West Virginia is Hosting Veteran Sun Belt Pass Rusher for an Official Visit

West Virginia's coaching staff is busy, busy, busy. They're reaching out to players in the portal and getting visits set up, if there's interest and the schedule allows it.

Georgia Southern edge/outside linebacker MJ Stroud (6'2", 235 lbs) will be in town today to check out the facilities and speak with the staff, according to his agent Leo Kohll.

Stroud finished the year as a First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference performer, leading the league in tackles for loss with 15.5. He also tallied career highs in tackles (33), sacks (6.5), and forced fumbles (3).

West Virginia struggled to get after the passer against Big 12 foes, particularly in the first month of league play, and with some of its top performers heading out the door, it's pivotal that the staff find some elite pass rushers in the portal.

Stroud was elite in that area of the game, and the grades over at Pro Football Focus support it. He ended the 2025 season with a pass rushing grade of 78.7 and an overall defensive grade of 73.7. Each of those grades would have put them at the top of West Virginia's defense in both categories. While it may not be a completely fair assessment because of the difference in competition, he held his own against USC and James Madison, which was a playoff team.

In West Virginia's defense, Stroud is most likely viewed as an option at bandit. Currently, the Mountaineers have just four players in that room — Curtis Jones Jr., Jeremiah Johnson, Keenan Eck, and Noah Tishendorf.

Coming out of Alcovy High School in Covington, Georgia, Stroud held offers from Eastern Kentucky, Kent State, Louisiana, and a few others.

Stroud will have one year of eligibility remaining.

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