No Returning Starters? West Virginia’s Defense Begins a Full Reset in 2025

The West Virginia Mountaineers‘ defense was in the bottom quarter in three categories nationally during the 2024 season.

Here was how the West Virginia defense ranked last season in FBS:

Points allowed per game: 31.9 (No. 109)

Rushing yards allowed per game: 144.1 (No. 56)

Passing yards allowed per game: 270.8 (No. 125)

Total yards allowed per game: 415.2 (No. 110).

The Mountaineers don’t have a single returning starter from a year ago, though there are some holdovers that played as reserves or part-timers. Defensive coordinator Zac Alley has his hands full.

Here are three defensive players to keep an eye on for the West Virginia Mountaineers.

EDGE Jimmori Robinson

Robinson is not a name most Big 12 fans know now, but he may be a name they can’t escape by the end of the season.

He has been in college football for A LONG time. He started in juco at Dodge City CC in 2019. After transferring to Monroe CC in 2020, his season was canceled due to COVID. He landed at UTSA in 2021, was considered a freshman, and used his redshirt.

Last year, as a redshirt junior, he dominated the American Conference as an outside linebacker. He had 43 tackles. But, more importantly, he had 10.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss.

Put up numbers like that in the Big 12 and you’re going to know his name by season’s end.

CB Michael Coats Jr.

Coats played for Nevada a year ago. While his numbers don’t fly off the stat sheet, his grade as a defensive back does.

He’s another defender impacted by COVID. He spent three years at East Central CC before transferring to Nevada in 2023. Last year, he broke out, as he was named all-Mountain West first team and earned all-America nods from HERO Sports (Group of Five all-America first team) and College Football Network (honorable mention).

He led Nevada with four interceptions and 17 passes defended. That’s play in this defense.

DE Edward Vesterinen

Mountaineer fans missed him most of last year after he suffered an injury two games into the campaign. He opted to stay in Morgantown and play for Rodriguez.

To see his potential impact, one must look back at 2023, when the Finland native (yes, Finland) started 13 games at defensive tackle and helped pave the way for the linebackers to do their thing.

Even with numbers that didn’t pop off the stat sheet, the coaches saw enough and named him Big 12 honorable mention that season.

WVU would love to see him build on the 28 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks he had in 2023 when he was healthy.