How Transfers Have Impacted WVU’s Depth Chart Heading into 2021

Hour after its first practice this spring, the West Virginia football team lost yet another player to the transfer portal Wednesday night, this time it being All-American safety Tykee Smith.

Since the start of the 2020 season, WVU has had 19 players enter the transfer portal, as transfer numbers soar across the Big 12 and all of college football. The team’s two biggest losses have been the most recent ones in Smith and starting cornerback Dreshun Miller. Other than Smith and Miller, none of the other transfers projected to be starters in 2021, although several would have certainly shown up on WVU’s two-deep depth chart.

Here’s how each transfer since the start of the 2020 season could affect the Mountaineers in 2021:

Starters

• Tykee Smith – S
• Dreshun Miller – CB (Auburn)

Smith and Miller are the only clear-cut starters to have left the program, both entering the transfer portal in the last month.

Miller was one of WVU’s starting outside cornerbacks through all of 2020, but the Mountaineers will return the other starting outside corner in Nicktroy Fortune and there are viable depth options like Jackie Matthews and Daryl Porter.

Smith will be harder to replace, both because of his high-level of play and his position. An All-American, Smith has seen basically every snap at the spear position over the last two seasons. The only other player listed at spear on the spring roster is former walk-on Niam Muhammad, as 2020 recruit Jairo Faverus has moved to linebacker for this season. WVU should have a deep safety room, however, with Sean Mahone, Alonzo Addae, Scottie Young and Kerry Martin Jr. all returning.

Backups

• Austin Kendall – QB
• Alec Sinkfield – RB (Boston College)
• Ali Jennings – WR (Old Dominion)
• Junior Uzebu – OL (Vanderbilt)
• Briason Mays – OL (Southern Miss)
• Quay Mays – DL (Arkansas State)
• Bryce Brand – DE
• Noah Guzman – S

While not losing many starters, the biggest blow transfer will deal to WVU this year will be in its depth.

Kendall lost the starting quarterback job to Jarret Doege at the beginning of last season and served as the team’s primary backup. He played the second half of WVU’s bowl game against Army and led the team to a win. Behind Doege this year should be underclassmen Garrett Greene and Will “Goose” Crowder.

Sinkfield backed up starting running back Leddie Brown, but was relatively unproductive both running the ball and as the team’s punt returner. Neal Brown has already talked about the importance of developing more running back depth, focusing on returners Tony Mathis and A’varius Sparrow.

Jennings saw his playing time reduced from his freshman season in a crowded WVU receiving room. Sam James, Bryce Ford-Wheaton and Winston Wright will all return as former starters.

Uzebu started 2020 as one of the team’s starting offensive tackle but was replaced partway through the season. Briason Mays has started at both center and right tackle before but was used mostly in a rotational role last season. WVU returns Parker Moorer and Virginia transfer Ja’Quay Hubbard and will add Virginia Tech transfer Doug Nestor as tackles options in 2021.

Quay Mays was a junior college transfer last season and saw limited snaps, recording just four tackles. Brand transferred to WVU from Maryland and spent much of the season ineligible. He played in two games and had one tackle. Dante Still, Jeffery Pooler Jr., Akheem Mesidor and Taijh Alston highlight WVU’s returning defensive lineman in 2021.

Guzman’s role decreased from 2019 to 2020, recording just nine tackles.

Depth/Underclassmen

• Trent Jackson – QB*
• Lorenzo Dorr – RB*
• Keion Wakefield – WR*
• Zack Dobson – WR
• Jackson Knipper – FB/TE*
• Blaine Scott – OL
• Charlie Benton – LB (UAB)
• Tacorey Turner – CB
• Tavion Mayo – CB

*A former walk-on

These players were mostly scout team or special teams players.

Dobson transferred to WVU from Middle Tennessee State but did dress for his first few games with the team as Neal Brown said he would not be ready to contribute until later in the year.

Turner and Mayo were scholarship players whose departures will leave WVU’s cornerback room thin this season.

Additions

• Doug Nestor – OL (Virginia Tech)
• Lance Dixon – LB (Penn State)

Like any other team, West Virginia can add players from the transfer portal as well. Brown said the team is going to use this spring to evaluate their needs and may add graduate transfers ass necessary this summer.

Nestor, a West Virginia native, is transferring in from Virginia Tech and is with the team this spring. His starting experience gives him an extremely good chance to be one of WVU’s starting tackles this season.

Dixon is coming in from Penn State. While he did not play much with the Nittany Lions, he was a highly-rated recruit coming out of Michigan in 2019. He should join Josh Chandler-Semedo as one of WVU’s primary off-ball linebackers this season.

WVU will also have Hubbard, who transferred from Virginia, and safety Scottie Young, who transferred from Arizona. Both dealt with eligibility issues last season as only Young played, starting the bowl game against Army.