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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. �����Ƶ� The safeties are the most inexperienced unit on the Mountaineer defense, but assistant coach Dontae Wright likes his group so much that his perspective on adding more pieces is evolving.

�����Ƶ�It�����Ƶ�s not a need,�����Ƶ� said Wright when asked if he was still looking for a transfer safety or two to add before the start of the 2022 season. �����Ƶ�Practice one, it was a need. Practice 14, I don�����Ƶ�t know if it�����Ƶ�s a need right now. We�����Ƶ�ll see.

�����Ƶ�Would I take it? Yes. Am I going out searching for it? No,�����Ƶ� the safeties coach continued. �����Ƶ�If I could find an older guy to put a veteran in that group, maybe.�����Ƶ�

�����Ƶ West Virginia�����Ƶ�s spring practice draws to a close, Wright has developed much more confidence in his safeties than he had when drills began in March.

�����Ƶ�I�����Ƶ�m extremely excited about the group,�����Ƶ� said Wright, who is in his third season at �����ƵU. �����Ƶ�Obviously, there is very, very, very little experience. (Sophomore) Aubrey Burks has played a little bit. Marcis Floyd (a junior transfer from Murray State) has played a bunch but not at this level. (Redshirt freshman) Davis Mallinger played sparingly but just on special teams last year. Those are the guys with our first group. They�����Ƶ�re not starters �����Ƶ� I�����Ƶ�m not saying that �����Ƶ� but they�����Ƶ�re with our first group right now. But I�����Ƶ�m really excited about them, because they�����Ƶ�re long, they�����Ƶ�re athletic, they can run and they�����Ƶ�re eager to learn.�����Ƶ�

In �����ƵU�����Ƶ�s hybrid defense, it normally uses at least three safeties �����Ƶ� a spear (Mallinger), a free (Burks) and a cat (Floyd). West Virginia had veterans at those positions last year, but all have departed, as Sean Mahone, Alonzo Addae and Scottie Young each graduated, and Jackie Matthews, who split his time between cornerback and safety, transferred to Mississippi State.

The departures of those four leave the Mountaineers incredibly inexperienced in the back end.

The 6-foot, 188-pound Floyd did play in 30 games in his four seasons at Murray State, but that came at a different level (FCS) and a different position (cornerback).

�����Ƶ�It�����Ƶ�s been surprisingly smooth,�����Ƶ� said Wright of Floyd�����Ƶ�s transition to safety. �����Ƶ�He gets himself in trouble a little bit of the time when we�����Ƶ�re playing cover two, and he�����Ƶ�s going back into his corner world to where the corner plays laterally but the safety has to play square and over the top of everything. He gets in a little trouble with that, but for the most part, his transition has been really smooth. He�����Ƶ�s very intelligent. I have to get him to be a little louder and control things a little better, but it�����Ƶ�s been a shockingly smooth transition.�����Ƶ�

The 5-foot-11, 194-pound Burks saw action in six of �����ƵU�����Ƶ�s first seven games as a true freshman last season before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the year. He finished with two tackles in �����Ƶ�21, as most of his time came on special teams.

�����Ƶ�He�����Ƶ�s had a good spring. He has the combination of what you want in terms of athleticism and intelligence,�����Ƶ� said Wright of the second-year sophomore from Oakridge, Florida.

Mallinger (6-1, 190 lbs.) played in four games last season, allowing him to retain his redshirt.

He�����Ƶ�s still learning the safety position after spending most of his career at Cocoa (Fla.) High School as a receiver, but he�����Ƶ�s drawn high reviews from �����ƵU�����Ƶ�s coaches for defensive play this spring.

�����Ƶ�Davis has a high ceiling,�����Ƶ� noted Wright. �����Ƶ�How high I don�����Ƶ�t know. He can go really, really far if he buys in and if he truly becomes a defensive player.

�����Ƶ�He�����Ƶ�s just now learning how to play defense. He started off last year learning to play cat safety and now he�����Ƶ�s playing spear.

�����Ƶ�He�����Ƶ�s not going to get run by, because he�����Ƶ�s a 10.6, 10.7 100 guy, and he�����Ƶ�s physical, not scared of contact,�����Ƶ� added Wright. �����Ƶ�Now I have to teach him how to play defense. If you put on (the video of) practice one to practice 14, he�����Ƶ�s not even close to the same player. Does he still make mistakes? Yeah, all of them do, but he�����Ƶ�s made unbelievable strides and has a tremendous ceiling.�����Ƶ�

Hershey McLaurin (6-1, 204 lbs., Soph.), Caleb Coleman (6-2, 180 lbs., RFr.) and Naim Muhammad (5-11, 200 lbs., Jr.) are the safeties typically working behind the first group.

�����Ƶ�I think they are doing great,�����Ƶ� Wright said of the trio. �����Ƶ�They have to get better, but they all have unbelievable talent. They really, really do. All three of those guys in that backup role, I�����Ƶ�m really excited about them.

�����Ƶ�Caleb Coleman is GOING to be a great player; he�����Ƶ�s not right now, because he�����Ƶ�s 180 pounds and is just not strong enough to do all the things that are asked of him. Can he help us? You�����Ƶ�re dang gone right he can. But is he the guy who is going to go out there and play 50 or 60 snaps? That�����Ƶ�s not what we need him to do right now. He needs to keep working in the weightroom so he can be that person.

�����Ƶ�Hershey comes in with our sub-package and plays that lurk rover, and that�����Ƶ�s what his role is probably going to be at this point, because at that position he can just roam and play ball. That�����Ƶ�s what�����Ƶ�s natural right now, because that�����Ƶ�s what he did in junior college �����Ƶ� you float and go make plays. He excites me because he adds some length and some athleticism.

