Draft Scout West Virginia Player News, College Football: West Virginia

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Draft Scout College Football Player News: West Virginia

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07/28/22 - Casey Legg, rSr/2023, West Virginia + More +

2022 PRESEASON LOU GROZA AWARD WATCH LIST: Casey Legg - West Virginia, Class: Senior - Hometown: Charleston, West Virginia,...A 2021 Groza semifinalist, Legg made field goals in every one of West Virginia's 12 games, including a stretch of five straight games with multiple kicks. He opened the season with 13 consecutive made field goals, just two shy of the program's all-time record. - Lou Groza Award

rSr/2023

K Casey Legg, West Virginia
News Source: Lou Groza Award
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07/25/22 - Zach Frazier, rJr/2024, West Virginia + More +

2022 PRESEASON RIMINGTON TROPHY WATCHLIST: Zach Frazier, West Virginia,...Frazier earned All-America Second Team honors (AFCA, Walter Camp) in 2021...Started all 13 games; saw action on 895 offensive snaps, including a season-high 90 against Texas...Registered 63 knockdown blocks and 30 great blocks...Allowed only three sacks all season; registering 10 games without allowing a sack. - West Virginia Football

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C Zach Frazier, West Virginia
News Source: West Virginia Football
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07/18/22 - Zach Frazier, rJr/2024, West Virginia + More +

2022 WALTER CAMP PRESEASON SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICAN: OL Zach Frazier (West Virginia),...As a sophomore in 2021, Frazier earned All-America Second Team honors (AFCA, Walter Camp)Started all 13 games at center; Academic All-Big 12 First Team...tarted all 13 games; saw action on 895 offensive snaps, including a season-high 90 against Texas. Registered 63 knockdown blocks and 30 great blocks, allowed only three sacks all season; registering 10 games without allowing a sack and 10 games without missing an assignment. WVU Offensive Lineman of the Game: LIU, VT, TCU, Kansas. Moved to center in the offseason. 2021 Iron Mountaineer Award winner. - West Virginia Football

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C Zach Frazier, West Virginia
News Source: West Virginia Football
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07/08/22 - Dante Stills, rJr/2023, West Virginia + More +

West Virginia has placed four players on the 2022 Preseason Football team as selected by the conference's media, with three of the four players being in-state products. Leading the way are linemen on each side of the ball who are expected to have All-American seasons, both from the same high school just 15 miles down the road from WVU. Center Zach Frazier, a junior, and defensive tackle Dante Stills, a fifth-year senior, both from Fairmont Senior, anchor the offensive and defensive lines, which are expected to be the strength of the team. Also named to the team is Casey Legg, the aptly-named placekicker from Cross Lanes Christian in Charleston, highlighting an amazing journey. Legg did not play football in high school. The final Mountaineer to earn all-conference honors is Charles Wood, a senior from Dallas who transferred to WVU last season from Illinois State. - Charleston Gazette-Mail

rJr/2023

DT Dante Stills, West Virginia
News Source: Charleston Gazette-Mail
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06/29/22 - Doug Nester, rSr/2024, West Virginia + More +

Mountaineer offensive lineman Doug Nester smiles before he even hears the question. He knows it, or some form of it, is coming, and he knows that only one thing can stop it. "Will the offensive line be better this year?" That's the query posed by basically every media member, and pretty much every fan, when discussing the Mountaineer forward wall in advance of the 2022 season. While many other questions must be answered with positive results if WVU is to exceed last year's six-win total, there's no question that betterment of play up front is the first item that has to be put in place. From it, everything else springs, from running room for the backs to time to throw for the QBs. With that understood, Nester and his linemates are working on technique, breaking the facets of line play down into their smallest components while getting as many reps as possible in to hone their craft. With no contact allowed over the summer, that's the most they can do in trying to get better.

