West Virginia has opportunities available at cornerback this season.
Last season’s two starters, Beanie Bishop and Malachi Ruffin, have exhausted their eligibility, bringing a combined total of 1,579 snaps.
If you include Andrew Wilson-Lamp, who exited through the transfer portal, three of the top four players to see the field at cornerback in 2023 are gone.
Bishop was named a consensus All-American last season after starting 13 games and finishing with 80 tackles, 20 pass breakups and 4 interceptions. Meanwhile, Ruffin racked up 37 tackles and one interception as a reliable and experienced option on the opposite side.
Of the players who saw significant snaps, only junior Jacolby Spells returns after seeing action in nine games and recording just 8 tackles and one pass defensed in 131 snaps.
But most of the time the depth of the room was questioned.
But because there was so much turnover, it was a guarantee that West Virginia would use the transfer portal to help fill that spot. And the coaching staff certainly has.
West Virginia added four cornerbacks with three of them available for Spring Ball in Northwestern transfer Garnett Hollis, Colorado State transfer Ty Crandall and Duquesne transfer Ayden Garnes and another in Charlotte transfer Dontez Fagan. committing to the program in April.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Hollis became a priority for the Mountaineers after he entered the transfer portal in February. That resulted in a quick scholarship offer and a few days later a commitment to the Mountaineers. The Tennessee native appeared in 26 games during his time with the Wildcats, where he recorded 78 tackles and a pair of picks.
The big cornerback had his best season last season in Evanston, where he recorded 49 tackles and one interception as a starter in all 13 games. Hollis brings more than 1,000 snaps of Power Four experience and will have one year left in his career, meaning he can expect him to take on a major role in the Mountaineers’ secondary right away.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Crandall spent one season at Colorado State, where he finished with 19 tackles and one interception in 10 games. He chose to enter the transfer portal after earning a long list of scholarship offers in the process before visiting only West Virginia and UCLA.
Crandall has three years of eligibility remaining and is a strong upside option, but for the immediate future and what he could become in the future. He signed on in January to begin his career with the Mountaineers and will be a factor at the position given his abilities.
The 6-foot, 170-pound Garnes is coming off a season in which he recorded 51 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions and a sack during his sophomore campaign. The Philadelphia native played a total of 688 snaps and ranked as the highest-rated defensive player on the Dukes’ roster.
The FCS transfer took an official visit to Morgantown over the weekend of Dec. 8 after previously stopping in Cincinnati and making the decision to choose the Mountaineers. He will position himself as an option that can help immediately and has two years left, which makes him intriguing for several reasons.
Fagan spent one season in Charlotte, where he recorded 21 tackles and one interception while making nine starts in his 13 appearances. Before that, he spent one year at Independence CC and three seasons at Central Oklahoma.
Things moved quickly between the experienced defensive back and the Mountaineers and he committed just days after entering the portal. He has one season left and should take on an immediate role in West Virginia’s secondary at cornerback given his experience.
Overall, the Mountaineers have at least six experienced options struggling in the depth chart and that doesn’t even include any of the younger options on the roster that could be developed.
It’s a different place this offseason, but the battle is just beginning.
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