West Virginia football secures experienced wide receiver in transfer portal

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West Virginia football brought in a second spring transfer portal addition to their wide receiver room on Sunday.

After the Mountaineers added UNC transfer wideout Christian Hamilton last Sunday, WVU football found their newest target in the passing game in South Carolina State transfer Justin-Smith Brown.

The 6'1 wideout is a native of Cocoa, Florida, and attended Space Coast High School, where he exited high school unrated as a recruit. He has spent his entire collegiate career so far with South Carolina State.

His first taste of playing time came during the 2022 season, where he reeled in five receptions for 90 yards and recorded three carries for 60 yards and a rushing touchdown. The next season, he saw his stat line increase significantly, tallying 22 catches for 357 yards and three touchdowns.

However, his true breakout performance came in 2024, as he racked up 749 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 54 receptions. He posted two 100+ yard receiving efforts on the 2024 season, and came within one yard of a third one. He will joining WVU football with one year of eligibility remaining.

West Virginia football Head Coach Rich Rodriguez talked during spring practice sessions about needing "more competition" in the wide receiver room, and wide receiver coach Ryan Garrett was clear that the team had "no starters" toward the end of spring ball.

That, in conjunction with Rodriguez speaking during the spring about how he'd hit the portal for nearly every position after spring practice, leaves us to assume there were some doubts about whether the room had the depth needed for the upcoming season. Now, Rodriguez is looking to solve that issue.


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