�����Ƶ�Naim has also had a really good spring, and we�����Ƶ�ll continue to develop him.�����Ƶ�

�����ƵU has a couple other safeties waiting in the wings who haven�����Ƶ�t been able to participate in spring drills.

Saint McLeod (5-11, 205 lbs., Soph.) is recovering after being stabbed during an altercation in early March outside a downtown Morgantown club.

Christion Stokes (6-2, 182 lbs., Fr.) enrolled at �����ƵU in January, but he�����Ƶ�s not been involved in the contact portion of practice this spring, as he rehabs from a knee injury he suffered midway through his senior season at Harper Woods (Mich.) High School.

�����Ƶ�The meeting room is unbelievable. They ask great questions, because they�����Ƶ�ve never seen most of the stuff before,�����Ƶ� Wright stated. �����Ƶ�I�����Ƶ�m excited about it. They have a bunch of talent, and now it�����Ƶ�s my job to rein them in and get them where they�����Ƶ�re supposed to go. But when they�����Ƶ�re where they�����Ƶ�re supposed to be and know what they�����Ƶ�re supposed to do, they�����Ƶ�re a pretty salty group to mess with.

�����Ƶ�I feel confident with them being able to run with most anyone we have to face, being able to be physical and tackle in open space and do all those good things. It�����Ƶ�s a really exciting group.�����Ƶ�

The transfer portal has greatly impacted West Virginia�����Ƶ�s cornerback position in 2022, as three players who saw starting duty at the two spots �����Ƶ� Nicktroy Fortune, Daryl Porter and Jackie Matthews �����Ƶ� have decided to leave �����ƵU.

Those departures leave the Mountaineers having to rebuild at cornerback, and they will be relying on a number of newcomers in this reconstruction process.

The new corners will try to carry on strong recent play in the secondary. West Virginia�����Ƶ�s pass defense in 2021 wasn�����Ƶ�t quite what it was statistically a couple of years ago when it allowed the fewest yards in all of the FBS ranks (159.6 ypg).

Still, its coverage was pretty good last season, as it finished third in the Big 12 in passing yards allowed (211.5 ypg).

Now �����ƵU will try to replicate that success with a number of new faces.

Cornerbacks returning �����Ƶ� Andrew Wilson-Lamp (RFr.), Charles Woods (Sr.)

Departing �����Ƶ� Nicktroy Fortune (Sr.), Jackie Matthews (Jr.), Daryl Porter (Soph.), T�����Ƶ�Rek Scipio (RFr.)

Newcomers �����Ƶ� Mumu Bin-Wahad (Fr.), Marcis Floyd (Jr.), Jacolby Spells (Fr.), Tyrin Woodby (Fr.)

In the offseason, West Virginia kept taking blow after blow after blow with cornerbacks entering the transfer portal.

First it was Matthews, who split his time between safety and cornerback for �����ƵU in �����Ƶ�21.

Then it was Porter, who started every game last year at cornerback.

He was followed into the portal by Fortune, who was also a starting corner before missing the second half of the �����Ƶ�21 campaign with a leg injury.

Matthews played in all 13 games for the Mountaineers last season, starting eight of them, as he split his time between cornerback and spear safety.

He finished the season fifth on the team in tackles with 43 to go along with three PBUs and one interception.

With one season of college eligibility remaining, the Birmingham, Alabama, native decided to use it closer to home and has transferred to Mississippi State.

Certainly, Matthews�����Ƶ� departure takes a talented, experienced piece out of �����ƵU�����Ƶ�s secondary, but maybe even bigger blows, especially to the cornerback positions specifically, came with the sudden announcements by Porter in mid-February and Fortune in mid-March that each of them also was entering the transfer portal.

Porter was the lone redshirt freshman in West Virginia�����Ƶ�s starting lineup at the beginning of the 2021 season.

While his inexperience showed at times in the early part of the year, he progressively got better with each outing.

In his 13 games, starting all of them at right corner, Porter had 36 tackles, a team-best six PBUs and one interception.

A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he was a three-star recruit coming out of American Heritage High School. Porter is headed back to south Florida, as his transfer is taking him to the University of Miami.

Porter�����Ƶ�s departure from �����ƵU was followed by a similar decision by Fortune. He started the first seven games of 2021 at the left cornerback, but he suffered a leg injury and was sidelined the final six games of the season.

The Roswell, Georgia, native played in 10 games as a true freshman in 2019, starting two of them, while recording 16 tackles and two pass breakups.

In 2020, Fortune moved into the starting role on a full-time basis and finished the year with 35 tackles, two PBUs and one interception. He was playing well in �����Ƶ�21, as he had 25 tackles and one PBU before he suffered an injury during the Mountaineers�����Ƶ� win at TCU on Oct. 23.

The transfers of Fortune, Porter and Matthews left Charles Woods (5-11, 194 lbs., Sr.) as the only returner who has previously started a game at cornerback for �����ƵU.

The Dallas, Texas, native spent his first three college years at Illinois State, where he had four interceptions for the FCS program in 2019.

He decided to transfer after the 2020 season and enrolled at West Virginia last summer.

Much of his early playing time with the Mountaineers was at safety, but following Fortune�����Ƶ�s injury, Woods concentrated mostly on cornerback. In all, he had 29 tackles, four PBUs and two interceptions in his first season at �����ƵU.

The Mountaineers got another defensive back transfer from the FCS ranks over the winter when Marcis Floyd (6-0, 188 lbs., Jr.) enrolled at �����ƵU in January after spending the previous four years at Murray State.

Because of the eligibility-free 2020 season, Floyd still has two years of eligibility remaining to use at West Virginia.

A native of Louisville, where he was an all-state performer at duPont Manual High School, Floyd played in four games as a true freshman for the Racers but redshirted in that 2018 season.