Along with that comes a focus on developing as a unit, of getting to the point where every man knows what the teammate next to him is going to do even before he does it. "We really don't talk a lot about improvement," said Nester, who handles the repetitive questions with good grace. "We just talk about coming in each and every day and trying to get better, at least one thing a day. I think we are ready to show that we are improved." "A big thing (we have been working on) is our first step," the 6-foot-6, 320-pound junior guard illuminated, noting one of the most recent areas of focus. "That's a big thing for us, the first step off the ball. Some others have to do with hand placement, leverage - there are so many fine details that you have on the offensive line that people don't really see." - Charleston Gazette-Mail

rSr/2024

OT Doug Nester, West Virginia
News Source: Charleston Gazette-Mail
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06/27/22 - Exree Loe, rSr/2023, West Virginia + More +

West Virginia linebacker Exree Loe can't wait to hear the words. "You are cleared for all physical activity, practice and play." Sidelined since late November of 2021, Loe has been diligently rehabbing a knee injury that kept him out of contact work during spring practice. With nothing to gain from pushing recovery, as no games were imminent, WVU's medical and sports performance staffs have kept him on a slow recovery trajectory. Such an approach makes sense, but it's also in direct opposition to the desire of a competitor to do everything he can on the field. "It's a tough battle," Loe said recently in the midst of his rehabilitation regimen. "You aren't doing what you do every day, and what you love to do. So when I'm training, or in rehab, I know I have to go harder so I can get back with my brothers."

The Johnstown, Pennsylvania, native doesn't want to waste a moment of what will be his sixth year at WVU. After redshirting in 2017, he has played four seasons for the Mountaineers as a safety and linebacker. In 42 games of action, he has 132 tackles while forcing three fumbles and breaking up three passes, and he believes he has been building toward an even more successful final year in a Mountaineer uniform. Getting full clearance to practice and play will remove a final hurdle in that process. "It's a big relief on you," he said of returning to a no-restriction status. "It's not as stressful anymore. You don't have to worry about coming in and getting rehab. It keeps me going, and it's a big motivator when I get that clearance. - Charleston Gazette-Mail

rSr/2023

OLB Exree Loe, West Virginia
News Source: Charleston Gazette-Mail
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06/23/22 - Sean Martin, rSr/2025, West Virginia + More +

WVU defensive lineman Sean Martin had a 2021 season that many young players in his position group would happily accept. Playing in his second year as a Mountaineer, he saw action on 275 plays, recording 16 tackles and scooping up a fumble as a dependable backup on the West Virginia defensive front. That followed a 2020 year in which he worked his way into five games of action late in the season, but as that didn't count against his eligibility due to NCAA rules in response to the Covid pandemic, he is, in effect, coming off a true freshman season. His performance last year has set him up for an even bigger role this year, and he believes he knows the keys to becoming another stalwart on the line. Martin also lists gaining strength as important in that pursuit.

With a long, lean build and good quickness, speed has always been a part of his resume, but if he can add more strength and explosiveness to his toolkit, he could be poised to move into one of the stalwart roles currently held by players like Dante Stills and Taijh Alston. Still, he doesn't share the same physical makeup as many of his teammates, which leads him to look at some professional players when comparing and matching skills. "I look at NFL players like Calais Campbell and J.J. Watt, people that have my ability. I look at people that are the same size as me, because in college football there aren't a lot of people built the same as me, so I have to look as some guys in the NFL," he said, noting that they tend to employ techniques and play the game in a similar manner. "I'm working on getting stronger, doing the things I need to do to better myself." - Charleston Gazette-Mail

rSr/2025

DT Sean Martin, West Virginia
News Source: Charleston Gazette-Mail
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06/23/22 - Lee Kpogba, Sr/2024, West Virginia + More +

West Virginia linebacker Lee Kpogba is determined to make everything he can from his second shot at Division I football. After two seasons at Syracuse (following an earlier commitment to West Virginia before flipping to the Orange when WVU went through a coaching change), things soured in upstate New York for the native of Ghana, who played his high school football in North Carolina. He was suspended from the 'Cuse after playing in 22 games over the 2019 and 2020 seasons, and he was forced to try to work his way back via the junior college route, enrolling at East Mississippi Community College for the 2021 season.

