MORGANTOWN — West Virginia wanted to find more versatility at the linebacker and safety spots, and the program did just that by adding a commitment from North Dakota State transfer Jasir Cox.
Cox, at 6-foot-1 and 209 pounds, took an official visit to Morgantown over the weekend and saw everything he needed to see. At the end of the trip, he offered up his commitment to the coaches and they were glad to accept, given his array of abilities on the field across various positions.
“It fell all into place me entering the portal and the coaches reaching out to me and understanding the defensive scheme and what they needed. As well as what I needed,” Cox said. “What they had to offer to me, I just couldn’t turn it down. I loved it all.”
The senior is coming off a season with the Bison where he earned All-Missouri Valley Conference second team honors and finished with 58 tackles, three interceptions and 1 1/2 sacks. The year prior, Cox finished with 52 tackles and a sack across 10 starts.
He appeared in 47 career games with 24 starts over the last two years and will bring valuable experience to the Mountaineers on the defensive side of the ball. WVU sees Cox playing as either Spear safety or possibly linebacker, depending on his development, and that versatility in the scheme was something else that drew the athletic defender to the program.
WVU had been in contact with Cox since he first entered the transfer portal Feb. 27, and the program made it a priority to get him to campus for a visit. Cox was reminded of his time at North Dakota State during that trip and was especially impressed with the family environment within the program.
Head coach Neal Brown, inside linebackers coach Jeff Koonz and secondary coach ShaDon Brown served as the lead recruiters, and each made it clear he was a priority.
“They were invested in me and that’s what I wanted as a program,” he said.
The plan is for Cox to arrive in Morgantown in May once he completes his coursework at NDSU, and he is excited to use his final season competing at the highest level of college football.
Cox becomes the sixth transfer addition for WVU this off-season, and leaves the program with five open scholarships to fill prior to the start of football season. Expect those to be used at various spots across the field, with secondary and possibly even another linebacker among those.
“I’m just excited to choose them,” Cox said.
By KEENAN CUMMINGS
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