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WVU football: Lamonte McDougle transfer leaves hole on D

By Matthew Peaslee

MORGANTOWN, WV - OCTOBER 28: The West Virginia Mountaineers take the field against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Mountaineer Field on October 28, 2017 in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
MORGANTOWN, WV - OCTOBER 28: The West Virginia Mountaineers take the field against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Mountaineer Field on October 28, 2017 in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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The WVU football program was dealt a big blow with the recent departure of Lamonte McDougle. The news came Thursday.

McDougle had an excellent freshman season and would have been a huge part of the defense in 2018. He outperformed his short stature and came up big on several occasions.

According to collegefootballtalk.com, there were rumors swirling all offseason about McDougle possibility leaving the WVU football program. Veteran WVU sports reporter Mitch Vingle confirmed the news on Twitter. There doesn’t seem to be a consensus on the reason for the transfer.

McDougle comes from Deerfield Beach, Fla., so the thought of being closer to home may have intrigued him. After all, this was a rough winter in West Virginia and it is still unseasonably chilly for March. That’s enough of a shock for anybody who has been used to warm year-round temperatures.

On his Twitter account, McDougle has reposted several items from Miami Hurricanes players. He probably has me friends on the team and that could be a possible landing spot for him. He is now the second starting lineman to leave the Mountaineers this offseason.

Adam Shuler departed earlier in the offseason, probably because he wanted to go to a school with a track and field program. According to WVMetroNews.com, Shuler had previously committed to Washington State before flipping to WVU. If being closer to home was a motivating factor for him, it’s a good thing he did not go that far west.

There shouldn’t be any panic with the WVU football fanbase, but it certainly doesn’t look good when two starters and key members of an emerging defense leave in the offseason. Dana Holgorsen and defense coordinator Tony Gibson will take a lot of the blame for this but it is up to them to recoup and put the players they do have in the best position to win games.

Next: 30 best games in WVU football history

We wish McDougle and Shuler all the luck in the world to get their careers straightened out. They are just like any other college student who shops around for his or her options. They want to do what is best for them and their families. Nobody should mock a kid for that decision.

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