While a 6-7 finish to the 2024 season didn't inspire much confidence for West Virginia football fans, and with now-former Head Coach Neal Brown out the door, it is unlikely that a majority of players recruited by Brown currently on the WVU roster will seek a new home -- a decent number have already entered into the transfer portal.
However, that doesn't mean all the talent currently on the roster is worth turning away, and there are a number of dangerous weapons and future stars within the program that are worth keeping if they can vibe with the new coaching staff led by Rich Rodriguez. Here's a list of 11 names on the offensive side of the ball worth keeping in Morgantown next season.
Hudson Clement, WR
Clement was a walk-on at WVU, but had a breakout performance against Duquesne in 2023 which earned him a scholarship spot. Since then, he has developed into the top target in the receiving corps, hauling in 51 receptions for 741 yards and 5 touchdowns over 13 games in 2024 -- he led the team in all three of those statistical categories.
Clement is also beginning to break out as a potential deep threat option, hauling in a number of tough-to-grab catches along the sideline on long routes this season. He is a Martinsburg, W.Va native, and one place in which Rodriguez and Neal Brown overlap in their coaching styles is by placing an emphasis on recruiting and retaining overlooked in-state talent.
Xavier Bausley, OL
Another one of those overlooked in-state talents in Xavier Bausley, who just so happens to also have spent two seasons under current Head Coach Rich Rodriguez at Jacksonville State from 2022-2023 before spending 2024 with WVU. That time with Rodriguez will be beneficial experience in the offensive system he'll bring to Morgantown, but Bausley was also a standout for the Gamecocks.
In 2023, he was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team and The Athletic Freshman All-America Second Team. With four-of-five 2024 offensive line starters for WVU out of eligibility and the fifth starter in the transfer portal along with two backups who saw significant action, it will be crucial to keep Bausley in the fold.
Jahiem White, RB
Perhaps no weapon on the WVU offense is as dangerous as Jahiem White, and the sophomore running back fits the prototype of the speedster tailback that typically becomes a star in a Rodriguez offense -- in fact, he often earns Steve Slaton comparisons among WVU fans, who was an All-American running back for Rodriguez during his first stint in Morgantown.
White tallied 845 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns on 149 carries and hauled in 19 receptions for 122 yards and 1 touchdown in 2024. He has also been one of two feature backs in a rushing attack that averaged 210 yards per game during the two-year stint from 2023-2024. With the other critical piece of that attack, CJ Donaldson Jr, entering the portal, White will be a key focus of the offense if he returns.
Nicco Marchiol, QB
Two-year starting quarterback Garrett Greene would be a perfect fit for a Rodriguez offense but is officially out of eligibility, and the transfer portal market for quarterbacks can be hit-or-miss. So it might be best if WVU can keep this four-star recruit around.
Marchiol is 3-0 as a starter at WVU and has been in the program three years. He went 37-of-56 passing for 434 yards for 5 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions and added 40 carries for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground in 2024 as the backup for Greene, and started in wins against Arizona and Cincinnati.
He has the "hard edge" mentality Rodriguez looks for, once leading his high school Hamilton (AZ) to a comeback win while down 24-7 with just under two minutes left in the game, and finished the 25-24 win under center despite being so beat up he vomited after the game. Marchiol could be seen chatting with Rodriguez at The Frisco Bowl.
Preston Fox, WR
Fox is another scrappy West Virginia native who brings a bit of a "hard edge" himself. A WVU hometown hero who played his high school ball at Morgantown High School. He has one season of eligibility remaining, and would be a sixth-year senior that could provide a veteran presence in a locker room that will need as many as possible during a rebuild and coaching change.
Fox has played in 40 games over his collegiate career (all at WVU) and has accumulated 43 receptions for 548 yards and 3 touchdowns over his career, developing a reputation for "sticky hands" that can catch just about anything thrown to him. He is also deceptively quick and has been the primary return specialist for WVU since 2023, tallying 37 punt returns for 301 yards and 19 kickoff returns for 476 yards over his career.
Kyle Altuner, OL
Altuner spent most of 2024, his true freshman season, out of action with an injury, but was a highly touted four-star recruit who gave an impressive showing at the Under Armour All-American Game during his senior year of high school. In film analysis, he drew Wyatt Milum comparisons from HailWV. He should be a relatively easy keep, as he has two former high school teammates from Good Counsel (MD) committed in the Class of 2025 that opted to sign with WVU despite the recent coaching change.
Rodney Gallagher III, WR
Gallagher is a multi-purpose player for WVU -- he's listed at wideout, but in addition to a 228 yard, 3 touchdown receiving stat line in 2024, he also had 16 carries for 51 yards, 2 punt returns for 18 yards, and saw action as a two-way player, recording five tackles and a pass deflection on defense.
Gallagher was a highly-touted four-star recruit that grew up just about a half-hour away from campus in Uniontown, Pa, where he played at Laurel Highlands High School. Fellow southwestern Pennsylvania native and NFL Hall of Fame defensive back Darrelle Revis sees a future NFL athlete in Gallagher, and with his two-way experience and athleticism, he could develop into a Travis Hunter-style weapon under the right staff.
Treylan Davis, TE
Treylan Davis is the prototypical Rodriguez tight end -- he will commit with voracity to any assignment given to him and is a gritty athlete that is an extremely strong and effective blocking weapon who can occasionally reel in a catch -- he has 13 receptions for 111 yards during his career. He would also be a fifth-year senior, helping fulfill the earlier stated need for a veteran presence.
Greg Genross, TE
While Davis and Jack Sammarco fulfill the need for a large, strong, gritty blocking tight end, Genross could fill the shoes of a player such as the departing Kole Taylor as a primary pass-catching target at tight end. His 6'6 frame provides a big target to aim for and he reeled in 26 catches for 265 yards and 3 touchdowns from 2022-2023 at Dodge City Community College in Kansas.
Also, with the recent injunction awarded to Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia in his court case regarding eligibility, the possibility exists that junior college players will not have the non-NCAA seasons counted against their eligibility, which could give Genross an extra two seasons of eligibility
Judah Price, RB
Price is a sophomore who has been lost in the shuffle of the crowded and skilled running back room at WVU over the past two seasons. With Jaylen Anderson and CJ Donaldson now transferring, there will be room for younger players at the position to shine. Price is a West Virginia native with a high school state championship to his name in both wrestling and football. As a high school senior, he rushed for 2,587 yards and 49 touchdowns in a campaign that earned him both the Kennedy Award (awarded each season to the top high school player in West Virginia) and Gatorade West Virginia Player of the Year.
Jack Sammarco, TE
Sammarco is another big-bodied tight end that plays hard and has a gritty style. He made waves during preseason camp as a true freshman in 2024, appeared in all 13 games this season. He hauled in just 1 reception for 4 yards but served as an efficient blocker and utility player in other offensive roles but was consistently mentioned as having a bright upside by the staff.