A look at WVU Football after the conclusion of spring.
Andrew Corbett
Spring ball has reached its conclusion for WVU football, which means it's time to enter that phase of the off-season between spring and fall camp where not a whole lot happens, but there's still a whole lot to talk about.
I've created a list of six superlatives that highlight who I think will be standout performers in their respective areas for West Virginia this season. There are some obvious options, like statistical leaders in different categories, but I tried to avoid things like that and focus more on subjective and interesting criteria. The answer to all of these superlatives will be an individual player, so no team awards here. With that out of the way, let's take a look at who I think will make a splash for WVU this year.
Best NFL Draft prospect: Wyatt Milum, OT
While it's definitely an interesting topic, this one should come as no surprise, and it was the most obvious choice on this list. Milum was already getting mocked as a draft pick in 2025 the morning after the conclusion of this year's event. He played 754 snaps this season for the Mountaineers, recorded a lofty 80.1 ProFootballFocus grade for his efforts, and was named second team All-Conference. As a 6-foot-6, 317 pound tackle, he is the safest draft pick on this roster and is a critical piece to the offense's success this upcoming season.
Most impactful transfer: Garnett Hollis, CB
This was a tough one to decide, because there's a handful of transfers that I believe will not only start for the Mountaineers, but will also be effective. Of WVU's 10 incoming transfers, at least half of them were under consideration here. I'm going to play it safe, though, and go with the proven power five player in Garnett Hollis. At 6-foot-2, Hollis has the best length of all the outside corners in the unit, and he comes from Northwestern where he played 697 snaps for a great secondary in 2023, allowed an NFL passer rating of just 85.1 while targeted, and recorded seven pass breakups and an interception. Hollis' skillset is exactly what Neal Brown needed this off-season, and he was a big-time addition.
Most impactful true freshman: Zae Jennings, ATH
Jennings, a 6-foot-2, 187 pound freshman from Cincinnati (OH) Winton Woods, enrolled early with West Virginia and was here for spring practice, which will always give you a leg up as a freshman. He played two ways for Winton Woods and is listed as an athlete, but will most likely be exclusively in the secondary here at WVU. He already made his impact felt with an interception in the spring game back in late April, and he has the speed and instincts to make a splash right away in 2024. Jennings won't be a starter in year one, but he's a guy who will see playing time behind Jaheem Joseph at free safety, and/or Aubrey Burks at Spear. I think he's made too much noise to not get on the field this fall.
Most improved/breakout performer: Asani Redwood, DL
When I hear "most improved," the first name that comes to mind is Rodney Gallagher, who is a great athlete with a glass ceiling in this offense. And naturally, he was in the running here. But I'm going a bit off-the-wall (Gallagher could easily be here instead) and picking Asani Redwood, who will be spelling Ed Vesterinen at defensive tackle this season. This staff has a history of developing good defensive linemen, and I think Redwood is next in line in that tradition. He played 138 snaps this season, per ProFootballFocus, and recorded a couple sacks while coming off an ACL injury early in his career. He missed this spring with another injury, but if he's fully healthy come fall, I think Redwood can make some serious noise and take another step forward.
Game changer (offense): Garrett Greene, QB
Is this a boring selection? Yeah, probably. But is it the correct one? Absolutely. The choice may be boring but Garrett Greene is far from it as a player. He was the face of the team this past season, and piled up over 3,100 yards of offense and 29 touchdowns (while missing a couple games due to injury) en route to a 9-4 record and a Duke's Mayo Bowl victory. His PFF grade of 90.9 ranked amongst the best in the country at his position. He comes back in 2024 as arguably one of the nation's best dual threat quarterbacks and a vocal leader for this team. If this offense is good again, it will be in large part thanks to the play of Greene.
Game changer (defense): Aubrey Burks, S
This was genuinely a super close, three-way battle for this spot. In the end, though, I went with Aubrey Burks, who moved from free safety to Spear this offseason. This was the tiebreaker for me, as I really like this move by the staff. Getting Burks in the slot and closer to the box is going to allow him to use his versatility as a defender much more easily. WVU loves to bring blitzes from the Spear position, and Burks should have a clear path to a high-impact role from his new spot. He's a physical tackler with good coverage skills, and should make an impact both in run defense, as well as dropping back in coverage and rushing the passer.
The runner-ups here were linebacker Trey Lathan and safety Jaheem Joseph. I'm bullish on both of them, and if it weren't for Burks playing the Spear, one of these guys would've probably gotten the nod. Joseph was close to being the best coverage safety in the portal this off-season, and Lathan was great for WVU in 2023 before his injury.