He emerged as a starting corner for MSU the next year and held that role for the next three seasons, accumulating seven interceptions, 20 PBUs and 102 tackles in his career.

Twice a first-team all-Ohio Valley Conference honoree, after the 2021 campaign he decided to transfer from Murray State, which is coached by Dean Hood. Hood got his coaching career started at Fairmont State (W.Va.) University (1986-87), and he also spent four seasons as the defensive coordinator on Rich Rodriguez�����Ƶ�s staff at Glenville State University.

While Floyd played cornerback exclusively at Murray State, it�����Ƶ�s always possible that, like Woods, the Mountaineers could use him at safety, though with the lack of depth �����ƵU currently has at corner, it probably needs all capable bodies working at that position.

Andrew Wilson-Lamp (6-2, 172 lbs., RFr.) is another returnee who will contend for reps at cornerback this coming season.

He spent most of his career at Massillon Washington (Ohio) High School playing wide receiver, where he was a two-time all-county selection.

He was recruited to be a cornerback by the Mountaineers, though, and has been concentrating on that position since enrolling at �����ƵU in January of 2021.

While Wilson-Lamp played in four games on special teams for West Virginia last season, recording one tackle, he was still able to retain his redshirt.

With length and speed, Wilson-Lamp seems to have the tools necessary to be a high-end corner, though he�����Ƶ�s still learning the fundamentals of the positions.

Besides Floyd, there are several other newcomers who will try to earn quick playing time at the cornerback positions, though any of them could end up at safety as well.

Two of those �����Ƶ� Tyrin Woodby (6-0, 164 lbs., Fr.) and Mumu Bin-Wahad (5-10, 179 lbs., Fr.) �����Ƶ� are already at �����ƵU, having enrolled in January.

They are both currently going through the Mountaineers�����Ƶ� offseason strength and conditioning program and will be able to participate in upcoming spring drills.

They will be joined this summer by another probable CB from the class of 2022, Jacolby Spells (6-0, 185 lbs., Fr.).

A product of Baltimore powerhouse St. Frances Academy, Woodby was an early commit to �����ƵU, pledging to the Mountaineers last April over offers from Virginia Tech, Pitt, Mississippi, Boston College and others.

He had previously played safety and wide receiver at Bowie (Md.) High School in 2019, but after transferring to St. Frances, Woodby concentrated on cornerback.

The Panthers�����Ƶ� 2020 season was canceled due to Covid, and they posted an 8-1 mark this past fall against a schedule that featured teams from as far away as Florida and California.

SFA�����Ƶ�s lone loss was to Fort Lauderdale�����Ƶ�s St. Thomas Aquinas of Florida (38-23), but they bounced back to beat IMG Academy of Florida (34-24), De La Salle of California (42-28), West Toronto Prep of Canada (48-6), and St. Thomas More of Connecticut (24-7).

Bin-Wahad was a first-team Class 7A all-state performer this past season at Grayson High in Loganville, Georgia, which is just east of Atlanta.

He had 40 tackles and three interceptions in helping the Rams to a 10-4 record in �����Ƶ�21 and a spot in the final four of the state�����Ƶ�s 7A playoffs.

Grayson won that state championship in 2020 with a 14-0 mark.

Recruited by the likes of Georgia Tech, Cincinnati, Boston College, and Louisville, Bin-Wahad, like Woodby, graduated from high school a semester early in order to get a jump start on his college career at West Virginia.

Spells won�����Ƶ�t join his DB classmates at �����ƵU until the summer, but he comes to the Mountaineers as one of the more highly-regarded prospects in their class of 2022.

Rated by ESPN as the nation�����Ƶ�s 14th-best high school cornerback this past year, he had dozens of scholarship offers, featuring the likes of Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Oklahoma, Penn State and Texas A&M.

A product of American Heritage (Fla.) High School, where he was teammates a couple of years ago with Daryl Porter, Spells appears to have the ability to play early in his college career.

A lot of times incoming freshmen who are listed as cornerbacks ultimately shift to safety, so only time will tell whether West Virginia�����Ƶ�s newcomers who arrive with the cornerback tag stay at that position or transition to safety.

Certainly Bin-Wahad, Woodby and Spells could use some time getting bigger and stronger to better handle the rigors of life in the college ranks, but with the exits of Fortune, Porter and Matthews, the Mountaineers may need any or all of them for game action in 2022.

West Virginia�����Ƶ�s recruitment of cornerbacks probably isn�����Ƶ�t over, either. The Mountaineers almost certainly will look to add another corner or two to their roster, likely transfers, before the 2022 season begins.

Jarret Doege, who threw for 6,453 yards in his three seasons at West Virginia (2019-21) and 4,041 yards in his two seasons at Bowling Green (2017-18), has announced that he will spend his final year of college eligibility at Western Kentucky.

Doege had started the past 26 games for the Mountaineers since late in the 2019 campaign, but the quarterback from Lubbock, Texas, decided to enter the transfer portal shortly after �����ƵU�����Ƶ�s 18-6 Guaranteed Rate Bowl loss to Minnesota.

�����Ƶ�I will forever be grateful for the friendships and memories I�����Ƶ�ve made at �����ƵU over the past three years,�����Ƶ� Doege tweeted on Dec. 31. �����Ƶ�Thank you to the coaching staff for giving me the opportunity to live out a lifelong dream of mine. West Virginia will always have a special place in my heart. I am excited about the future and will be looking for a new home for the 2022 season.�����Ƶ�

That new home will be Western Kentucky, where Doege will try to replace one of the breakout stars in all of college football last year, Bailey Zappe.

A transfer himself from Houston Baptist, an FCS program, Zappe led all Division I quarterbacks in passing yards (5,987) and touchdown passes (62) last season while completing 475 of 686 passes with 11 interceptions. In three seasons at Houston Baptist, the Victoria, Texas, native threw for 10,004 yards, but followed his Husky offensive coordinator/quarterback coach Zach Kittley to Western Kentucky prior to the 2021 campaign.

