Predicting West Virginia's Freshman Phenom for the 2025 Season

Which young player will be a star for Rich Rodriguez this year?

WVU Athletics Communication

Every year, there are always a few young players who will make a major impact for West Virginia. There are a number young players I think could fill this role, but one in particular stands out to me.

Defensive Lineman Wilnerson Telemaque

The Miami, Florida native is a true freshman for the Mountaineers this year, and early enrolled this past spring. He was only a three-star recruit, but held impressive offers from schools like Missouri, Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Nebraska and others.

I project the freshman will win the job as the second-string defensive end behind Jimmori Robinson. At 6'6" 250 pounds, he has very impressive size for a player that's so young, and will prove to be a problem off the edge for opposing tackles. I think he will make a number of splash plays and will quickly become a fan favorite. He's in a great position to be the breakout freshman phenom. He only played in eight games as a senior at Miami Northwestern but recorded 16 tackles, three sacks, and three tackles for loss.

Honorable Mention:

Cornerback Dawayne Galloway - A four-star recruit and is a track star in the state of Ohio. He has a bright future, but I think WVU is too deep at corner this year for him to make a big impact.

Defensive Lineman Taylor Brown - He could easily have been chosen as the phenom. I project he plays a big role for West Virginia this year as well.

Running Back Diore Hubbard - Despite all the new additions to that room, I believe Hubbard will have a decent-sized role this year as a redshirt freshman.

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