Last season, there were high expectations for West Virginia football's defense in the first year under rising star defensive coordinator Zac Alley. He had been the architect of some wildly successful defenses at Jacksonville State, was a staffer on national championship teams at Clemson, and was poached from the same position at Oklahoma.
But unfortunately, while the defense flashed signs of greatness last year, they also struggled mightily at times. And part of WVU football continuing to move forward towards success must lie in the Mountaineers getting a bit stronger on the defensive side of the ball. Here are a few names that must step up in 2026 to make that happen.
Ben Cutter
Cutter is a veteran, entering his fourth season with West Virginia – and he has earned plenty of playing time during each of those campaigns. The Mountaineers return very few players from last year's defense, Cutter will need to be a key foundational piece to helping the new players adjust to the culture, defensive scheme, and Big 12 football.
Andrew Powdrell
Powdrell has been one name who may not have had high expectations among fans when he committed in the transfer portal, but he was one of the most praised players during spring football and the offseason, ad several coaches and teammates have signalled that Powdrell will be an impact player.
Geimere Latimere
Latimere did not play at West Virginia last season, but he does have experience underneath Rich Rodriguez and Zac Alley at Jacksonville State. He also was a starter in the Big Ten last year for Wisconsin, and he is expected to be another major veteran influence for players around him without that same experience.
Zeke Durham-Campbell
The Mountaineers struggled significantly to garner a consistent pass rush last season, despite Alley's defense being tailor-made to do so. The Mountaineers need a real edge rusher threat, and early reports indicate that Durham-Campbell is the likeliest player to fill that role. Alley will nee him to step up and fill that gap from last year's roster.
Add us as a preferred source on Google