Projecting the WVU Football Defensive Depth Chart Heading Into Fall Camp

Yesterday, I jotted down my predictions for WVU's offensive depth chart heading into fall camp. Today, we spin the bottle and take a look at the defense.

DE: Jimmori Robinson, Devin Grant, Adam Tomczyk, Brandon Caesar, Quinton Goins, Carter Zuliani, Jackson Biser

Robinson is the main guy here and will eat up much of the workload. The former AAC Defensive Player of the Year will be the guy the Mountaineers lean on to generate pressure. I could see Devin Grant playing a good bit at bandit, which makes me a little hesitant to put him here. The official roster has him as a d-lineman, though, so for now, he's the second option here. Adam Tomczyk would move up a spot if Grant does play bandit.

NT: Hammond Russell IV, Nate Gabriel, Corey McIntyre Jr.

This is the thinnest position up front for West Virginia by far. Yes, Alley will rotate guys in here to help, such as Edward Vesterinen, Eddie Kelly, and Asani Redwood, but they aren't true nose tackles. Russell is the only sure thing here. Gabriel needed to take a huge step this offseason with his mobility, so we'll see where he's at come fall camp. As for McIntyre, it's all about staying healthy. The talent is there, but he's been on the shelf quite a bit since coming to Morgantown.

DT: Edward Vesterinen, Eddie Kelly Jr., Asani Redwood, Wilnerson Telemaque, Taylor Brown, Elijah Simmons

Assuming I'm putting these guys in the right spot(s), this is the deepest group up front. Vesterinen may not light up the stat sheet, but he's consistent and does all of the dirty work. Kelly, the Missouri transfer, is good in the run game but not much of a threat to get to the quarterback. Redwood is someone who could be in a position for a breakout year. He's shown flashes of it the last couple of years, unfortunately, he's been a bit banged up too. Considering they have plenty of reliable options, I'd be shocked if either true freshman - Telemaque and Brown - occupied a massive role. That being said, they are two of my highest-rated recruits from the 2025 class, even before many signees backed out and landed elsewhere.

Bandit: Braden Siders, Curtis Jones Jr., MarShon Oxley, Keenan Eck

This is the wild card bunch right here. I'm not sure what to expect beyond Siders, who has 13.5 sacks over three seasons with Wyoming. Jones is my number two for now, but Oxley and Eck both have more experience, albeit at the junior college level. If they can get one of those three to produce alongside Siders, then they'll be in good shape.

WILL: Chase Wilson, Ben Bogle, Ashton Woods, Caden Biser

Fans are going to fall in love with Chase Wilson. He plays the game the right way and has some swagger to him. He'll be one of the biggest voices of the defensive unit. Bogle, a transfer from Southern Illinois, is relentless. He's constantly in the backfield making plays or causing disruption. A rock-solid backup for Wilson, who can develop into a starter in 2026. Ashton Woods (North Carolina TR) can play both inside and off the ball, so his versatility could help him get a few more snaps.

MIKE: Reid Carrico, Ben Cutter, John Lewis, Mike Hastie, Cam Torbor

Carrico is one of the very few returning starters the Mountaineers have, and although it's a new defense, they'll need him to be more of a vocal leader in 2025. I nearly put Mississippi State John Lewis behind him, but I feel like Cutter can eat in this defense. It doesn't really matter anyway, as both will see a good deal of snaps. Freshmen Mike Hastie and Cam Torbor will have to make an impact on special teams if they want to contribute this fall.

LCB: Michael Coats Jr., Devonte Golden-Nelson, Nick Taylor, Keyshawn Robinson, Chamarryus Bomar

RCB: Jordan Scruggs, Jason Chambers, Tyrence Crutcher, Dawayne Galloway Jr., Jayden Bell

I really like West Virginia's top four options at corner. They'll likely run a five-man rotation with Nick Taylor being included. Coats is a lockdown corner who Zac Alley can put on an island and trust he'll do his job. Scruggs and Chambers will battle it out for the starting job, although both will be heavily counted on.

Spear: Fred Perry, William Davis, Zae Jennings, Chris Fileppo

Much like Chase Wilson, Fred Perry is a guy who will win over Mountaineer fans pretty quickly. He packs a punch when he delivers hits, and sometimes can be a little too opportunistic. If needed, he can slide to one of the two safety spots for a few plays to give someone a spell while also getting Virginia Union transfer William Davis on the field.

FS: Jordan Walker, Kekoura Tarnue, Derek Carter, Kaleb Gray, Julien Horton

I feel pretty good about Walker winning the starting job, but beyond him, I'm not really sure what the rotation and division of labor will look like. I put Tarnue here, but when he was at Jax State with this coaching staff, he played some at corner as well. If WVU is struggling for whatever reason at corner, he could be a candidate to move down and help out. The same can be said about Derek Carter, who has experience playing corner for this staff at Jax State.

SS: Justin Harrington, Darrian Lewis, Israel Boyce

This one I'm a little unsure of. Talent-wise, Harrington should get first crack as the starter; however, Lewis has been super productive throughout his career, whereas Harrington's battled some injuries. Boyce may be the third option here and may seem out of sight, out of mind, but don't sleep on him. He's shown some promising signs in a limited role.

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