West Virginia D-Line Depth Following Jeffery Pooler's Departure

On Wednesday, West Virginia defensive lineman Jeffrey Pooler Jr. announced his intentions of entering the NCAA Transfer Portal. Undoubtedly, the redshirt senior was going to be at the top of the rotation with the likes of Taijh Alston, Akheem Mesidor, and Dante Stills along the defensive line.

Losing experience in the trenches is never ideal but, the West Virginia coaching staff has made the line of scrimmage a point of emphasis since arriving in Morgantown. In-state prospect Sean Martin is expected to see more playing time this season after an injury last year slowed down his progression. Then, there’s Jordan Jefferson and legacy Jalen Thornton, whose opportunities should increase.

A priority this offseason has and will be going forward due to the new transfer rules is versatility with the defensive line playing all three spots along the front and, at times, a four-man look. However, West Virginia may pick up a veteran in the portal themselves because the reality is, there are never enough big men on the roster.

West Virginia Defensive Lineman

55 Dante Stills, Sr., 6’4”/280

Fairmont, WV

12 Taijh Alston, r-Sr., 6’4”/250

Lumberton, NC

90 Akheem Mesidor, So., 6’2”/268

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

52 Jalen Thornton, r-So., 6’2”/265

Cincinnati, OH

95 Jordan Jefferson, Jr., 6’2”/312

Navarre, FL

54 Sean Martin, So., 6’4”/281

Bluefield, WV

88 Tavis Lee, r-Jr., 6’2”/255

Martinsburg, WV

44 Lanell Carr, So., 6’1/250

St. Louis, MO

45 Taurus Simmons, r-Fr., 6’2”/252

Savannah, GA

96 Edward Vesterinen, Fr., 6’3”/ 278

Helsinki, Finland

97 Braden Dudley, Fr., 6’2”/248

Buford, GA

92 Rhett Heston, r-So., 6’3”/228

Fairmont, WV

Hammond Russell, Fr., 6’3”/245 (waiting to enroll)

Dublin, OH

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