Andrew Powdrell Adds Much-Needed Tackling to Secondary | WVU Football All 105

All 105 is a West Virginia Sports Now series profiling each member of the 2026 WVU Football Roster.

WVU endured one of the worst pass defenses in the nation over each of the past two seasons. The Mountaineers’ attempt to plug-and-play senior transfers during the 2025 campaign didn’t work out: Rich Rodriguez had an abbreviated offseason during his first year back in Morgantown, limiting his ability to attack the transfer portal.

Players like 5-foot-10, 186 pound safety Andrew Powdrell indicate a step in the right direction for the Mountaineers’ but the senior transfer still has plenty of question marks. He started 14 games in each of the past two seasons, playing on a UNLV squad that made the Mountain West title game and a Montana State team that ran to the FCS Championship… but played at cornerback, rather than his listed position of safety with the Mountaineers.

Powdrell is undersized for a safety: players at his position tend to be the biggest in the secondary. If he can make up for that lack of size with speed and range, however, he could turn into a valuable last line of defense with the Mountaineers.

0 • Andrew Powdrell, senior safety

Last Year: Powdrell started 14 games with UNLV in his first taste of FBS football.

Stats: 63 tackles (41 solo), five pass breakups and 1.5 tackles for loss.

Post-Camp Outlook: The Mountaineers have ten safeties on their roster, and Powdrell could face growing pains as he switches from his previous position as a cornerback. He made 41 solo tackles last season, however, and those consistent fundamentals should prove critical for a secondary in need of a jolt.

Projected Role: Expect Powdrell to lock up a starting safety role in 2026… and to provide valuable leadership for a secondary in desperate need of a turnaround.

Accolades, Highlights: Although he was unranked as a high school recruit, beginning his college career in the FCS, Powdrell played for a premier program in Montana State. His consistent performance on an FCS Championship contender — and subsequent ‘prove-it’ year with UNLV as he acclimated to the top flight of Division I — helped him earn a three-star rating as a transfer from 247Sports.

Coverage Links:

UNLV Transfer CB Andrew Powdrell Commits to WVU Football After OV