Cornerback Garnett Hollis Jr entered the transfer portal this offseason after playing four years at Northwestern.
Hollis was looking to get one more good year out of college football and continue to develop as he eyed a future in the NFL. When getting recruited to West Virginia, they used Beanie Bishop as a prime example of how they could develop him.
Bishop too transferred to WVU for his final season of eligibility and made a splash for the Mountaineers. In 2023 after leading the nation in passes defended and being a staple in West Virginia, he became a consensus All-American. Now with the Pittsburgh Steelers after signing as an undrafted free agent, Bishop’s 2023 season continues to influence transfers being recruited by WVU.
“For me it was more of you know I got one year left so I’m trying to make the most out of and I’m trying to get to the next level. So the school that I go to I need to be in a position that I can take that next step,” Hollis said. “Coach ShaDon (Brown), coach Cod (Jevaugh Codlin) you know they all made me feel like I could do that. They made me feel like I can be a top round guy. They made me feel like I can come here and make plays. They made me feel like with Beanie’s success, that I could [have] that same success.”
When asked further about Bishop’s influence, Hollis explained why it was such a difference maker and how Bishop was a resource during the process.
“He definitely played a big role and I was able to talk to him in the process a little bit. And like just seeing the process and him going from Big Ten to Big 12 and seeing his stats and the plays that he made, the transition that he made you know it was kind of night and day,” Hollis said. “Being able to get all of that information and see the technique that Coach ShaDon implements and seeing it work you know it was a really a no-brainer. To be behind a consensus All American and trying to replace him, I was up for the challenge, it’s something I was looking forward to.”
Hollis then went in depth when asked what Bishop told him, saying that it was all in line with what he wanted.
“He was just telling me that it was a great program great culture, the coaches you know they really coached and that’s something that I also wanted was I wanted to be coached. I wanted my technique to be heightened, I wanted my my feet to get better, I wanted my ball skills to get better. And you know he kind of just told me all of those things were true,” Hollis said. “You know you can kind of get lost in you know what coaches tell you and what you really believe and how it really is in the program. So, him kind of solidifying that information is something that I didn’t take for granted at all kind.”