That served as a wake-up call for the enthusiastic linebacker, who hasn't been shy in discussing what he has learned from a trip to the nether regions of the collegiate game. "Junior college was definitely a different experience for me." he said of his time at EMCC, which was the subject of the first two seasons of the documentary "Last Chance U," that has taken a look at three different junior college programs from 2016-20. "Being out there in Scooba, Mississippi, there isn't anything but football. It helped me stay locked in and really made me appreciate the game much more and some of the things I had in my life." While Kpogba's time at EMCC came after the Last Chance U cameras had moved on, he was a viewer of the series. "Last Chance U was pretty accurate, and (what I experienced) aligned with the series pretty well," he confirmed. - Charleston Gazette-Mail

Sr/2024

ILB Lee Kpogba, West Virginia
News Source: Charleston Gazette-Mail
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06/04/22 - Wesley McCormick, rSr/2023, West Virginia + More +

West Virginia University football coach Neal Brown has announced that Wesley McCormick, a 6-foot, 199-pound, fifth-year senior defensive back from Germantown, Maryland, has signed a grant-in-aid and will transfer to WVU from James Madison University. He will have one year of eligibility remaining. Last year at JMU, McCormick played in one game and then redshirted to keep his last season of eligibility. In 2020, McCormick started seven games for the Dukes, recording 20 tackles (16 unassisted) and intercepting three passes to tie for the CAA lead. Two of those interceptions came in the FCS playoffs against VMI and North Dakota. As a junior, McCormick made 11 starts and had 22 tackles, including one for loss against West Virginia. He recorded 10 tackles as a sophomore and played on special teams as a freshman. - Charleston Gazette-Mail

rSr/2023

CB Wesley McCormick, West Virginia
News Source: Charleston Gazette-Mail
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05/26/22 - Rashad Ajayi, rSr/2023, West Virginia + More +

West Virginia's football program has welcomed a second transfer from Colorado State into the Class of 2022, as cornerback Rashad Ajayi will follow tight end Brian Polendey to the Mountain State. Polendey came to WVU in late December, and participated in West Virginia's spring football practice, and Ajayi will now join his former teammate for the summer and the 2022 season. He has one year of eligibility remaining. In 37 games over four seasons with the Rams, Ajayi had 77 tackles (5.5 for loss), 17 pass breakups and one interception. He also forced two fumbles and had one fumble recovery and a sack. - Charleston Gazette-Mail

rSr/2023

CB Rashad Ajayi, West Virginia
News Source: Charleston Gazette-Mail
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05/21/22 - Wesley McCormick, rSr/2023, West Virginia + More +

Another key member of the James Madison defense has entered his name in the NCAA Transfer Portal. Cornerback Wesley McCormick made the announcement Friday afternoon with a post on Twitter. McCormick has one year of eligibility remaining. McCormick missed nearly all of the 2021 season due to injury but he was a two-year starter at JMU. He started seven games during the 2021 spring season while making 11 starts during the 2019 campaign. He racked up 68 tackles and three interceptions during his time with the Dukes. McCormick's decision to enter the transfer portal comes just a few days after James Madison star linebacker Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey announced he has also entered the portal. - WHSV.Com

rSr/2023

CB Wesley McCormick, West Virginia
News Source: WHSV.com
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05/13/22 - Dante Stills, rJr/2023, West Virginia + More +

Poised for a 2022 standout season: Defensive tackle Dante Stills is looking to mirror a 2021 season in which he was named to the All-Big 12 first team with seven sacks and 15 tackles for loss. The 6-4, 280-pound senior's presence takes on added importance this season after the transfers of several key players, including nose guard Akheem Mesidor, cornerback Nicktroy Fortune and linebacker Josh Chandler-Semedo, the team's leading tackler. - AP College Football

rJr/2023

DT Dante Stills, West Virginia
News Source: AP College Football
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05/13/22 - Brian Polendey, rSr/2023, West Virginia + More +

