Thye NFL Draft concluded on Saturday evening, and after all was said in done in Pittsburgh, no West Virginia Mountaineers (at least not any that played for the team last season) heard their names called.
However, despite that fact, a pair of WVU stars will get their opportunity to make the NFL this year, as they managed to land opportunities with the Cleveland Browns after the draft wrapped up.
Michael Coats Jr., Reid Carrico to have shot at NFL with the Cleveland Browns
Coats Jr., a cornerback who spent one season with the Mountaineers after transferring into the program from Nevada during Rich Rodriguez's first offseason back at the helm, inked an undrafted free agent deal with the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
WV ➡️ CLE
— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) April 26, 2026
Michael Coats has signed with the Browns!@Mike5oats pic.twitter.com/vF3Aiwnq8s
Coats Jr. finished the 2025 season with 30 tackles and seven pass deflections, but had an impressive showing at WVU's Pro Day earlier this spring – where he posted a 4.39 40-yard dash, a time that would have been third among all cornerbacks at the NFL Combine, and 6.83 3-cone drill, which would have been the best mark at his position at the Combine. He also managed a 36-inch vertical and 10-foot, 8-inch broad jump.
Meanwhile, Carrico, who played linebacker for the Mountaineers the past two seasons, was not lucky enough to land a free agent deal, but was invited to the Browns' rookie mini-camp this offseason, where he will have a chance to play his way onto the roster. He recorded 123 tackles and 4.5 sacks during his two-year stint in Morgantown, and was an All-Big 12 honorable mention in selection 2025.
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