West Virginia will face Kittley in the future, as he will be the new offensive coordinator/quarterback coach at Texas Tech.

After losing four of its first five games to start the 2021 season �����Ƶ� a win over Tennessee-Martin (59-21) followed by losses to Army (38-35), Indiana (33-31), Michigan State (48-31) and UTSA (52-46) �����Ƶ� Zappe led the Hilltoppers to wins in eight of their final nine games.

The only loss for WKU in that stretch was a Conference USA championship game defeat to UTSA (49-41), but it bounced back with a 59-38 victory over Appalachian State in the Boca Raton Bowl.

Western Kentucky finished the 2021 season second in scoring among all FBS teams, averaging 44.2 points per game.

Doege heads to a WKU program looking for an experienced quarterback to replace Zappe. Not only is Kittley leaving for Texas Tech, but Zappe is departing for a shot at the NFL. Already invited to the NFL Combine, Zappe is projected to be a fourth or fifth round pick in this year�����Ƶ�s NFL Draft.

The Hilltoppers�����Ƶ� backup QB in 2021 was Drew Zaubi, a former juco transfer who attempted only four passes, completing three, for WKU this past season.

The other quarterbacks on Western Kentucky�����Ƶ�s roster in �����Ƶ�21 all were true freshmen who redshirted, though one of those, Grady Robison, is currently in the transfer portal. The �����Ƶ�Toppers also signed two high school quarterbacks as part of their class of 2022.

Thus there would certainly appear to be an immediate need at Western for an experienced quarterback like Doege, who has one season of college eligibility remaining.

Doege will be working with a rebuilding Hilltopper receiving corps this coming season, as WKU�����Ƶ�s top receiver in �����Ƶ�21, Jerreth Sterns (an FBS-leading 150 receptions for 1,902 yards), is giving up his final year of college eligibility and declaring for the NFL.

In addition, the team�����Ƶ�s second-leading receiver in 2021, Mitchell Tinsley (87 receptions for 1,402 yards), is transferring to Penn State.

Doege is not the only Mountaineer departing via transfer who has landed at a new school.

Wide receiver Sam Brown recently committed to Houston, wide receiver Sean Ryan is headed to Rutgers, defensive back Jackie Matthews will attend Mississippi State, receiver Winston Wright is enrolling at Florida State, tight end T.J. Banks and defensive back K.J. Martin have both announced they�����Ƶ�re going to Akron, linebacker Devell Washington is moving on to Northern Iowa, linebacker VanDarius Cowan will transfer to Maryland, offensive lineman Parker Moorer is bound for East Carolina, while defensive linemen Darel Middleton and Eddie Watkins each are headed to Alabama A&M.

That leaves wide receiver Isaiah Esdale, linebacker James Thomas and running back A�����Ƶ�Varius Sparrow (who has visited Middle Tennessee) as the only �����ƵU scholarship players who entered the portal last fall but have not yet announced new homes.

In the meantime, West Virginia has four incoming transfers from four-year universities �����Ƶ� running back Lyn-J Dixon (Clemson), defensive lineman Zeiqui Lawton (Cincinnat)i, defensive back Marcis Floyd (Murray State) and tight end Brian Polendey (Colorado State) �����Ƶ� all of whom have already enrolled at �����ƵU.

The Mountaineers plan to add additional transfers before the 2022 football season begins, but in today�����Ƶ�s world where the portal runs both ways, further exits are always a possibility as well.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (�����Ƶ News) �����Ƶ� There are few things more angst-ridden for a college sports fan right now than trying to keep up with football�����Ƶ�s transfer portal rollercoaster.

It�����Ƶ�s likely that there will be in the neighborhood of 3,000 Division I football players entering the portal in the 2021-22 athletic year (July 1 to June 30). There were 2,600 transfers in the 2020-21 academic year, and there will probably be an average of 15 portal entrants for each D-I program in the current campaign. Walk-ons and some others enrolled, but who never played, are included in that number, but still, it appears that scholarship athletes make up about two-thirds of all of those transfers.

Most everyone looks at their particular team and thinks the sky is falling. Some schools are already dealing with more thant 20 transfers, and those numbers are only going to go up as winter turns to spring, spring turns to summer and summer brings football season very near.

Already the Guaranteed Rate Bowl offensive MVP, Minnesota running back Ky Thomas, has jumped in the portal, and Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams is exploring the portal as well, even though the Sooner QB he beat out for the starting job, Spencer Rattler, had previously taken the transfer train to South Carolina.

West Virginia has not had the most scholarship portal entrants since Aug. 1 (14 and counting), but it has also not had the least. The latest Mountaineers who are seeking new homes include three starters in quarterback Jarret Doege, slot receiver Winston Wright and defensive back Jackie Matthews.

Having started 26 straight games for �����ƵU since late in the 2019 season, Doege completed 590 of 911 passes (64.8%) during his time at West Virginia for 6,453 yards with 40 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. He is third in �����ƵU history in career completions, fourth in attempts and fifth in yards. The Lubbock, Texas, native ultimately had to look for a new home for his final college season, though, because, as is often the case with quarterbacks, he was saddled with way too much of the blame from those outside the program when things didn�����Ƶ�t go well. A return to �����ƵU would have been untenable. For a student-athlete who was as friendly and classy as any with whom I�����Ƶ�ve dealt, he endured social media criticism from an ignorant minority that in some instances bordered on criminal. There is a special section of Hell reserved for those who treat other good, reasonable human beings in such a manner.

