WVU Depth Chart Projection with Jason Chambers & JaCorey Thomas

How West Virginia's defense may look with a couple of new guys in the back end.

WVU Athletics Communications

Each week, the WVU football team puts out a depth chart in the game notes sent out to the media. I'm fairly convinced that the folks who put that thing together only have "Viewer" permissions instead of "Editor" because that thing hasn't changed, except for defensive lineman Darius Wiley being removed after his season-ending injury.

There is still an "OR" listed between Mike Hawkins Jr. and Scotty Fox; linebacker Isaiah Patterson is listed as the third option at the MIKE, and Prince Strachan's name is absent. That's just a few of the notable things that are off. In their defense, this is up to the coaching staff, and by that, I mean Rich Rodriguez.

If they did update it, a couple of new names would have shown up this week: safety JaCorey Thomas and cornerback Jason Chambers, who recently became eligible after receiving a preliminary injunction. The NCAA is appealing the decision, but Chambers is still allowed to play. The NCAA also cannot seek restitution from Chambers or the university if the decision is ultimately overturned.

Enough of the rambling on here, let's get to what you came here for: a depth chart.

EDGE: Zeke Durham-Campbell, Emerson Joy
DT: Corey McIntyre Jr., K.J. Henson, Yendor Mack
NG: Nate Gabriel, Will LeBlanc, Taylor Brown
BAN: Harper Holloman, David Afogho, Tobi Haastrup, Jeremiah Johnson
MIKE: Ben Cutter, Isaiah Patterson, Tyler Stolsky
WILL: Ashton Woods, Cam Torbor
N/S: Geimere Latimer II, Andrew Powdrell, Miles Khatri
CB: Chams Diagne, Keyshawn Robinson
CB: Nick Taylor, Jason Chambers, Jaire Rawlison
FS: JaCorey Thomas, Matt Sieg
BS: Kamari Wilson, Da’Mare Williams, Kameron Reddic

N/S: I fully anticipate Andrew Powdrell moving back to nickel/sam in the wake of the addition of Thomas. This is where the staff initially planned on playing him, and he hasn't looked all that sharp at free safety. This is good for Geimere Latimer too, who is averaging 62 defensive snaps per game and 68 snaps against Power Four teams.

CB: Chams Diagne and Nick Taylor have played HEAVY snaps through the first month of the season, so getting Chambers back helps tremendously. He will slide into the No. 2 spot behind one of them, likely behind Taylor, giving them a reliable third option to play at the position. Believe it or not, Chambers played more snaps than any WVU corner last season, including Michael Coats Jr.

FS: I haven't been able to confirm this, but all signs point to JaCorey Thomas starting. There's a chance that they roll with Matt Sieg and the two split time there this week as Thomas gets his feet wet, but this is a seasoned vet who has already missed four games, leaving him with limited opportunities to increase his stock. He wants to be on the field, and WVU needs him to be.