WVU Football Portal Superlatives: Cornerstone, Crown Jewel, Breakout Candidate + More

Rich Rodriguez was intentional with his approach in the transfer portal this offseason. Of course, adding length, speed, and size were all a part of the checklist, but he wanted to sign guys who had experience and production.

This portal haul should produce a higher "hit rate" for the coaching staff, ultimately leading to better results on the field. Let's hand out some superlatives for a handful of those newcomers.

The Crown Jewel: RB Cam Cook

When you combine production, experience, and talent, Cook is the completest of packages in this portal haul for the Mountaineers, making him the crown jewel. He's been around the block, has done it in this league before with TCU, and was the nation's leading rusher a season ago at Jacksonville State. While he did have a lot of cracks at the plate (295 carries), he earned that rushing title by leading the country in missed tackles forced with 101.

Cornerstone: QB Mike Hawkins Jr.

Hawkins may lack the experience and multiple years of production like Cook has, but when it comes to someone Rich Rodriguez can build this program around, he is that guy. He has three years of eligibility remaining and was heavily coveted out of high school, and when he entered the transfer portal. The arm, the accuracy, the IQ, the dual-threat ability — it's all there. Hawkins has everything needed to become one of the top quarterbacks in the league.

Most Intriguing Addition: WR John Neider

I'll be honest, I have no idea what Neider's ceiling is or the type of production we will see from him in year one, but it's in the name of the superlative... I'm intrigued. Brings good size (6'2", 196 lbs), is tough as nails, and can play through physicality. He won't get bumped off his route very often and will haul in 50/50 balls at a high clip. The scary thing is, he's still figuring this wide receiver thing out after having played quarterback in high school.

The Hidden Gem: OL Bubba Grayson

I know. You normally don't think of an offensive lineman being a hidden gem. You're thinking of someone who finds their name on a stat sheet, so I'm sorry to disappoint in that regard. But Grayson could end up having one of the biggest impacts of any non-skill player on the roster who transferred in. He knows Rick Trickett's way so much so that he could probably teach it himself. I'm a little surprised he hasn't received more attention, but we aren't going to overlook him.

Breakout Candidate: WR Prince Strachan

For Strachan, I think he would also qualify for a hidden gem, but I want to spread the love here, so this spot works for him, too. Because he dealt with injuries last year at USC and got buried on the depth chart, a lot of folks forgot about him. If USC thought enough of him before the injuries, you'd have to assume his value hasn't changed. He put on a show all throughout spring and is clearly one of the top targets in the passing game.

Speed Demon: S Andrew Powdrell

In case you couldn't tell, I like thinking outside of the box. Not naming a running back or wide receiver here feels a little weird, but Powdrell is faster than most of them. This dude can flat-out run and is a big reason why the coaching staff believes he will make a big impact on this defense this fall.

Most Disruptive: EDGE Harper Holloman

Zeke Durham-Campbell got some consideration here as well, the transfer from Coastal Carolina. Last year at Western Kentucky, Holloman generated 42 pressures, 35 hurries, six QB hits, 5.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. He may not always get home, but he pushes the pocket.

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