His departure leaves the Mountaineers with an extremely young quarterback corps with sophomore-to-be Garrett Greene, redshirt freshman Goose Crowder and incoming true freshman Nicco Marchiol being the only scholarship QBs who are expected to be on the roster when the spring semester at �����ƵU begins on Jan. 10.

Doege isn�����Ƶ�t the only loss for West Virginia via the transfer portal. Wright led the Mountaineers in receptions in each of the past two seasons (60 for 686 yards in 2021 and 47 for 553 yards in 2020) and departs �����ƵU with 129 career catches (the 14th most in school history) for 1,336 yards. Meanwhile, Matthews, a former juco transfer, played in all 23 games for West Virginia over the past two seasons, starting nine of those, as he split time between safety and cornerback.

Just like Doege, neither Wright nor Matthews will be easy replacements, though all the roster management news for the Mountaineers hasn�����Ƶ�t been bad.

The best news came when linebacker Josh Chandler-Semedo and defensive tackle Dante Stills each reversed course on their earlier indications that they were going to give the NFL a try after the 2021 campaign. Instead, each announced recently that they would return for a fifth season at �����ƵU. Chandler-Semedo has started 30 games and played in a total of 45 since arriving at West Virginia as a true freshman in 2019. Stills has played in all 47 games in that same span, starting 25 of them.

Their return is extremely good news for the Mountaineers, who also are making additions of their own through the transfer portal, gaining running back Lyn-J Dixon from Clemson, defensive lineman Zeiqui Lawton from Cincinnati, tight end Brian Polendey from Colorado State and defensive back Marcis Floyd from Murray State. More transfers are sure to join �����ƵU before the 2022 football season.

The portal teleports both ways, and while each departure brings consternation from the fans and media, in today�����Ƶ�s world everyone had better get used to the rollercoaster because, like it or not, each year �����Ƶ� heck, each day �����Ƶ� is going to be a crazy ride.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. �����Ƶ� Perhaps influenced by his brother, Darius, being passed over in last year�����Ƶ�s NFL draft; perhaps influenced by feeling he had more improvement to make before entering the draft; perhaps influenced by feeling West Virginia may be closer to putting together a winner than anyone thinks, as coach Neal Brown proclaimed following a loss to Minnesota in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, defensive tackle Dante Stills announced on Sunday that he will return to West Virginia University for a fifth season.

This, added to the decision to also return announced by leading tackler Josh Chandler-Semedo, puts a bandage on the wound that had had been bleeding players through the transfer portal for the last year and guarantees that �����ƵU will return one of the strongest defensive units in the Big 12.

While for most of the season it was thought to be a given that Stills, who already has his degree, would leave school following this season and not take advantage of the extra year granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 virus�����Ƶ� effect on the 2020 season, Stills hinted before the bowl game that he was considering returning.

�����Ƶ�I�����Ƶ�ve still got to figure that out,�����Ƶ� he said. �����Ƶ�I�����Ƶ�m still thinking. It�����Ƶ�s going to be personal because I know in my four years I�����Ƶ�ve done some damage. But if it wasn�����Ƶ�t good enough then I got to step it up. It�����Ƶ�s going to be very personal if I have to come back.

�����Ƶ�I wouldn�����Ƶ�t care (to come back). That�����Ƶ�s just an extra offseason to be in the weight room to get stronger, faster. I�����Ƶ�m taking it day by day and I�����Ƶ�ll weigh it all out after this game.�����Ƶ�

Make no doubt that Chandler Semedo�����Ƶ�s decision to return influenced Stills.

Stills�����Ƶ� announcement was a terser �����Ƶ�I�����Ƶ�m Back!�����Ƶ� after posting three hours earlier that he had made a decision and it would be upcoming.

Those decisions came after the surprising announcement that leading receiver and kick returner Winston Wright Jr. was entering the transfer portal, as was quarterback Jarret Doege, whose decision was not surprising as he had been a lightning rod for criticism of the offense for two years.

The recent doings have completely altered the outlook for the Mountaineers next year. There will be a new quarterback and the competition figures to be intense between Garrett Greene, Goose Crowder and 4-star freshman Nicco Marchiol from Arizona.

The Mountaineers are still awaiting to see if Sean Ryan, who made great improvement last year, will return and are expecting a big jump from Kaden Prather into a key role, along with Bryce Ford-Wheaton and Sam James. Prather did not play in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl despite being dressed for the contest.

Chandler-Semedo became a force in the middle last year, leading �����ƵU with 110 tackles. Sixty-eight of them were solo stops and he also intercepted two passes in the regular season finale at Kansas.

Chandler-Semedo has now played in 44 games at �����ƵU and accrued 260 career tackles.

Stills, an All-Big 12 choice, allows �����ƵU to do a lot of different things with Akheem Mesidor and gives them two candidates for Defensive Player of the Year in the Big 12 for next season.

A powerful pass rusher, Stills this year recorded 29 tackles, 15 for a loss, including seven7 sacks.

* * * * * *

Prior to that, defensive back Jackie Matthews announced on Twitter that he is leaving West Virginia to enter the transfer portal.

Matthews played in all 13 games for West Virginia this season, recording 35 tackles and one interception.

A few days ago, we looked at some of West Virginia�����Ƶ�s major needed areas of improvement on offense if the 2022 season is to be appreciably better than the results of the 2021 campaign.

Today, it�����Ƶ�s the defense�����Ƶ�s turn in the spotlight, and although the jumps don�����Ƶ�t need to be as big as those required on offense, there are still some areas that have to see upgrades.

Playmaking Bandits: At Troy, Neal Brown had defenses built around the bandit position.

Playing either on the line of scrimmage at one end of the defensive front, or as a second inside linebacker off the ball to give the defense an entirely different look, the bandit is a hybrid defender that does a bit of everything from rushing the passer to run fitting in the middle of the defense to dropping out into short zone pass defense.

