MORGANTOWN — West Virginia quarterback Nicco Marchiol brought the offense to the line with 14 seconds left just outside the end zone. WVU was down a touchdown to rival Pitt in the Backyard Brawl — the last game between the two for a couple of years. Marchiol took the snap and fired it into tight end Grayson Barnes, tying the game with 11 seconds left. The Mountaineers went on to beat the Panthers in overtime, winning the Brawl.

The overtime win in the Backyard Brawl was arguably the biggest moment of the 2025 season for WVU, and it wouldn’t have been possible without Barnes, who had five grabs for 58 yards and the game-tying touchdown in that comeback win. Barnes was a staple of the 2025 season, leading all tight ends with 21 catches for 232 yards and two scores. His 232 yards was the fourth-most on the team.

Barnes has run out of eligibility, meaning a new tight end will have to step up. The tight end position is one of the most important positions in Rich Rodriguez’s offense. He even said it was the hardest position to play in his offense aside from the quarterback. The tight ends have to block a ton in the run-heavy scheme, and then go out for a pass on down and distance. And they have to do that for pretty much the entire drive, because if they sub out, it stops the tempo offense, allowing the defense to sub.

Some familiar faces can fill the hole Barnes has left behind. North Carolina transfer Ryan Ward should take a step up in Year 2 under Rodriguez’s system. Ward had some highlights last year, and had six catches for 41 yards and a touchdown. Carter Zuliani also returned, but he redshirted his freshman year and is still developing.

With Ward being the only real returner for 2026, Rodriguez dipped into the portal to add some experience, and he wasn’t afraid to spend money on some Power Four-level talent.

Rodriguez picked up Clemson tight end Josh Sapp, who played for the Tigers for four seasons. Sapp didn’t see too much production, but still had 11 catches for 150 yards on 267 offensive snaps over 13 games in 2025. WVU also added Mississippi State veteran tight end Cam Ball, who has also played four years. He started his career at Buffalo for two seasons and then jumped up to Mississippi State for the last two years. Ball played 35 games and made 10 starts at those two schools. Ball brings a lot of size to the room, and comes in at 6-foot-7, which is the tallest on the roster currently.

Those two are more traditional tight ends, but they weren’t the only ones that’ll join the room from the portal. WVU brought back the fullback, which was a big part of Rodriguez’s first tenure in Morgantown, signing Arizona’s Kayden Luke. Luke will probably be more of a lead blocker, but could catch a few passes out of the backfield.

There are some freshmen coming in, too. WVU signed three tight ends, and two of them are already on campus. Aidan Woods was listed as a tight end on 247Sports, but he is now an offensive lineman, according to the roster. West Virginia native and brother of walk-on quarterback Max Anderson, Xavier Anderson is the tallest of the group at 6-foot-6, and he’s not yet on campus. Kade Bush and Sam Hamilton are both 3-stars, and both are enrolled in school.

With the three experienced tight ends, Sapp, Ward and Ball, it’s unlikely any of the freshmen will see action in 2026, but one of them could have a strong camp. They’ll at least have an impact down the road.

Sapp, Ward and Ball could all rotate as the primary tight end, and Rodriguez might use each in different scenarios. Ball, at 6-foot-7, should be a big-time red-zone threat next season. The others could be more every-down players. At this point, it’s just speculation, and Rodriguez could have something else in mind when the season starts in September.