WVU Football
Ryan Ward to Transition From Depth Piece to Key Contributor | WVU Football All 105
All 105 is a West Virginia Sports Now series profiling each member of the 2026 WVU Football Roster.
Now the veteran in the room, tight end Ryan Ward is poised for a bigger role in his second season as a Mountaineer. Ward discussed his role and what the WVU football program is all about after spring practice on Monday, April 6.
“I look at it as a long time coming, just being at North Carolina and seeing the older guys there and then seeing the older guys here and that it was kinda gonna happen eventually,” said Ward about ascending up the depth chart.
Ward also fully knows how Rich Rodriguez runs a program as he’s preparing for his second year in Morgantown, making him an asset for the staff off the field and in the locker room in addition to whatever he can produce given more opportunities in games.
“Just tempo, physicality, running on and off the field, just everything we do, it’s way different from any other place I’ve ever been.”
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Ward is unproven at the college level, but was highly recruited out of high school. He caught six passes for 41 yards and one touchdown in 2025 with West Virginia.
Ward was a three-star prospect out of Rutherford High School in Rutherford, N.J., ranking as the nation’s No. 9 tight end and the No. 12 player in New Jersey by ESPN.
84 • Ryan Ward, junior tight end
Last year: Ward played in 10 games at WVU, primarily used as a depth piece and on special teams.
Stats: He had six catches for 41 yards and a touchdown.
Post camp outlook: Ward made it clear that he’s ready for an increased role during the spring.
Projected role: Ward will go from barely being used to being a key piece of the Mountaineer offense in his second year in West Virginia.
Accolades, highlights: Named USA Today All-New Jersey and Jersey Sports Zone All-Zone Public Team as a senior in high school.
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