At Troy, Hunter Reese became Brown�����Ƶ�s quintessential bandit, following in the footsteps of Sam Lebbie. At West Virginia, such a player has yet to be identified.

VanDarius Cowan, brought in as a transfer, had the most natural athletic skill to fit the needs of the position but continued assignment busts made him a hit or miss proposition at the spot.

Jared Bartlett, backing up and sometimes starting in front of the erratic Cowan, has progressed respectably, recording 32 tackles this year, but with just one tackle for loss and no sacks this year, didn�����Ƶ�t produce the number of impact plays the spot demands.

West Virginia has recruited multiple prospects for the position last year and this, but to date has not found the one player who can stay on the field, no matter the assignment, and be a difference-maker in all phases.

Whether Bartlett or one of the holdovers or new recruits can fill the bill remains to be seen, but for West Virginia�����Ƶ�s defense to function the way Troy�����Ƶ�s did in wins over LSU and Nebraska, a dominant, multi-tasking bandit has to be found.

Safety Dance: Perhaps �����Ƶ�replacement�����Ƶ� rather than �����Ƶ�improvement�����Ƶ� is the key word here, but �����ƵU must replace Alonzo Addae, Sean Mahone and Scottie Young at its free, cat and spear safety positions.

Add in outgoing transfer Jackie Matthews, who sometimes slotted in at the spear, and the Mountaineers face a huge rebuild at the position.

Also needed is more consistent play from the group, especially in defending deep balls and reading and reacting.

Mahone was the best of the three overall, but at times there were concerning breakdowns in coverage and run support.

�����ƵU also didn�����Ƶ�t get the best synergy it hoped for in using the cat and free interchangeably at times, or as the pair of high safeties in two-deep zone looks.

If nothing else, West Virginia must be flexible in its positioning and pass coverage options, with the same personnel able to execute at different spots, in order to be successful, and that wasn�����Ƶ�t always the case.

Generating big plays and turnovers is the other area in which �����ƵU�����Ƶ�s safeties must improve in 2022.

Sean Mahone had the group�����Ƶ�s only two picks in 2021, with Addae collecting its only fumble recovery, leaving �����ƵU 79th nationally in the former category and 87th in the latter.

Like the bandit spot, these are playmaking positions in the West Virginia defensive scheme, and it needs dynamic, game-changing plays from them in order to have success.

Depth at Cornerback: While versatility is clearly one of the cornerstones of West Virginia�����Ƶ�s defense, the flip side is that all of the shuffling between the secondary positions on defense might have contributed to some of the group�����Ƶ�s inconsistency in 2021.

Again, play was good overall, but with transfers and first-time starters manning the positions after Nicktroy Fortune was lost for the season, those players probably could have benefited from minimal switching.

Injuries contributed heavily to the need to shuffle players from week to week, and that�����Ƶ�s obviously something that can�����Ƶ�t be controlled, but a key priority this spring �����Ƶ� and in the search of the transfer portal �����Ƶ� will be the identification of at least four players who can stick at the corner spots and be counted on no matter the assignment.

It�����Ƶ�s not an easy one, but it�����Ƶ�s needed to help West Virginia limit big plays and get off the field earlier in drives.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (�����Ƶ News) �����Ƶ� Defensive back Jackie Matthews announced on Twitter that he is leaving West Virginia to enter the transfer portal.

He is the fourth player to announce he was leaving in the past three days. Matthews played in all 13 games for West Virginia this season, recording 35 tackles and one interception.

"I would like to begin with thanking God because without him this wouldn't be possible. I want to thank West Virginia University for giving me an opportunity to compete at a high level while earning my degree.

"To my brothers, thank you for always supporting me and pushing me to be the best version of myself daily. I will forever be grateful for the bonds I've built.

"To Mountaineer nation thank you for always being there for me throughout my ups and downs. I will cherish those moments for a lifetime.

"This has been the hardest decision of my life but I made a choice that was best for me and my future. With that being said I'll be entering my name into the portal and use my final year as a grad transfer."

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (�����Ƶ News) �����Ƶ� Before the Mountaineers head to Phoenix for the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, a dozen of them will cross the stage at the �����ƵU Coliseum to receive their diplomas.

Scottie Young (multidisciplinary studies), Bryce Ford-Wheaton (sport management), Dante Stills (multidisciplinary studies), Sean Ryan (multidisciplinary studies), Mike O�����Ƶ�Laughlin (entrepreneurship & innovation), Jackie Matthews (multidisciplinary studies), Leddie Brown (multidisciplinary studies), Evan Matthes (sport & exercise psychology), Casey Legg (accounting), Sam James (sport management), James Gmiter (criminology) and VanDarius Cowan (integrated studies) will obtain their bachelor�����Ƶ�s degrees Saturday.

Other than Brown, who is opting out of West Virginia�����Ƶ�s bowl game, O�����Ƶ�Laughlin, who is injured, and Cowan, who is transferring to Maryland, the other nine are not only anticipating graduation but also their upcoming bowl encounter with Minnesota (8-4) on Tuesday, Dec. 28.

�����Ƶ�I�����Ƶ�m looking forward to finishing the season in Phoenix,�����Ƶ� said �����ƵU head coach Neal Brown, who is leading the Mountaineers to a bowl game for the second time in his three years guiding the program, having defeated Army, 24-21, in the Liberty Bowl last season. �����Ƶ�It�����Ƶ�s been an up-and-down year; I think I�����Ƶ�ve been pretty honest about that. We finished on a high note with two wins in our last two weeks. We were sitting at 2-4 at the bye week, and we rallied to win four of our last six to get bowl eligible.

�����Ƶ�For our program, I think it�����Ƶ�s 18 (bowls) in the last 20 years.�����Ƶ�

West Virginia will be missing a major offensive weapon in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, as senior running back Leddie Brown has opted out of the game in order to begin his preparations for what he hopes will be an NFL career.

