Four Mountaineers Eligible to Play for WVU Thanks to New Ruling

Four Mountaineers will be able to take to the court, field and baseball diamond for WVU again thanks to a new legal ruling.

The US District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia granted Brenen Lorient, Javan Buchanan, Jason Chambers and Ben McDougal a fifth year of eligibility, clearing them to play for their respective WVU teams.

Even after being issued a preliminary injunction by Judge Charlotte Sweeney of the U.S. District Court of Colorado in mid August, as a response to a lawsuit, their eligibility was still in doubt up until this point.

Concerning Chambers, West Virginia football head coach Rich Rodriguez said he had not heard his status as recent as Tuesday. However, Rodriguez also added that he expected to know the final decision in the week prior.

Lorient, a 6-foot-9 forward, was an impact player for WVU last year after following Ross Hodge from North Texas to West Virginia, averaging 11.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. He also led the team in blocks last year with 45. As for Buchanan, the 6-foot-7, 230-pound senior from Lafayette, Ind., transferred from Boise State in April.

WVU’s Brenen Lorient drives with the ball against Lehigh early in the 2025-26 season. (WVSN photo by Kelsie LeRose)

Buchanan spent the past two seasons with the Broncos after transferring from the NAIA level. Buchanan averaged 12.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game during the 2025-26 season. He appeared in 37 games and was named the Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year. He shot 42.3% from the field and 83.6% from the free throw line. His career free throw percentage of 82.7% ranked third in Boise State history.

Chambers will return to college football after earning an invite to an NFL rookie mini camp. He transferred to West Virginia ahead of the 2025 season. He recorded 34 total tackles with four pass deflections and an interception.

Before becoming a Mountaineer, Chambers played 11 games at Appalachian State in 2024, recording 38 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and an interception.

And McDougal, he was 1-1 with a 3.96 ERA in 19 appearances out of the bullpen for Steve Sabins’ team in 2025 and then was 1-0 with a 3.14 ERA in 13 games and a memorable postseason outing in 2026 in helping WVU reach the College World Series for the first time in school history.