West Virginia Football Releases First 2021 Depth Chart

West Virginia football dropped their official depth for the 2021 season, and it’s finally starting to feel like a football season in Morgantown is right around the corner.

Here are the players slotted into WVU’s first depth chart. Those listed first are the starters.

Offense

Quarterback

Jarret Doege – redshirt senior

Doege threw for 2,587 yards (64% completion percentage) with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions in 2020, expected to take a step forward this season.

Garrett Greene – redshirt freshman

Offensive Line

Left Tackle 

Brendan Yates – redshirt sophomore

Yates played in all 10 games last season on the offensive line.

Nick Malone (redshirt sophomore) or Ja’Quay Hubbard (redshirt sophomore)

Left Guard 

James Gmiter – redshirt junior

Gmiter has started 20 games in two seasons at WVU, including eight games last season.

Donovan Beaver – redshirt sophomore

Center 

Zach Frazier – sophomore

Frazier played in all 10 games last season on the offensive line.

Tyler Connolly – redshirt sophomore

Right Guard 

Doug Nester (junior) or Jordan White (redshirt freshman)

Nester is a touted transfer from Virginia Tech while Hughes played in three games last season.

Right Tackle 

Parker Moorer (redshirt sophomore) or John Hughes (redshirt junior)

Moorer played in all 10 games last season while Hughes has played in 21 games, including all 10 games last season, in two seasons with WVU.

Running Back

Leddie Brown – senior

Brown rushed for 1,010 yards and nine touchdowns last season, a leading running back in all of college football.

Tony Mathis – redshirt sophomore

A’Varius Sparrow – redshirt freshman

Outside Receivers

X Receiver

Bryce Ford-Wheaton – redshirt junior

Ford-Wheaton caught 27 passes for 416 yards and three touchdowns last season, finishing second on WVU in receiving yards.

Kaden Praether – freshman

Z Receiver

Sean Ryan (junior) or Isaiah Esdale (redshirt senior)

Ryan is a transfer from Temple who caught 25 passes for 264 yards last season while Esdale is a JUCO transfer who caught 12 passes for 115 yards last season.

Sam Brown – redshirt freshman

Inside Receivers

H Receiver 

Sam James – redshirt freshman

James caught eight passes for 92 yards last season in a limited role on the offense.

Graeson Malashevich – redshirt sophomore

Slot

Winston Wright Jr. – junior

Wright led WVU in receiving last season with 47 catches for 553 yards and two touchdowns.

Reese Smith – redshirt freshman

Tight End 

Mike O’Laughlin – redshirt junior

O’Laughlin caught 15 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown last season.

T.J. Banks – redshirt junior

Defense

Defensive Line

Taijh Alston – redshirt junior

Alston played in one game last season, having played in three games during his time in Morgantown the last two seasons. He will be expected to make a jump this season.

Lanell Carr (redshirt freshman) or Taurus Simmons (redshirt freshman)

Nose Guard

Akheem Mesidor – sophomore

Mesidor recorded 32 tackles (20 solo), 6.5 tackles for loss and five sacks last season for WVU as a true freshman. His continued growth will be crucial for WVU this season.

Jordan Jefferson – redshirt sophomore

Edward Vesterinen – freshman

Defensive Tackle

Dante Stills – redshirt senior

Stills accumulated 35 tackles (15 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss and two sacks last season. Without his older brother Darius, now in the NFL, Stills will be the leader of the WVU defense.

Jalen Thornton (redshirt sophomore) or Sean Martin (redshirt freshman)

Linebackers

Bandit 

VanDarius Cowan (redshirt senior) or Jared Bartlett (redshirt sophomore)

Cowan recorded 17 tackles (seven solo), 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks last season while Bartlett recorded 19 tackles (11 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

Middle Linebacker 

Josh Chandler-Semendo – senior

Chandler-Semendo was third on WVU with 64 tackles (32 solo) last season while also recording four tackles for loss and an interception. He expects to be a key member of the linebacker corps this season.

Deshawn Stevens (graduate transfer) or James Thomas (redshirt freshman)

Outside Linebackers

Will 

Exree Loe – redshirt junior

Loe recorded 46 tackles (27 solo), two tackles for loss and a forced fumble last season.

Lance Dixon – redshirt freshman

Cornerbacks

Right Corner 

Jackie Matthews – redshirt junior

Matthews accumulated three tackles in eight games last season, playing in a limited role. He will be expected to play a much larger role than he filled last season.

Charles Woods – redshirt junior

Left Corner

Nicktroy Fortune – junior

Fortune recorded 35 tackles (26 solo), one tackle for loss, one interception and two pass breakups last season. He will be expected to be a leader in the secondary this season.

Daryl Porter Jr. – sophomore

Safeties

Spear

Scottie Young – redshirt senior

Young will replace Tykee Smith this season, attempting to fill a huge hole in the WVU defense. He spent the past three seasons at Arizona before transferring to WVU last year. He recorded at least 35 tackles and an interception every season in Arizona.

Naim Muhammad – redshirt sophomore

Free 

Alonzo Addae – redshirt senior

Addae racked up 66 tackles (38 solo), a half tackle for loss, two interceptions and five pass breakups last season. With the extended NCAA eligibility, his return is a huge boost for WVU.

Davis Mallinger – freshman

Cat 

Sean Mahone – redshirt senior

Mahone recorded 54 tackles (34 solo), two tackles for loss, one interception and four pass breakups last season. Like Addae, he will return for an extra season and bolster WVU’s depleted secondary.

Kerry Martin Jr. – redshirt sophomore

Specialists

Kicker 

Evan Staley (redshirt senior) or Tyler Sumpter (redshirt senior)

Staley was the starter for WVU last season, connecting on six of nine attempts with a 45 yard long, while Sumpter connected on three of four attempts after transferring to WVU from Troy.

Punter 

Tyler Sumpter – redshirt senior

Kickoffs

Casey Legg – redshirt junior

Holder 

Graeson Malashevich – redshirt sophomore

Long Snapper

J.P. Hadley (redshirt junior) or Austin Brinkman (redshirt freshman)

Kickoff return 

Winston Wright – junior

Wright returned 20 kickoffs last season, gaining 425 total yard at 21.3 yards per return.

A’Varius Sparrow – redshirt freshman

Graeson Maleshevich – redshirt sophomore