Brown was �����ƵU�����Ƶ�s leading rusher this past season, netting 1,065 yards on 223 carries through 12 games.

Without Leddie, sophomore Tony Mathis (256 rushing yards on 59 attempts) will ascend into the Mountaineers�����Ƶ� starting running back role with freshman Justin Johnson (55 rushing yards on 19 carriers) now moving up in the rotation, serving as the main backup.

�����Ƶ�It�����Ƶ�s a great opportunity for Tony,�����Ƶ� said Neal Brown of Mathis, who has played in 20 games through his first three seasons with the Mountaineers but has not previously had a start. �����Ƶ�He�����Ƶ�s played some great football. He�����Ƶ�s gotten better and better since the bye week (25 rushing yards in the first half of the season and 231 in the second half, capped off by a 118-yard performance at Kansas in the regular-season finale). He played almost every snap in the second half of the Kansas game. Leddie had the big run (a 44-yard TD dash midway through the third quarter), and then Tony brought it home.

�����Ƶ�It�����Ƶ�s a great opportunity for Tony, and also a great opportunity for Justin Johnson. I think it will give us a little insight into next year.�����Ƶ�

Leddie is the only Mountaineer �����ƵU�����Ƶ�s coach expects to opt out of the bowl game.

Tight end Mike O�����Ƶ�Lauglin, cornerback Nicktroy Fortune and linebacker Exree Loe were starters this past season, but their injuries will prevent them playing in Arizona. Linebacker Lance Dixon, defensive back Jackie Matthews and wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton also had late-season injuries, but they have sufficiently recovered and are expected to see action against Minnesota.

One member of the Mountaineers�����Ƶ� 2021 football staff who will not be in Arizona is Kirk Ciarrocca, who is �����ƵU�����Ƶ�s former offensive analyst and soon-to-be Minnesota�����Ƶ�s offensive coordinator.

Ciarrocca had previously coached for current Golden Gopher coach P.J. Fleck both at Western Michigan (2013-16) and Minnesota (2017-19). Fleck was in the process of rehiring Ciarrocca prior to the Guaranteed Rate Bowl pairing of �����ƵU and UM.

It made for a unique situation, but Brown and Fleck talked and decided it was best for Ciarrocca to sit out the trip to Phoenix. Ciarrocca had spent the 2021 season at West Virginia�����Ƶ�s offensive analyst.

�����Ƶ�It�����Ƶ�s my understanding that Kirk is not going to Arizona and will not coach in the bowl game. I�����Ƶ�m supportive of that,�����Ƶ� said Brown. �����Ƶ�We felt like it needed to be about the Minnesota players and the West Virginia players.�����Ƶ�

The Mountaineers will continue to practice in Morgantown through Dec. 25 with a couple of short breaks along the way. Then they�����Ƶ�ll fly to Phoenix on Christmas morning, where they�����Ƶ�ll conduct practices for three days before lining up against Minnesota at Chase Field on the night of Dec. 28 (10:15 p.m. Eastern Time).

For Brown, who is 4-0 as a head coach in bowl games, the postseason trips are a combination of work and fun.

�����Ƶ�We always talk about our goals for the game,�����Ƶ� he explained. �����Ƶ�No. 1 is to win the game. No. 2 is to make it an enjoyable, memorable experience. The third thing is to salute our senior class as they leave the program, to make sure we honor them the right way. And the fourth thing is to build momentum for the next season. I think those are our goals. This is the sixth time �����Ƶ� maybe fifth, I�����Ƶ�m getting old �����Ƶ� that we�����Ƶ�ve had an opportunity with me as the head coach to lead a team into a bowl, and those are the same goals we�����Ƶ�ve used every time.

�����Ƶ�We try to do everything we possibly can, from an entertainment to a gear to a meal standpoint to treat it like a reward. Our practices are much quicker. We cut our meeting times down because our prep time is longer, so we don�����Ƶ�t need long meetings.

�����Ƶ�We do treat this different,�����Ƶ� added Brown, who holds a 17-17 record at �����ƵU. �����Ƶ�This is not a regular game. This is a bowl game that is supposed to be a reward. We try to treat it as such. We want it to be a good experience for them, a deserving experience for them.�����Ƶ�

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (�����Ƶ News) �����Ƶ� You might recall that panicked moment this past spring when Tykee Smith, who was supposed to be West Virginia's best player in the secondary and maybe the first- or second-best safety in the country, announced that he was leaving West Virginia and transferring to Georgia.

No one saw how the Mountaineers would overcome that loss ... no one, that is, except maybe for Coach Neal Brown, who knew he had something of a secret weapon already on his roster in Jackie Matthews, Jr.

Brown had been following him since his high school days in Alabama, seen him as a kid who could do a lot of things but really didn't have one position, which led him on a strange journey that culminated Saturday when he made an explosive move on the goal line to break up fourth down pass from the 4-yard-line that would have won the game for Virginia Tech.

But Matthews, with a lot of help from linebacker Lance Dixon, saved the day with a big time hit.

How good a play was it that Matthews made?

"Unbelievable," defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley said at Tuesday's press conference ahead of Saturday's crucial match up at Oklahoma. "Coach Brown talks about straining. We talk about effort plays. Well, you're not going to find a better effort play. The kid's beat, catches up in a key situation.

"Those are the plays that win you games. It isn't what I draw on the board or what anybody draws on the board. It's those kinds of plays made by big time players."

But let's get back to Matthews' low-profile journey that put him together with Neal Brown in Morgantown.

"I followed him his freshman year at Gulf Coast [Junior College]," Brown said. "He was a high school quarterback at Pinson Valley, which is a traditional program right outside Birmingham. He played it as a junior and then Patrick Nix got the coaching job there."

