The West Virginia Mountaineers have lost a large number of players to the transfer portal over the past couple seasons. There was a pair of mass exits following the 2024 season, with one happening in the winter after Neal Brown was handed a pink slip and Rich Rodriguez was announced as the new head coach, and another coming following Rodriguez's first set of spring practices.
This year, the NCAA condensed things to just one transfer portal period following the end of the season, so there weren't a ton of spring exits to contend with – but there was still a decent exodus in the winter. Combined, the Mountaineers have had to welcome over 80 new plays for two consecutive years to address the combination of exhausted eligibility and transfer portal losses.
But some of those faces that transferred aren't just out of West Virginia's hair forever – as some are set to face off with the Mountaineers this coming season with their new teams. Currently, there are five former West Virginia players on the upcoming schedule – let's take a look at who they are.
Coastal Carolina: Obinna Onwuka, Chris Henry
Both these players hit the portal following one season with the Mountaineers in 2024, leaving following the dismissal of head coach Neal Brown. They ended up with the same program at Coastal Carolina – Onwuka saw no playing time last year, but Henry made 11 appearances and recorded 10 tackles.
Iowa State: Keyon Washington
Robinson was another Neal Brown prospect who left following the 2024 season. He played with Bowling Green in the MAC last year, and tallied 37 tackles and three passes defended. Now, he returns to the Big 12, this time with the Iowa State Cyclones, who had to rebuild pretty much their entire roster from scratch.
Arizona: Rodney Gallagher III
Gallagher was a key piece of the offense in recent seasons for the West Virginia Mountaineers. Once a highly-touted four-star prospect, he tallied 605 receiving yards, 221 rushing yards, and three touchdowns over three seasons in Morgantown. He never really lived up to the lofty expectations placed upon him, but will now have the opportunity to finish his career on a strong note with the Wildcats.
Kansas: Trey Lathan
This is another player who jumped ship following Brown's departure from the program, and the only one on the list the Mountaineers have already played once. He was with Kansas last season as well, where he recorded multiple tackles, one sack, and one interception against WVU as the Jayhawks dominated the Mountaineers. He finished the season 86 tackles, including seven for a loss, and five passes defended. Now, he'll have one more shot at the Mountaineers.
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