WVU DL Eddie Vesterinen Out for Backyard Brawl, T.J. Jackson to Start

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – While West Virginia has remained mostly healthy this season, the Mountaineers will be without a key defensive player this week.

During his weekly press conference on Monday, WVU head coach Neal Brown confirmed defensive lineman Eddie Vesterinen will miss the Backyard Brawl against Pitt. T.J. Jackson will start in his place.

It also seems as if this will be the plan for the foreseeable future.

“We got an MRI, they got it back. He’ll probably be out a few weeks, we’ll kind of determine how long. I’ll know better on Monday,” said Brown after the game on Saturday.

The WVU coaching staff believes they landed a steal in Jackson as a transfer, and it’s clear that opinion is shared by some in the national media.

Hype for WVU DL Intensifies After Rank Among Defensive Transfers

PFF ranks Jackson as one of their highest graded defensive transfers. They have Jackson with a grade of 89.7, tying him with Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds for third on their list. Jackson is also the highest graded player at his position, ranking well ahead of other defensive tackles.

Jackson moved on from Troy after four years and 91 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. The 6-foot-1, 262-pound edge rusher helped lead the Trojans to back-to-back conference titles and was named an All-Sun Belt first-team player in 2022. He posted 15.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks that season.

He’s taking the same path as some of his new coaches by going from Troy to West Virginia, namely his head coach Neal Brown and defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley.

Jackson’s signing came only a week after his visit and then commitment to the Mountaineers.

WV Sports Now reached out to the defensive end after he posted a cryptic emoji of a lock on X (Twitter) while on campus. Jackson told WVSN that he decided to make his visit a a two-day trip because he was enjoying himself so much.

“Loving it out here. Love the coaches and how they’re treating me and my family,” said Jackson about his visit.

WVU was the first program to send an offer to Jackson after he made his plans to transfer known on Dec. 28. Boston College, Houston, Indiana, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and even Jacksonville State.

Jackson did have to serve a three-game suspension to start the 2023 season for a violation of team rules.