarily played on the outside, but did play 37 snaps at nickel in the one year he spent with Zac Alley. At Wisconsin, 81% of his snaps came in the slot, and while he made some plays, he had better production when posted up on the outside.

Should he play corner, I'd imagine WVU will target someone who can play nickel. Right now, the only options there are a pair of true freshmen — Emory Snyder and Miles Khatri. If the plan is more nickel, then another corner will be needed. And heck, another corner may not hurt regardless of where Latimer spends the majority of his time.

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