Ranking the Five Areas West Virginia Must Upgrade to Win the Transfer Portal Season

Where will West Virginia look to improve in the transfer portal?

West Virginia University head coach Rich Rodriguez | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

Now that the 2025 season has officially come to a close, it's time to start talking about free agency. Oops, I mean transfer portal. Tomato, tomahto.

What areas of the West Virginia football roster need the most attention? I jotted down five spots and put them in order.

No. 5: Speedy, athletic linebacker

Chase Wilson and Reid Carrico were steady hands, and their leadership will be sorely missed. Behind them, the only two you can feel decent about are Ben Bogle and Ben Cutter. Maybe Ashton Woods can eventually play his way into that conversation once he returns from his season-ending injury. For Zac Alley's defense to take that next step, they need more athleticism from the second level.

No. 4: Two defensive linemen

West Virginia has to get bigger and more athletic up front. You've heard Rich Rod talk about it all year long, and a quick way to address that is, of course, the transfer portal. Edward Vesterinen, Eddie Kelly Jr., Devin Grant, and Hammond Russell IV are all graduating, and that's a bunch of snaps to replace. Nate Gabriel, Asani Redwood, and Corey McIntyre Jr. will step up into larger roles in 2026, but you're going to need more than three game-ready bodies, of course. Some of that will come from the internal development of Taylor Brown and Wilnerson Telemaque, but adding a couple of veterans wouldn't hurt.

No. 3: Veteran QB

I'm a huge believer in Scotty Fox, and that doesn't change just because of today's performance. That's one of the best defenses in college football, and Fox had little to no help. Is he the guy in 2026? Possibly, but they need to bring in a veteran quarterback to compete. Even if Fox played decent today, I would have said the same thing. The entire QB room is in a shaky position, and they need more capable bodies in there. I'm not sure anyone beyond Scotty Fox could push for the starting job next fall. Khalil Wilkins could develop into that, but he's much further away.

No. 2: Three corners and a safety

I put three corners, but that's at a minimum. That whole group of corners that played this year is pretty much gone, so you really don't have a choice but to hit the portal hard unless you plan to bank on some youngsters making huge improvements in one offseason. The safety spot isn't as big a deal, I don't believe, because you have Israel Boyce and Zae Jennings, assuming they return, but you'd still like to find someone who can play both safety spots and possibly the nickel.

No. 1: At least two offensive guards

Left tackle (Nick Krahe), center (Landen Livingston), and right tackle (Kevin Brown) are pretty much all but locked up for 2026. That said, if WVU happens to come across a potential upgrade at left tackle or center, they won't pass it up, but I think they want to build forward with the two guys that have a year of experience under their belt. Donovan Haslam showed some promising play down the stretch, but I'm not sure I'd go as far as saying he's locked up a starting spot. Considering Josh Aisosa saw very little time this season tells me he's still a long way away from being ready. This is where the money should be spent.

Note: Yes, West Virginia needs some help at wide receiver, tight end, and a few other spots. I'm well aware. This list features the top five priorities. That's all.

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

Ross Hodge Breaks Down Why Sadler, Dioum, and Whitty Can Make Instant Impact at WVU

West Virginia is Making a Late Push for Highly Coveted Cal Commit

WVU Earns Huge Bump as Ross Hodge Secures One of the Nation's Top Recruiting Classes

West Virginia Adds Commitment From Top JUCO RB Martavious Boswell

Can WVU Pull Off a Stunner Against Texas Tech? Crazier Things Have Happened in Morgantown