Asti: Tomiwa Durojaiye Has Potential to be Big Win for WVU Defense

The second attempt at pursuing Tomiwa Durojaiye ended up being the charm for WVU. When Durojaiye announced his decision to transfer from Kentucky to West Virginia, it came years after the Mountaineers initially lost out on the defensive lineman.

But the fact that he started off his college career elsewhere doesn’t matter. West Virginia will now have an opportunity to truly benefit from the potential upside of Durojaiye.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 278 pounds, Durojaiye has four years of eligibility left after only appearing in three games for the Wild Cats during the 2022 season. Unlike some of the other transfer players acquired by WVU, this makes adding Durojaiye about much more than just 2023.

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The Middletown, Delaware native hasn’t been able to make an impact at the college level, but there’s plenty of reason to believe he has the ability to develop into a force as a Mountaineer. Durojaiye was actually classified as a three-star recruit in the 2022 class out of Middletown High School.

Durojaiye’s Potential is Evident to WVU

WVU knew the player that Durojaiye could become, with current defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley heavily pursuing him at that time. As is common in this era, Lesley kept that relationship going strong, eventually allowing him to secure the player as a transfer.

A former three-star recruit with four years of eligibility can provide a bridge to the future of the defensive line. With Dante Stills now in the NFL, Sean Martin has been labeled the new leader of the defensive line group, and even West Virginia’s defense overall. But Martin won’t be around forever. Could Durojaiye be the next guy looked upon to take over the reigns after Martin? It’s definitely possible.

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The Benefit and Risk of Duojaiye Connected to Lesley

Another benefit of having a player with some college experience, but one that’s hungry for much more, is that he’s extra motivated to prove himself. That’s obviously something any coach loves to see in a player.

Durojaiye’s bond Lesley means he will be coachable, but does create a potential problem in keeping him if a new coaching staff were to arrive in Morgantown. So while the addition of Durojaiye is intended to help with more than just depth for this coming season, it does put an extra layer of pressure on the team to win enough.

For WVU to receive the full impact of Durojaiye’s potential, Lesley and defensive line coach Andrew Jackson will have to be allowed to continue their work. And there’s no guarantee that would be the case if head coach Neal Brown is eventually relieved of his duties.

Either way, Durojaiye has the potential to be a big win for the Mountaineers.