MORGANTOWN — West Virginia’s defense needed some depth and experience during this cycle, but at first, the Mountaineers focused on offense. As the portal closed and the additions started to wind down, Rich Rodriguez and staff have loaded up on defense.

Villanova linebacker Jason Hall has reportedly committed to the Mountaineers, according to multiple sources. This is WVU’s fifth defensive commit since Friday and the first linebacker out of that bunch.

Hall started his college career at Villanova in 2023, and he played in four games that season, but he didn’t record a defensive stat. In 2024, his playing time ramped up, and Hall played in 14 games, tallied five tackles, one tackle for loss and one forced fumble. He had two stops in the first round of the FCS Playoffs against Eastern Kentucky.

In 2025, Hall really found his identity as a hard-hitting linebacker. He saw action in 14 games again and had 40 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Hall also forced another fumble, totaling two over the past two seasons.

WVU has added four linebackers now, and almost all of them have experience. The Mountaineers needed some veteran linebackers. The heart of WVU’s defense, Reid Carrico and Chase Wilson, both ran out of eligibility, so the Mountaineers needed replacements. WVU had some linebackers coming up in the pipeline, but they transferred out. Some true freshmen are arriving in 2026, but they aren’t expected to start right away.

WVU’s transfer pick-ups have slowed down, but there should be one or two more coming in, with a few reportedly on visits to Morgantown. It’s already been a big class, and Hall gave the Mountaineers their 32nd transfer. With the high school recruits and transfers, WVU is expected to have over 70 new players for 2026. Rodriguez joked about learning names in 2025, and he’ll probably have a tough time again in 2026.

Arizona fullback

transfers to WVU

MORGANTOWN — The fullback is back at West Virginia.

Arizona fullback Kayden Luke announced on social media that he’s changing Big 12 teams, transferring to the Mountaineers. Luke will be the first fullback listed on WVU’s roster.

There have been multiple great fullbacks in the long history of the Mountaineers, but they have slowly been phased out in modern-day football, especially in college. However, Rodriguez and staff talked about bringing it back in 2026.

“It was funny, when I first got here, the meeting rooms out there are labeled,” tight end coach Michael Nysewander said in early August. “Outside my room, it says tight ends/fullbacks. We were in a staff meeting, and coach Rodriguez goes to me, ‘Nys, did we change the offense? Are we using a fullback now?'”

The tight end in Rodriguez’s offense is expected to do similar things to an old-school fullback and a versatile player. But none of them are really labeled as fullbacks. Rodriguez even ran the “Phat Package” a couple of times this season, where he brought in extra linemen to be lead blockers, but there wasn’t a real fullback.

Rodriguez talked about how he wants to be one of the most physical teams in the country, which is why he developed the mantra of playing with a “hard edge,” and adding a fullback will definitely help.

Luke is one of those hybrid players that Rodriguez has talked about this season — a player who can play multiple positions. Luke played linebacker and running back in high school, but in college, he has shifted over to fullback. He started his college career in 2024 and played in 12 games, rushing five times for 20 yards.

Luke played in 12 more games and was primarily a blocker. Luke isn’t too tall at 5-foot-11, but he can light up a linebacker with his 249 pounds of weight.

Luke is the second commit on Sunday, and is the sixth commit since Friday, when the portal closed for new entries. The Mountaineers are now up to 33 in the cycle. Luke is the first fullback, but WVU has added a couple of tight ends and added the 2025 nation’s leading rusher, Cam Cook, at running back.