North Carolina Transfer Tight End Ryan Ward Commits to WVU

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Josh Wolfe | Last updated May 7, 2025 5:12 PM ET

West Virginia and Rich Rodriguez have been active in the transfer portal, trying to build their roster for the 2025 season. Today, they picked up a commitment from former North Carolina tight end Ryan Ward.

Ward was a member of the 2024 class and early enrolled to North Carolina for his true freshman season. He was able to maintain his redshirt by only seeing snaps in four games this season.

The 6'3" 245-pound tight end came from Rutherford High School in Rutherford, New Jersey. In his prep career, he posted 85 receptions for 1,823 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also made his presence felt on the defensive side of the ball with 139 tackles and 17 sacks. An all-state, three-time all-conference, and two-time all-county selection helped him earn a three-star recruit ranking from 247 Sports.

Out of high school, he held offers from Alabama, Virginia Tech, Virginia, North Carolina, Tulane, Pittsburgh, Temple, Princeton, Georgia Tech, Duke, Brown, Boston College, and the old West Virginia staff.

The current West Virginia tight end room includes returners Noah Braham, Greg Genross, and Colin McBee. They have also added transfers Jacob Barrick (Jacksonville State) and Grayson Barnes (Northern Illinois).

He will have four years of eligibility remaining.