MORGANTOWN — The NCAA transfer portal has become an active spot for West Virginia University football players. Since the Mountaineers’ season wrapped up with a loss to Memphis in the Frisco Bowl, several key players, including a number of starters, have announced their entry into the portal.
A pair of bowl starters added their names Thursday – junior running back C.J. Donaldson, according to ESPN, and redshirt offensive lineman Johnny Williams. Williams started at left tackle for consensus All-American Wyatt Milum versus the Tigers, while Donaldson shouldered most of the running load after Jahiem White went down with a leg injury.
Williams isn’t the only key WVU lineman in the portal. ESPN also reported Wednesday night that redshirt junior starter Tomas Rimac, an All-Big 12 honorable mention this season, entered the portal, as did redshirt sophomore starting linebacker Trey Lathan and, according to 247Sports, redshirt junior starting corner Ayden Garnes, who missed much of the back half of the season with an injury.
WVU parted ways with former head coach Neal Brown following the Mountaineers’ loss at Texas Tech that finished the regular season. Days later, West Virginia introduced Rich Rodriguez – who led the team from 2001-07 – as its new head coach.
Entering the portal is not a guarantee that a player is leaving, but it does give other programs the opportunity to contact the player and give that player the chance to test the market. The fall portal window for football players closes December 24.
One former WVU starter in the portal already has found a new home. Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year Josiah Trotter has found a new home at Missouri.
Williams and Rimac were two offensive lineman that had eligibility remaining and could anchor the Mountaineers offensive front if they choose to return. Donaldson, who has one year left of eligibility, ran for 734 yards and 11 touchdowns this season and has rushed for 2,058 yards and 30 touchdowns for his WVU career. He had teamed with White as a solid 1-2 punch in WVU’s running game.
Lathan and Trotter were two of the most productive members of a defense that mostly struggled throughout the season. Trotter was second on the team with 92 tackles, including four tackles for loss. Lathan was third on the team with 79 tackles and second on the team with nine tackles for a loss. Garnes recorded 25 tackles over six games.
Other players in the portal, according to multiple reports, are redshirt freshman safety Josiah Jackson, redshirt sophomore safety Raleigh Collins, sophomore corner T.J. Crandall, redshirt junior running back Jaylen Anderson, redshirt freshman quarterback Ryder Burton, redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Sullivan Weidman and freshman receiver Ric’Darious Farmer.
— Story by Derek Redd
