W.Va.’sMORGANTOWN A few starting positions and additional spots on the depth chart are expected to be occupied by Mountaineers acquired through the transfer portal in the offseason. Neal Brown, the head coach in his sixth year, has stated time and time again that when deciding whether to make an offer to a player in the portal, a player’s culture fit is just as significant as their performance on the field.

There will be a certain amount of risk for certain players. However, too much risk should not be present in a room. It is identical to having a portfolio of investments. Certain risks are advantageous because they carry significant rewards. However, you don’t want all of the risk in your portfolio. The same holds true when examining position rooms, according to Brown.

Because it is moving so quickly, I don’t think we will ever reach 100 [percent]. I have complete faith in the procedures that our scouting department follows. Both the football and the character piece are measured well by them.

After the fifth practice of the spring window on Thursday, Brown shared a list of some of the team’s top additions from the transfer portal, with former Oklahoma State wide receiver Jaden Bray at the top of the list.

“He fits the culture perfectly. He is incredibly talented. He requires some expertise. He is a little unpolished. However, I enjoy his style of play.

Xavier Bausley, a transfer from Jacksonville State and a graduate of South Charleston High School, plans to fight for a starting position on an offensive line that features five of its top seven players from the 2023 campaign.

“Xavier Bausley has a huge appetite. There is a learning curve because it is a step up in the competition. However, he is putting in a lot of effort and values it.

Reid Carrico, a former Ohio State linebacker and native of Ironton, Ohio, was the first defensive player Brown mentioned.

“He’s a very intelligent football player. He has produced excellent work. In addition to playing linebacker, he has excelled on special teams. He is aware of how crucial that is. He performed that function at Ohio State.

Northwestern has added the most players to the roster as of late, according to the transfer portal. Just before spring drills began, safety Jaheem Joseph and cornerback Garnett Hollis Jr. arrived on campus.

“The two transfers from Northwestern have extensive football experience. I believe Garnett has what it takes to play in the NFL. There’s a lot of ball around Joseph. Both of them are actual players of the game. They spend so much time in this building.

As a member of the Duquesne Dukes, cornerback Ayden Garnes faced the Mountaineers last September.

He’s going to catch everyone off guard. When he performed last year, he really stood out to us. He is able to keep up with EJ [Horton], who is the fastest player we will ever have. He’s also constantly near the ball. He has been [intercepted] more than once. On Friday, he had two touchdowns.

When the spring drills conclude, another window on the transfer portal will open. According to Brown, any additional roster expansions might be considered extravagances, and the players already on the team will decide which positions—if any—need reinforcement from outside transfers.

“A lot of it relies on our personal growth. Will some of those young guys at tight end prove they’re ready to play? We should be fine if they do. We should probably go find one if they don’t. Is it possible for our offensive line’s interior to keep getting better? If those young guys can do it, I believe it will demonstrate our readiness for the fall. If not, we will require.

“For safety, I would say the same.” There are a few redshirt freshmen in the rear.

For the past four seasons, Zach Frazier has supported West Virginia’s offensive line from the inside out. However, Brown noted that during Friday’s third practice last week, the Mountaineer defensive line undoubtedly had the upper hand. Brown is getting ready for the NFL Draft later this month.

“On Friday, our offensive line received a great gift from our D-Line, who went after them with great intensity. I believe that in part, it’s because of the fantastic days that Fatorma [Mulbah], Eddie [Vesterinen], and Hammond Russell had in the interior of our D-Line.

They have been playing Zach Frazier every day, and they have lost more games than they have won, which contributes to part of that. They were prepared to repay the favor as this was the first day after he had left in full pads. That served as a great wake-up call for our offensive line, in my opinion.

West Virginia’s offensive front is still expected to perform well even with Doug Nester and Frazier graduating.

“We intend to rank among the top rushing offenses in the nation. We fully anticipate leading the league in [fewest] sacks allowed and having few tackles for loss. However, a great deal of work goes into that.

Wyatt Milum, a left tackle from Spring Valley High School, is in his fourth season as a starter, and Brown notes that the normally reserved veteran is starting to speak up more.

Wyatt is under pressure to take over and lead like Zach did. He’s the best player in that room right now. For that, he is prepared. He’s attempting to solve it. He had Doug there even in high school, so it’s a whole new world for him. I am thrilled that he will have the chance to take the lead.