The Five Ex-Mountaineers WVU Will See on the 2026 Schedule

Taking a look at some friends who turned into foes.

Sep 13, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Rodney Gallagher III (24) celebrates a first down after a catch during the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

When players depart the West Virginia program, they rarely ever end up somewhere within the Big 12 Conference or on a team that the Mountaineers will eventually face. Well, this fall alone, WVU will see five of its former players, three of whom are in conference play.

9/5 vs. Coastal Carolina: DE Obinna Onwuka, S Chris Henry

West Virginia University SPUR Obinna Onwuka. | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

After just one year in Morgantown, both Onwuka and Henry decided to hit the transfer portal, landing at Coastal Carolina. They've already experienced a lot in their young collegiate careers, seeing their head coach get fired at WVU (Neal Brown), enter the transfer portal, get acclimated to a new system, and then have their coach at Coastal (Tim Beck) get canned. So, Ryan Beard will be the third head coach they've played for in as many years.

Onwuka has yet to appear in a game, while Henry saw action across eleven games in 2025 and made ten tackles.

10/3 at Iowa State: CB Keyon Washington

Sep 20, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals wide receiver Chris Bell (0) is tackled by Bowling Green Falcons cornerback Keyon Washington (1) during the first half at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Louisville defeated Bowling Green 40-17. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

The Maryland native appeared in just one game with West Virginia before taking a redshirt. He transferred from WVU to Bowling Green last offseason, and there he tallied 37 tackles, three passes defended, two tackles for loss, one sack, and a fumble recovery. Now, he gets another crack at high-level football and will see his old team come to town in early October.

10/10 vs. Arizona: WR Rodney Gallagher III

West Virginia University receiver Rodney Gallagher III | Christopher Hall – West Virginia on SI

Alright, now we're getting into the ones you probably know more about. Gallagher was highly recruited out of high school and had pretty lofty expectations placed upon him by just about everyone. I think we can all agree that the previous coaching staff didn't use him in the best way or truly develop him as a receiver. And last year, well, the entire offense was a mess, so he really never had a chance to be a high-level producer. Just a bad set of circumstances for a talented player.

11/14 vs. Kansas: LB Trey Lathan

West Virginia University linebacker Trey Lathan | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

Lathan, alongside fellow linebacker Josiah Trotter, was one of the biggest departures two years ago. Lathan is extremely talented and could have been one of the better linebackers to come through WVU in recent memory. In his first year with the Jayhawks, he had a career year, setting a single-season high in tackles (86) to go along with seven tackles for loss, five passes defended, two fumble recoveries, 1.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. Oh, and he was elite in pass coverage, which was something he struggled with during his time at WVU.