Patrick Nix had a son named, Bo, a pretty good quarterback who wound up playing pretty good at auburn.

Matthews wanted to stay at uarterback, but when you're going against the coach's son and he's big time talent ... well, you find new position.

"They eventually figured it out and had a pretty good season. Jackie wound up playing receiver and defensive back and I think they won the state championship, " Brown said.

So he knew about Matthews early but, Brown said, "he didn't really register on my radar until he got to Gulf Coast."

There was this special something about the kid that Brown really liked.

"He wins the high school state championship, goes to Gulf Coast, plays multiple positions and wins the national championship the second year," Brown said.

You can read into that what you want.

"I do think there is something about that. He was a selfless player in junior college and you just don't see that. He played like free safety, corner, played nickel and I'm talking about all within his second season," Brown said.

Last year he played in 10 games at �����ƵU, starting one, but wasn't overly impressing, not that it bothered Brown

"You see this a lot," Brown said. "Junior college players are usually much improved the second year. That's been for sure the case with Jackie."

He came back this year, worked hard with returning safeties Alonzo Addae and Scottie Young and had a big spring before being injured in fall camp.

His versatility has made him a valuable cog in the secondary, playing corner, safety and some Mike linebacker in some dime packages.

"The thing I like about Jackie is he plays one speed," Brown said, and that speed isn't slow. "He is one of the best strikers we have. What I mean by that is when he comes downhill, he uses good technique and he's not holding back anything. He's looking for full contact.

"He's got a little presence about him that maybe some of the guys on that side of the ball don't have. He's got a little bounce to him."

"The best thing with Jackie is he finds the ball," Lesley said. "There are really good athletes, really good ballplayers. You find the combination and that's when you really have something. He's a combination of both. He's a good athlete, runs well, has good size and usually has the right intentions when he gets to the ball, which is why we recruited him.

"Just moving him around on the field is something he enjoys. It helps him because it matches his skill set. We see how people are trying to attack us and we have the flexibility to move him to those areas, which benefits us and benefits him."

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (�����Ƶ News) �����Ƶ� Wow!

What else is there to say after what transpired on Mountaineer Field Saturday as West Virginia survived both Virginia Tech and itself, 27-21, in a game that had more twists and turns than does Route 7 between Morgantown and Preston County.

I know. I make my living with words ... probably in a 60-year career I have written well more than a million of them.

But the best I got right now is Wow!

Wow! to what Jared Bartlett did. Five tackles, three of �����ƵU�����Ƶ�s six sacks.

The offensive tackles didn�����Ƶ�t have a chance. He was only a rumor to them.

�����Ƶ�I trust my coaches,�����Ƶ� Bartlett said. �����Ƶ�They are good tackles. I�����Ƶ�m not going to knock them.�����Ƶ�

Why should he? He�����Ƶ�d already abused them all day.

�����Ƶ�My advantage is pass rushing speed. So it�����Ƶ�s just trusting speed on the edge. That really helped me out today,�����Ƶ� he said.

No one knew who he was until Saturday. Now they may be naming streets after him throughout West Virginia.

Then there�����Ƶ�s a Wow! to Jackie Matthews, his defensive partner, who was in on everything that went on at the end of the game when �����ƵU put together a goal line stand to save not only �����ƵU�����Ƶ�s skin but also Jarret Doege�����Ƶ�s, whose interception on a screen pass while protecting a six-point lead with 2:11 left put the Hokies in position to win the game.

But Matthews wouldn�����Ƶ�t them let them have it. Bartlett wouldn�����Ƶ�t let them have. Alonzo Addae, who led �����ƵU with nine tackles, wouldn�����Ƶ�t let them have it. Dante Stills wouldn�����Ƶ�t. No one would.

Sixty-thousand fans weren�����Ƶ�t going to allow them to steal the Black Diamond Trophy away again from right before their eyes, not after it had spent the last 6,195 days in Tech�����Ƶ�s possession in Blacksburg.

Wow!

Virginia Tech was fighting from behind right from the first Wow! ... that being an 80-yard touchdown burst on �����ƵU�����Ƶ�s first running play of the afternoon by Leddie Brown, who would finish the day with 106 yards on 19 tries.

In some ways Brown knew that play had to pop.

�����Ƶ�The scout team gave us that look all week,�����Ƶ� Brown said. �����Ƶ�I knew what I had to do as soon as I got the ball.�����Ƶ�

So, what was that?

�����Ƶ�Get to the end zone,�����Ƶ� he said, laughing.

The Mountaineers built that to a 27-7 lead into the final seconds of the third, when Tech scored to give you the idea that there was some life flowing through the body that had been left for dead.

What they did deserved a wow, too, for they managed somehow to overcome all kinds of adversity, making chateaubriand out of hamburger situations, over and over.

But in the end, it turned out the main course for them was nothing more than a grilled cheese sandwich, which was about all the Hokies could chew after the Mountaineers had kicked their teeth out for three quarters,

Wow!? How about a Wow! for an entire defense that created 13 negative plays.

Didn�����Ƶ�t Neal Brown say this heading into the game: �����Ƶ�We have to be in attack mode. Who do we want to be as a football team? We want to be a tough, physical team that does not beat ourselves. after the Maryland game, that�����Ƶ�s who we are until proved otherwise.�����Ƶ�

They offered that proof before a sea of gold on a Gold Rush Saturday.

So it went, a game West Virginia will remember forever; a game Virginia Tech will try to forget for just as long.

They tell you in journalism school that you don�����Ƶ�t use words like wow and you don�����Ƶ�t, under any circumstances, use exclamation points.

Words will provide the emphasis ... but, darn it, I don�����Ƶ�t have those words today so you are just going to have to take the best I got after this one:

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!