TaRon Francis is a 'Specimen' Who Could Become a Legit Weapon for WVU in 2026

The LSU wide receiver transfer has made some plays throughout fall camp.

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Prince Strachan is going to be the guy at the X wide receiver position for West Virginia this fall. That is not in question. However, LSU transfer TaRon Francis is one to keep your eyes on throughout the rest of fall camp and, of course, the regular season. In one way or another, he is going to be in the rotation and could emerge as one of the top receivers for Mike Hawkins Jr.

The consistency piece is what has to happen for Francis. There are days when he shows that "wow factor" and others when it's still a little fast for him. The more reps he logs and the deeper we get into the season, the more comfortable he will become, which will unlock a new level of confidence in what he is doing.

In our most recent taping of the In the Gun podcast (episode dropping Friday), my co-host Jed Drenning dropped a few hints as to the type of player Francis is and what he has seen during his trips to practice.

WVU Athletics Communications

“When you’re talking about a guy who will use his frame, there’s other candidates on the perimeter… we need to see TaRon Francis show up and do what he can do, and I’ve seen flashes of it. When you see him at practice, it’s not difficult to pick out who played in the SEC. I mean, just seeing him stand there, you can tell who played in the SEC. He is a specimen, and when the light comes on for him, watch out because he does have legitimate twitch.”

Francis saw extremely limited action last season with LSU, appearing in Southeastern Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and in their bowl game against Houston. Many of his snaps were spent on special teams, with just three coming at receiver.

"We’re playing him both in the slot and outside," Rich Rod said back in the spring. "He’s a big, physical guy and got great running skills, so we’ll try to find ways to get him the ball."

The speed and ability to make people miss after the catch are two of his biggest attributes, but don't sell him short on being able to pull down contested balls. He has the strength to rip a pass down from a defender and hold onto it when someone puts a thud on the him/ball. He can become a big-time threat for the Mountaineers downfield, just as much as he can be a weapon in the intermediate game.