Jacob Bradford Falls in West Virginia’s Lap | WVU Football All 105

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

Billed as a four-star recruit in high school, safety Jacob Bradford appeared in five games as a backup with his home state’s LSU Tigers last season. Even so, he managed to preserve a redshirt season thanks to a rule change preventing bowl game participation from counting against college eligibility.

With head coach Brian Kelly fired early in the 2025 season, Bradford hit the transfer portal at season’s end… dropping one of the top young safeties in the nation in the Mountaineers’ lap.

Now he joins a West Virginia team that struggled mightily against the pass last season, providing an immediate chance at playing time. Standing 5-foot-11 and tipping the scale at 195 pounds, Bradford likely fits best at free safety, although he developed a reputation as a hard hitter in high school. A versatile athlete, he drew consideration for his talent at cornerback and also played basketball and ran track in high school. 

Given that the Mountaineers specify on their roster who they expect to play in sub-packages at nickel safety — and that they don’t include Bradford in that category — has a chance at a starting role.

12 • Jacob Bradford, redshirt freshman safety

Last Year: Bradford preserved a redshirt year at LSU, appearing in four regular season games and the Tigers’ bowl game.

Stats: N/A

Post-Camp Outlook: West Virginia needs to overhaul their secondary after two straight seasons with one of the worst passing defenses in all of Division I. 

Projected Role: Expect Bradford to compete for significant playing time in 2026. With a secondary in desperate need of improvement, he could even vault his way into a starting spot.

Accolades, Highlights: A four-star recruit in high school, On3 ranked Bradford as the No. 26 safety in the nation for his graduating class.

Coverage Links: 

WVU Football Signs Top Transfer Safety Jacob Bradford Out of LSU