As the portal turns, so does the Day of OUR lives

The winter window for entry into the transfer portal for college football ended at midnight on Tuesday, Jan. 3, but there still could be a few additions to the list of players who have submitted their requests. That’s because schools have up to 48 hours to process those requests and enter those names into the portal, so unless the players themselves announce their intentions, the deadline for the complete list is still a day away.

For the most part, though, a good idea exists of which players are likely to depart their schools, and for West Virginia, it’s a mix of those that didn’t play a lot, those that were thought to be on a good development path, and a couple that were surprises.

Of the 16 players known to have entered the portal since the beginning of the 2023 season, two were walk-ons — tight end Theo Grabill and kicker Danny King. Seven of the scholarship exitees played little or not at all in 2023, including defensive back\wide receiver Davis Mallinger, linebacker James Heard, safeties Keyshawn Cobb, Christion Stokes and Lance Dixon, and receivers Cortez Braham, Ja’Shaun Poke and Jeremiah Aaron. A couple of those, most notably Mallinger and Cobb, were due to injury, but none had a big impact on WVU’s on-field fortunes.


The three receivers were touted highly by some, but it became quickly clear that WVU had better pass catchers on the roster, and when their playing time was limited and then dropped, their paths out of the program became clear. Poke is the only one with a current landing spot, having reportedly committed to San Diego State.

Heard, though, still had good potential, and his loss to Syracuse is one to track for the future. Cobb’s departure is also a hit — he had 67 tackles in 2022 at Buffalo before being knocked out for the 2023 season after appearing in only two games for WVU. Stokes was also a bit of a surprise entry, as WVU had plenty of playing time available in next year’s defensive secondary.

The rest of the players on the list could likewise have helped in the coming 2024 season after having produced at various levels in 2023. Some may have read handwriting on the wall, or been informed as to plans for their future playing time, but all were at least on the field at various junctures this season.


The defense took the biggest hit in this group, with bandit Jared Bartlett, defensive linemen Tomiwa Durojaiye and Mike Lockhart, safety Hershey McLaurin and cornerback Andrew Wilson-Lamp all declaring their portal entries. Again, though, the impact on WVU could be mixed. Bartlett split time with Tyrin Bradley, who was an incoming transfer from Abilene Christian and showed a bit more all-around speed and pass coverage skills at bandit. Still, the loss of Bartlett will sting, and will put more pressure on Braden Dudley to help spell Bradley at the position.

The departures of Durojaiye and Lockhart are difficult pills to swallow. Both played well in WVU’s rotation of defensive linemen, combining for 46 tackles and 15 TFLs. Did they simply want more playing time, or were they offered more NIL money? Lockhart went to SMU, which certainly has the historical market cornered in benefits. Will they both be as good if they have appreciably higher snap counts?

Wilson-Lamp, a starter at the beginning of the 2023 season, was held out of one game and saw his usage rate drop precipitously as the season went on, falling to mostly special teams appearances in the latter part of the year. He’s clearly looking for more playing time, and just as clearly wasn’t in West Virginia’s front tier plans at corner. Safety McLaurin played in 11 regular season games and had 44 tackles, so that one is a bit more difficult to evaluate, but there’s no question that his experience and familiarity with the system would have made him a good player to have in 2024.


Running back Justin Johnson was caught in a numbers game, with C.J. Donaldson, Jahiem White, Jaylen Anderson and D.J. Oliver also competing for time at the position, and with freshmen Diore Hubbard and Trae’Von Dunbar coming on to the roster in 2024, his chances were likely going to be even more limited. Johnson was solid in multiple aspects of the game, but probably not the best at any one running back task, and thus he likely made the best move for himself.

Up next? More transfer windows. Players who earn their undergraduate degrees have until May 1 to notify schools of their intent to transfer, and another 15-day open transfer period runs from April 15-30. Results of spring practice will likely have an effect during that time, so it’s also just as likely that schools will experiment with players at different positions and get them as many reps as possible to try to offset the lure of the portal — and NIL money — that have become some of the biggest driving forces in the sport.

see more at WVNEWS.com

People keep saying Lockhart was a big loss, but his contributions were diminishing late in the season. McLaurin is definitely the biggest hit.

Definitely understand Johnson leaving. He was buried in a deep backfield. Hope he lands someplace that can utilize him.