West Virginia’s secondary received an influx of transfers over the past off-season. As the season opener against Penn State looms at the end of the month, let’s look at how the cornerback room stacks up going into the season.
Ayden Garnes
Garnes is a redshirt junior who transferred to West Virginia after three seasons with Duquesne. During his two seasons of active time with the Dukes, the Philadelphia native started in 19 consecutive games across 2022 and 2023. As a full time starter last season, Garnes recorded 51 tackles and ranked third on the team with five tackles for loss. He also lead Duquesne in pass breakups with 11. Expect Garnes to bring plenty of experience to a relatively young cornerback room, as he is only one of two cornerbacks entering their fourth season.
TJ Crandall
Crandall is a true sophomore that transfered from Colorado State last December. In his freshman year, Crandall appeared in 10 games and started five for the Rams. He registered 19 tackles, including 13 unassisted stops and a tackle for loss. Crandall also caught an interception against Utah State, a game in which he also had three tackles. The former three-star prospect only held five offers before committing: Colorado State, Arizona State, Army, Idaho State, and Yale. Expect Crandall to see playing time this fall, but to develop into a full-fledged starter in the seasons to come.
Jordan Jackson
Jackson is a redshirt freshman who saw limited action in two games last season. In high school, Jackson was ranked as a three-star prospect by 247Sports. During his recruitment, the Cincinnati native recieved 16 offers. Those included opportunities to play at Duke, Maryland, Minnesota and Purdue. Jackson visited Duke, Purdue, and West Virginia, but committed to the Mountaineers before his official visit to Morgantown. With his commitment, Jordan joined his twin brother Josiah in Morgantown with the Class of 2023. In high school, Jackson took snaps at running back along with playing in the secondary. His diverse skill set should help his development in the coming seasons, but expect him to be a depth piece in 2024.
Garnett Hollis Jr.
Hollis is a true senior who transferred from Northwestern with two years of eligibility remaining. Hollis was a full time starter for the Wildcats last season, registering 49 tackles, one interception, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery. Notably, 33 of those 49 tackles were unassisted. He also registered five tackles in five seperate games throughout the course of the season. Hollis is one of two players to transfer from Northwestern to West Virginia over the past offseason, joining free safety Jaheem Joseph. Like Garnes, Hollis brings a wealth of experience from his final two seasons at Northwestern. He’ll likely be an immediate starter for the Mountaineers.
Jacolby Spells
Spells is a true junior who appeared in 12 games last season, adding depth to the cornerback position. He finished 2023 with eight tackles, including five solo stops, an assist on a tackle for loss and also had a pass breakup. He also found success with West Virginia’s special teams, appearing in a season-high 12 snaps for the unit. The former four-star prospect was coached by three-time NFL Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Surtain in high school, and also participated in track. The receiver turned cornerback ran a 10.79 in the 100 meters dash. Look for Spells to get more snaps in 2024 behind Garnett Hollis Jr. and Ayden Garnes, but expect him to become a starter in 2025.
Dontez Fagan
Fagan is a redshirt senior who transferred from Charlotte after a chaotic collegiate career. The Oklahoma City native originally committed to Central Oklahoma, a Division II school, for the 2019 season. He redshirted in 2019, but the Broncos didn’t compete in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2021 was Fagan’s first season seeing playing time, and he recorded 14 tackles, 2 interceptions and 2 pass breakups in 11 games. At the conclusion of the season, Fagan transferred to the JUCO level, committing to Independence Community College in Independence, Kansas. In his redshirt sophomore season, Fagan earned KJCCC All-Conference First Team Honors after recording 14 tackles, including two tackles for loss in seven games. He also had an interception and a pass breakup. Fagan entered the portal again after the 2022 season, being ranked as a two-star JUCO prospect. He received offers from multiple Group of 5 teams, including Buffalo, Georgia Southern, Kent State and New Mexico State, but ultimately committed to Charlotte in the American Athletic Conference. Now playing Division I football, Fagan played in 12 games for the 49ers, including 9 starts. He collected 21 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss and an interception in 2023 before transferring to West Virginia for his final season of eligibility. Fagan’s journey has taken him from a complete unknown into a competitor for snaps at the Power 4 level. Expect to see Fagan getting snaps in the secondary this season. While his path to the Mountaineers is unlike anyone else’s, it seems impossible to keep Fagan down and out.
