West Virginia Football finished the 2023 season at 9-4 with a win in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. They exceeded expectations this season after being picked to finish last in the Big 12 in preseason.
But how did the individual players grade out?
This article will take a look at West Virginia’s overall Pro Football Focus grades for the 2023 season. The list will be split into offense and defense and list the grades from first to worst among players to play at least 25 snaps and discuss the notable highlights from those grades.
The way PFF’s grading system works, it is possible to have a player with an overall grade higher or lower than any individual game of theirs if they consistently play at a high/low level throughout the season. A notable example from West Virginia is HB CJ Donaldson, who has an overall grade higher than any of his individual game grades.
Offense
- QB Garrett Greene: 90.7 (738 snaps)
- HB Jahiem White: 89.0 (275 snaps)
- HB CJ Donaldson Jr.: 79.8 (426 snaps)
- LT Wyatt Milum: 79.0 (754 snaps)
- WR Hudson Clement: 78.4 (370 snaps)
- C Landen Livingston: 77.4 (38 snaps)
- C Zach Frazier: 74.5 (806 snaps)
- G Bryce Biggs: 74.0 (32 snaps)
- WR C.J. Cole: 71.4 (31 snaps)
- WR Devin Carter: 70.5 (498 snaps)
- RT Doug Nester: 68.6 (663 snaps)
- HB Justin Johnson Jr.: 66.5 (127 snaps)
- QB Nicco Marchiol: 65.8 (206 snaps)
- HB Jaylen Anderson: 65.3 (126 snaps)
- TE Kole Taylor: 64.7 (705 snaps)
- WR EJ Horton: 64.5 (165 snaps)
- T Nick Malone: 64.0 (418 snaps)
- LG Tomas Rimac: 63.4 (690 snaps)
- WR Traylon Ray: 62.6 (452 snaps)
- WR Ja’Shaun Poke: 61.8 (29 snaps)
- WR Preston Fox: 61.7 (423 snaps)
- G Sullivan Weidman: 61.4 (54 snaps)
- FB Luke Hamilton: 61.1 (25 snaps)
- T Johnny Williams IV: 59.7 (47 snaps)
- RG Brandon Yates: 58.1 (795 snaps)
- RG Ja’Quay Hubbard: 57.5 (432 snaps)
- TE Victor Wikstrom: 53.1 (29 snaps)
- WR Rodney Gallagher III: 53.0 (269 snaps)
- WR Cortez Braham: 50.3 (151 snaps)
- T Nick Krahe: 49.8 (25 snaps)
- WR Jarel Williams: 48.9 (57 snaps)
- WR Jeremiah Aaron: 48.1 (55 snaps)
- TE Treylan Davis: 43.4 (382 snaps)
Garrett Greene finished the season leading the offensive PFF grades. He also finished the season as the highest graded guy in the passing game, where he had a 62.8 adjusted completion percentage, 30 big time throws to eight turnover worthy plays.
Jahiem White had a standout true freshman season, finishing as the highest graded guy in the rushing game at 91.8. White led the team with 842 rushing yards and forced the most missed tackles with 32.
As aforementioned, CJ Donaldson’s grade is higher than any of his individual game grades. He had the second-most rushing yards and rushing touchdowns on the team and didn’t grade below 60.4 in any game on the season.
Wyatt Milum finished the season leading all offensive linemen in run blocking grade at 75.1, and led the regular starters in pass blocking grade at 82.3.
Hudson Clement burst onto the season as a redshirt freshman, finishing as the highest graded player in the receiving game at 79.5. He tied for the team lead in touchdown catches and did not drop a pass on the season.
Backup offensive lineman Sullivan Weidman led the team in pass blocking grade at 83.4 on just 18 pass blocking snaps.
Wide receiver Cortez Braham, who left the team at the end of September, ultimately led the team in run blocking grade at 77.4.
Defense
- FS Aubrey Burks: 79.4 (703 snaps)
- DL Fatorma Mulbah: 78.7 (240 snaps)
- CB Beanie Bishop Jr.: 76.0 (837 snaps)
- SPEAR Hershey McLaurin: 74.6 (302 snaps)
- LB Lee Kpogba: 73.8 (777 snaps)
- DL Hammond Russell IV: 73.7 (112 snaps)
- CB Malachi Ruffin: 70.6 (742 snaps)
- SS Anthony Wilson: 69.7 (787 snaps)
- S Marcis Floyd: 68.6 (492 snaps)
- LB Jairo Faverus: 67.1 (40 snaps)
- DL Edward Vesterinen: 66.7 (518 snaps)
- DL Tomiwa Durojaiye: 66.5 (270 snaps)
- LB Trey Lathan: 65.4 (264 snaps)
- DL Sean Martin: 65.1 (489 snaps)
- BAN Tyrin Bradley: 64.3 (327 snaps)
- DL Davoan Hawkins: 64.3 (152 snaps)
- DL Jalen Thornton: 63.8 (217 snaps)
- LB Caden Biser: 62.9 (130 snaps)
- DL Asani Redwood: 60.4 (138 snaps)
- CB Jacolby Spells: 60.2 (131 snaps)
- SPEAR Lance Dixon: 59.9 (182 snaps)
- LB Taurus Simmons: 58.9 (41 snaps)
- DL Mike Lockhart: 56.7 (409 snaps)
- BAN Jared Bartlett: 56.5 (578 snaps)
- LB Ben Cutter: 50.3 (464 snaps)
- SPEAR Raleigh Collins III: 45.7 (59 snaps)
- CB Andrew Wilson-Lamp: 41.6 (63 snaps)
- S Keyshawn Cobb: 29.7 (75 snaps)
The defense in 2023 according to the PFF data had 198 pressures, 108 quarterback hurries, 41 sacks, 49 quarterback hits, 132 missed tackles, a 63.4 completion percentage allowed, 11 interceptions, and 42 pass breakups.
Aubrey Burks finished as the highest graded starter as well as the highest graded coverage guy at 83.6.
Fatorma Mulbah, who spent most of the season as a rotational piece on the defensive line, led the team in run defense grade at 79.7.
Beanie Bishop allowed a team-high five touchdowns in coverage but also led the team with four interceptions and 14 pass breakups, tied for second-most in the nation.
Lee Kpogba led the team in tackles with 102 combined and defensive stops with 42.
Kpogba and Trey Lathan tied for the team lead in quarterback hits with eight apiece. Lathan managed to do this despite being lost for the season after five games.
Sean Martin led the team with 28 pressures and 19 quarterback hurries. Jared Bartlett led the team in sacks with seven.
Lance Dixon led the team with an 86.5 tackling grade. He had 14 combined tackles on the season without missing any.
Taurus Simmons led the team in pass rushing grade at 90.3 on just 12 pass rushing snaps.
Photo by Aaron Parker, Blue Gold Sports
