West Virginia football strengthened their transfer portal class with four new commitments, which included two seasoned Power 5 athletes, an all-conference FBS linebacker, and an all-conference FCS running back.
The first addition was Tye Edwards, a running back from Northern Iowa and an All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection. Edwards, who stands 6’3″ and weighs 240 pounds, could fill the role left by CJ Donaldson Jr. as a powerful, physical back in a multi-player rushing rotation. In 2024, Edwards rushed for 1,012 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Edwards will bring a valuable veteran presence to a rebuilding locker room as he embarks on his seventh season of college football. Having started his career in 2019, Edwards has utilized his four years of eligibility, a redshirt season, and the extra year granted due to the 2020 COVID season. Additionally, after spending several years at the community college level, Edwards was among the non-NCAA players who were awarded an extra year of eligibility following the Diego Pavia lawsuit ruling.
However, Edwards won’t be the oldest player on the team—safety Justin Harrington is likely to hold that distinction. Harrington will enter his eighth season of college football, originally part of the 2018 recruiting class alongside notable players like Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and former WVU quarterback JT Daniels. Like Edwards, Harrington has exhausted his eligibility (COVID year, four seasons, redshirt, and medical redshirt) but played JUCO ball and recently received an additional year of eligibility.
Harrington brings significant experience to the table, including four years at Oklahoma in the Big 12, followed by a season at Washington in the Big Ten in 2024. In limited action with the Huskies, he recorded 3 tackles in 8 games. During his four years at Oklahoma, Harrington played in 19 games (starting 2), notching 29 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 2 pass breakups. A former four-star JUCO prospect, he was ranked among the Top 10 JUCO players in the portal ahead of the 2020 season.
Another Power 5 veteran who committed on Friday was lineman Kimo Makane’ole, who joins the Mountaineers for his final season after spending four years at LSU. Makane’ole appeared in 10 games and recorded 1 tackle as a defensive lineman in 2024, after switching positions to help address LSU’s depth concerns on that side of the ball. Prior to that, he spent his first three seasons with the Tigers as an offensive lineman, making nine appearances and totaling 67 snaps between 2022 and 2023, following a redshirt year in 2021.
Ranked as the 27th-best offensive line recruit in the Class of 2021 and the 73rd-ranked player from Florida, Makane’ole brings a solid pedigree to the Mountaineers. According to EerSports, WVU plans to use him as an offensive lineman rather than a defensive lineman, addressing a position group in need of depth. His experience as a versatile two-way player adds a unique skillset to the trenches.
The final commit of the day came from linebacker Chase Wilson, who has one year of eligibility remaining after spending his entire five-year career at Colorado State. A two-time All-Mountain West Conference selection, Wilson started 25 games for the Rams between 2023 and 2024. His standout 2023 season saw him record 107 tackles (8.5 for loss), 3.5 sacks, 3 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble. In 2024, he followed that performance with 98 tackles (3 for loss), 4 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, and 1 fumble recovery.
With these four new additions, WVU now has 21 transfer portal commitments for the offseason. Additionally, offensive lineman Justin Terry, who had previously entered the portal, withdrew his name on Friday and is expected to return to Morgantown, further strengthening the team’s depth.
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