MORGANTOWN — It was hard to be a leader of West Virginia’s 2025 team. The team was new in almost every aspect. There was a new coach, a new coaching staff and a bunch of new players. It’s hard to unite a team like that.

There were two players on defense who stepped up, attempting to lead the group. Two players who gave it their all, banged up and fought through it, and were sent out to answer questions after losing a tough one. Linebacker Reid Carrico and Chase Wilson were WVU’s leaders on defense. They led the linebacker room and the defense. Now, the two are gone, creating a big hole at linebacker and on defense as a whole.

The linebackers in a Zac Alley defense are important. They wear the green dot, meaning Alley has direct communication with them before the snap to set up plays. With Carrico and Wilson gone, there’ll be a new player wearing the green dot.

Like most of WVU’s position rooms, the linebacker room was hit hard with graduations and the transfer portal. One of WVU’s top expected returning linebackers, Ben Bogle, transferred to Arkansas in the offseason. Linebacker Mike Hastie also left and is looking for a new home. The departures of Carrio and Wilson hurt the most, though.

But some impact players elected to stay for the 2026 season, Ben Cutter being one of them. He played in all 12 games last year, and had 38 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, a quarterback hurry and recovered a fumble. Cutter is a good core to build around. WVU has some other returners, like Ashton Woods, who played in a couple of games, and Cam Torbor, but Cutter has the most returning experience.

Alley and Rodriguez went to the portal to gain a lot of experience, filling up most of the room. WVU has four linebackers coming, with three already listed on the roster, and two of them are veterans.

Florida Atlantic transfer Tyler Stolsky and Illinois’ Malachi Hood are the two experienced additions and should make an immediate impact, playing alongside Cutter. Stolsky has played three years at the FBS level and spent two seasons in the Power Four at Minnesota. He had 86 tackles, had a sack and a pass breakup last year, while dealing with an injury. Hood started for a competitive Illini squad last year, who finished the season 9-4. Hood had 44 tackles, a pass breakup, forced a fumble and had a sack.

Alley and Rodriguez also added some young transfer linebackers, who should be around for a couple of seasons after this year. WVU picked up redshirt sophomore UNLV linebacker Isaiah Patterson and young Villanova linebacker Jason Hall. Both could make an impact in 2026, but are expected to have a greater effect after this season if maintained.

The Mountaineers have three freshmen linebackers arriving for the 2026 season, and two are already on campus. 6-foot-2 Trey McGlothlin was the top linebacker in WVU’s class as a 3-star and has signed his letter of intent. He hasn’t enrolled and is expected to come in during the summer. Antoine Sharp Jr. is the highest-rated freshman on campus, as a 3-star out of high school. 3-star Cameron Dwyer was listed as a linebacker on the signing day roster and on the updated roster online. He is listed as a safety on 247Sports. Dwyer is also 6-foot-2.

All three of the new freshmen, along with some other players who could join the room after practice, should be building blocks for the room down the road.

For the 2026 season, Alley and WVU should rely heavily on Cutter and the experienced transfers around him. But some youngsters will have to step up, getting reps and getting ready to take charge down the road.