OL Xavier Bausley to Stay in West Virginia, Play for Marshall

A former Mountaineer will stay in West Virginia to continue his college career. Offensive lineman Xavier Bausley has committed to drop down to the Group of 5 level and play for Tony Gibson at Marshall.

Bausley shared a message to WVU while announcing his departure on Dec. 27.

“I would like to thank West Virginia University for the opportunity to be a Mountaineer. It is an experience I will never forget. With that being said, I will be entering the transfer portal for my last year of eligibility,” said Bausley on social media.

After starting his career playing for Rodriguez at Jacksonville State, Bausley, a native of Dunbar, W.Va., transferred to WVU ahead of the 2024 season. He played for Neal Brown during his final season with the Mountaineers and then stayed and played for Rodriguez again when returned to Morgantown for a second tenure in 2025.

Bausley’s streak of either playing for Rich Rodriguez or in the state of West Virginia will continue after all.

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