The West Virginia Mountaineers are entering a new era as Rich Rodriguez returns to Morgantown for his second stint leading the state's flagship football program. This era has seen a near-complete roster rebuild through the transfer portal, as the Mountaineers bid farewell to many key pieces of their 2024 roster who have decided to seek a new home after their coach was handed a pink slip. Here's a look at the five toughest losses to the transfer portal for WVU football
Toughest Losses
CJ Donaldson Jr., RB
Donaldson was a feature back in a rushing attack that averaged 210 yards per game on the ground over a two-year stint from 2023-2024. Over his three seasons with the Mountaineers, Donaldson tallied 2,058 rushing yards and 30 rushing touchdowns -- now, he is headed to join the defending College Football National Champions at Ohio State.
Tomas Rimac, OL
Four WVU starting offensive linemen from last season have exhausted their eligibility, and all four declared for the NFL Draft. The other starter was Tomas Rimac, who has followed his offensive line coach Matt Moore to WVU non-conference rival Virginia Tech. It's never good to lose most of your offensive line production, and while the Mountaineers have added a double-digit number of transfers to the position group, they would have loved to have Rimac's experience in the trenches this fall.
Josiah Trotter, LB
Josiah Trotter, the son of NFL legend Jeremiah Trotter and brother of current NFL star Jeremiah Trotter Jr, displayed flashes of greatness during his first two seasons with the Mountaineers -- his sophomore season saw him tally 93 tackles, two pass deflections, and one interception, becoming an anchor piece for a WVU defense that struggled at other positions. Now, Trotter is off to the SEC and the Missouri Tigers, where he is expected to develop into an NFL talent like his father and older brother.
Traylon Ray, WR
Rodriguez has expressed his concerns about his depth at wide receiver, and brought in multiple new players at the position during both transfer portal periods. He'll certainly wish he had a bit more proven talent at the spot, which Traylon Ray could have provided. Ray was a consistent target over his two seasons in Morgantown, hauling in 46 receptions for 747 yards and seven touchdowns. He transferred to Ole Miss during the offseason.
Hudson Clement, WR
Hudson Clement provided a heartwarming story -- in-state native walk-on becomes a starter and earns a scholarship with his exceptional work ethic -- which is why his decision to transfer to Illinois caused a ton of backlash amongst WVU fans. But his production will be missed sorely -- he was the team's leading receiver in 2024 and hauled in 73 receptions for 1,221 yards and nine touchdowns during his stint in Morgantown. He has since been named one of Illinois' most critical transfer portal additions by ESPN.