With the 2024 West Virginia football season ending and a new coaching regime taking over, the NCAA Transfer Portal is already in full swing.
In the past week, multiple athletes, including linebacker Josiah Trotter and running back CJ Donaldson, have entered the transfer portal, signaling their departures from Morgantown.
The expectation is that new head coach Rich Rodriguez will have the opportunity to bring in fresh faces to reshape the roster. Let’s examine how Rodriguez has utilized the transfer portal in his last two seasons at Jacksonville State.
In 2023, Jacksonville State added seven transfers, three of whom came from Power Five programs. In 2024, Rodriguez significantly ramped up his portal activity, landing 19 transfers, 10 of whom hailed from Power Five schools.
It’s worth noting that most of those transfers arrived after the New Year, a patient approach that could be replicated at West Virginia. For Jacksonville State, a Group of Five school, this measured strategy made sense, as they often didn’t have the first pick of athletes entering the portal.
A similar scenario may unfold in Morgantown. The process could initially move slowly but is expected to pick up momentum closer to the New Year, with more transfers coming in during the offseason. Rodriguez is currently evaluating the existing roster through one-on-one meetings to determine which players fit his vision moving forward.
Additionally, a significant portal activity likely won’t occur until Rodriguez announces his staff hires. These hires will play a crucial role in recruiting players and selling them on the opportunity to join the Mountaineers.
