WVU Football
Isaiah Patterson a Run-Stopping Guru? | WVU Football All 105
All 105 is a West Virginia Sports Now series profiling each member of the 2026 WVU Football Roster.
West Virginia’s linebacker group is probably the best of any of their defensive positions and, while that’s good for the Mountaineers as a team, it also means playing time might be hard to come by for younger players like redshirt sophomore Isaiah Patterson.
Patterson, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 235 pounds, broke into the lineup at UNLV as a reserve last season. Going from a Group of Five backup to a Power Four starter requires some growing pains: luckily for the Mountaineers, they have enough talent at linebacker that Patterson should have plenty of time to figure things out. In the interim, his stocky frame could earn him dedicated snaps in short yardage situations: he’s listed as the second-heaviest linebacker on the Mountaineers’ roster.
16 • Isaiah Patterson, redshirt sophomore linebacker
Last Year: Patterson appeared in 13 games as a reserve at UNLV during his redshirt freshman season.
Stats: 40 tackles (20 solo), a tackle for loss, 0.5 sacks and a pass breakup.
Post-Camp Outlook: Patterson is one of 10 players listed at linebacker — as opposed to edge rusher — on the WVU roster. With proven contributors ahead of him on the depth chart, expect a developmental year as he gets ready for Power Four competition. A true freshman campaign at UCLA should help him out, but Patterson only played on special teams that season.
Projected Role: Patterson has a chance to establish himself as a hard worker in practice this season. He can also earn playing time as a reserve or on special teams, paving the way for an increased role moving forward.
Accolades, Highlights: Patterson solidified himself as a tackling machine in high school, winning a Washington state championship as a junior in 2022.
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