The Future West Virginia Star That No One is Talking About...Yet

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated May 23, 2025 11:32 AM ET

It's hard to keep for me to keep up with who's on West Virginia's roster, who isn't, who's still in high school, and so forth. I can't imagine the casual fan trying to keep all of this stuff straight this offseason.

With over 50 players transferring out and close to 60 players transferring in, much of the attention has been surrounding those veteran newcomers who will make their mark right away. As always, there are two or three freshmen who end up contributing in one way or another. Every now and then, you may land on a player who makes a splash right out of the gate as a true freshman.

I'm not going to predict that to happen and place that unfair expectation on him, but I do believe West Virginia incoming freshman defensive lineman Taylor Brown is going to be a household name by the time he leaves Morgantown.

First and foremost, Brown's explosiveness off the ball jumps out at you when you watch the tape. He has a quick first step and has powerful hands, allowing him to slip into the backfield in a hurry. Brown can play just about anywhere along the defensive line, but likely fits best somewhere between a 3 and 5-technique.

There's a handful of plays on his highlight reel where he looked really comfortable at the 4i. He does, however, lack the size needed to be a true interior player, so you won't see him lining up as a nose, unless he packs on a ton of muscle in the next couple of years. I would assume WVU doesn't want to add the extra mass and hamper his incredible athleticism to play him more deep inside.

The Mountaineers don't have a ton of proven depth up front, which leads me to believe Brown will have a chance to see the field in 2025, assuming he learns the scheme quickly and stays healthy. He'll have Jimmori Robinson, a former AAC Defensive Player of the Year, to learn under, which is a pretty nice situation to walk into.