West Virginia picks up pledge from former Orange center Jesse Edwards

Over the weekend, Edwards traveled to Morgantown. He then chose to commit to West Virginia before visiting any other schools. Many high-profile programs, including Gonzaga and Kansas, had aggressively pursued him.

"I felt it was time for a fresh start," Edwards said via ESPN regarding his decision to transfer. "I needed a new environment to challenge myself in, and I think West Virginia is just that. I've met some great people on my visit here, and the campus looks amazing. This team could be something special."

West Virginia HC Bob Huggins, the winningest active coach in Division I, has excelled at luring talent from the portal over the past few offseasons, with Edwards being the most notable portal addition.

After a last-place Big 12 finish in 2021-22, the Mountaineers added eight transfers to turn the program around, resulting in a winning season. West Virginia went 19-15 -- eighth in its conference -- and was bounced from the 2023 NCAA Tournament by Maryland in the first round. 

Huggins and his staff have been motivated by their success with the portal -- as well as their early tournament exit -- to continue recruiting transfers, with this offseason's batch looking like their strongest yet. Edwards joins a transfer class that includes Kerr Kriisa, who led the Pac-12 in assists at Arizona last season, and a pair of Manhattan guards in Jose Perez and Omar Silverio. 

The Mountaineers have risen to the top of On3.com's team transfer portal rankings following Edwards' pledge and currently sit at 34th in CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein's preseason top 45.

Edwards likely won't be the final transfer the Mountaineers add this offseason, either. Ex-Iowa State guard Caleb Grill arrived on campus for a three-day visit on Sunday, while former Pittsburgh forward John Hugley IV will visit from April 21-23.