West Virginia tight end Brian Polendey should try to work out a name, image and likeness deal with Greyhound bus lines, because he truly has traveled the USA from coast to coast. Some of Polendey's moves came because of his father's job - he was a manager for UPS - and others came because Brian was looking for better football opportunities. That search has led him to West Virginia, where he hopes to cap his final collegiate season with a productive campaign at tight end. "I played my first season of high school football in the state of Washington, but then halfway through my freshman year we moved to the state of Texas," explained Polendey, who developed into a three-star tight end at Guyer High School, which is in the northeast corner of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. He signed with Miami (Fla.) "I spent three seasons there, and then I played two seasons at Colorado State, and then I transferred here in January."

Now a super senior, the 6-foot-4, 252-pound Polendey has been known for his blocking in his previous stops. He's caught just one pass in a regular-season game to this point in his college career, that coming during his sophomore season at Miami, which was cut short because of a knee injury. West Virginia's coaches saw an excellent blocker in Polendey, and that analysis played out through spring practice, where the tight end lived up to his physical reputation. But the Mountaineers also saw a better pass catcher than they anticipated - Polendey pulled in a reception for 10 yards in the Gold-Blue game while showing the ability to be a consistent receiver throughout spring practice. - Charleston Gazette-Mail

rSr/2023

TE Brian Polendey, West Virginia
News Source: Charleston Gazette-Mail
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05/07/22 - Jasir Cox, rSr/2023, West Virginia + More +

West Virginia University has confirmed that Jasir Cox, a 6-foot-1, 209-pound fifth-year senior from Kansas City, Missouri, has signed a grant-in-aid and will transfer to WVU from North Dakota State. He will be used on the defensive side of the ball. A four-year veteran of the Bison program, Cox earned second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in 2021 on the strength of 58 tackles, including three for losses and 1.5 sacks.

He showed his ability to play in space with three pass interceptions and two pass breakups. That backed up an excellent 2020 season in which he had 10 tackles, including 2.5 for losses and a sack. He also appeared in 23 combined games in 2018 and 2019, and totaled 124 tackles, eight TFLs, 10 pass breakups and two forced fumbles during his four years and 47 games at NDSU. Cox will be immediately eligible for WVU. Cox follows the career trajectory of his brother, Jabril Cox, who also started his career at North Dakota State before transferring to LSU. Jabril is now a linebacker for the NFL Dallas Cowboys. - Charleston Gazette-Mail

rSr/2023

OLB Jasir Cox, West Virginia
News Source: Charleston Gazette-Mail
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05/05/22 - Dante Stills, rJr/2023, West Virginia + More +

Now entering his fifth season with West Virginia, defensive lineman and former Fairmont Senior standout Dante Stills knows he's the old man when it comes to the Mountaineer roster. And after 15 spring practices, even he admitted he was feeling as such. "It was practice nine or 10 you really start to feel it on your body," Stills said after Saturday's Gold-Blue Game. "Your hands, your fingers start to hurt - your feet, your knees … I feel old, but I'm not." Perhaps not in terms of his age, but from the perspective of playing experience, Stills is about as old as a college football player can be. A freshman All-American according to The Athletic and ESPN.com all the way back in 2018, Stills has been a constant contributor to the WVU defense in each of his four seasons.

But after mulling over leaving to enter the NFL Draft, Stills saw enough holes in his game via film to realize that he needed to return. Some of what he saw boiled down solely to effort. Lack of consistency also stuck out to him. He reiterated that those were the targets when it came to his spring work. "What I wanted to work on was consistency running to the ball," Stills said. "There were plays last year where if I saw the ball across the field, for some reason I didn't try to go get him and show some effort. So, that was my main thing this year was to run to the ball, be around the ball. That was my thing." - Charleston Gazette-Mail

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