West Virginia
Tracking the West Virginia Mountaineers Football true freshman class
Tracking the West Virginia Mountaineers Football true freshman class
Rivals.com has teamed with Pro Football Focus and as part of that, we can provide incredibly detailed statistics on the West Virginia football team.
Today, we take a look at how the true freshmen graded out against Cincinnati. We will be tracking this all season and updating after each game.
In this article, we use the PFF grades to show you how the true freshmen performed to date as well as statistics.
But first, an explanation from PFF on how the grading scale works:
PFF grades each player on every play from -2 to +2 based on their performance, with 0 representing an ‘expected’ play. Catastrophic mistakes, like a game-ending interception, are graded at the low end, while exceptional plays, like a perfect deep throw, are at the high end.
Each game is graded by two analysts, with a Senior Analyst resolving any discrepancies. Grades are verified by the Pro Coach Network, a group of experienced NFL coaches.
Afterward, the grades are adjusted based on game context (e.g., player position, quarterback’s dropback depth) and converted to a 0-100 scale. Season grades are not just averages; they account for consistency—performing well over multiple games is rated higher than a single standout performance.
Grades may fluctuate throughout the week as the review process continues, with final grades locking once all reviews are complete.
Game 1: Penn State: Total Snaps 4 | Grade of 51.8
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 5 | Grade of 57.9
Game 4: Kansas: Total Snaps 1 | Grade of 60.0
Game 5: Oklahoma State: Total Snaps 17 | Grade of 54.3
Game 6: Iowa State: Total Snaps 5 | Grade of 57.3
Game 7: Kansas State: Total Snaps 10 | Grade of 55.6
Game 9: Cincinnati: Total Snaps 2 | Grade of 56.0
Farmer recorded a pair of snaps against Cincinnati and was even the target of a deep ball down the middle of the field that fell incomplete. The freshman wide receiver is a candidate to see more time on the field moving forward.
Game 1: Penn State: Total Snaps 5 | Grade of 59.5
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 8 | Grade of 78.7
Game 3: Pitt: Total Snaps 1 | Grade of 60.0
Game 5: Oklahoma State: Total Snaps 21 | Grade of 90.1
Game 6: Iowa State: Total Snaps 7 | Grade of 54.2
Game 7: Kansas State: Total Snaps 10 | Grade of 54.3
Game 8: Arizona: Total Snaps 8 | Grade of 60.9
Game 9: Cincinnati: Total Snaps 4 | Grade of 54.4
Sammarco made a move during fall camp after arriving in the spring and was able to make his way onto the field for five plays in the season opener and then in the Albany game that role increased further. After being used as a blocker in the first game, Sammarco caught a pass for four yards in the second but was limited to just one snap against Pittsburgh and no offensive snaps against Kansas. But he did see the field as a run blocker against Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Kansas State, Arizona and Cincinnati.
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 14 | Grade of 65.8
Game 8: Arizona: Total Snaps 9 | Grade of 54.4
Game 9: Cincinnati: Total Snaps 6 | Grade of 60.7
Jennings saw action in the season opener on special teams but saw that role increase significantly as he was on the field for 14 plays at the spear position. However, after not seeing the field on defense for five games he had 9 snaps against Arizona and recorded a tackle and followed that up with six snaps against Cincinnati. He has been a fixture on special teams. One of only a handful of freshmen with a proven role at this point, Jennings should continue to see time on the field between defense and especially special teams.
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 25 | Grade of 58.2
Game 3: Pitt: Total Snaps 9 | Grade of 58.9
Game 4: Kansas: Total Snaps 15 | Grade of 55.8
Game 5: Oklahoma State: Total Snaps 9 | Grade of 50.8
Game 6: Iowa State: Total Snaps 9 | Grade of 45.4
Game 7: Kansas State: Total Snaps 5 | Grade of 43.5
Game 8: Arizona: Total Snaps 7 | Grade of 50.0
Game 9: Cincinnati: Total Snaps 13 | Grade of 62.7
Gabriel played a healthy complement of snaps in the second game of the season and recorded a total of two tackles to go along with it. He then saw the field against Pittsburgh for 9 snaps and recorded a tackle and half a tackle for loss. He has been a fixture in the defensive line rotation since that point for a handful of snaps each game. He recorded a tackle against Arizona and did again against Cincinnati.
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 18 | Grade of 56.3
Game 5: Oklahoma State: Total Snaps 6 | Grade of 44.8
After playing a healthy complement of snaps in the second game, Kinsler did not see the field on defense against Pitt or Kansas but did against Oklahoma State. He has not been used on defense since. The Mountaineers need more depth up front and it will be interesting to see how he continues to develop up front.
Game 5: Oklahoma State: Total Snaps 1 | Grade of 59.4
Game 7: Kansas State: Total Snaps 2 | Grade of 60.0
Hubbard impressed during the bye week and that led to the first action of his career against Oklahoma State where he carried the ball one time for a single yard. He did not see the field against Iowa State but did for only two snaps against Kansas State as a pass blocker. He did not see the field against Arizona. The Mountaineers could elect to get him into the mix more, but that also will depend on the health of the room.
Game 5: Oklahoma State: Total Snaps 21 | Grade of 51.3
Game 7: Kansas State: Total Snaps 3 | Grade of 62.9
Game 8: Arizona: Total Snaps 14 | Grade of 54.6
Game 9: Cincinnati: Total Snaps 4 | Grade of 62.7
Boyce is another that impressed during the bye week and that led to him seeing opportunities on the field. He recorded a tackle in the Oklahoma State game although there were also some times where his youth was obvious. He did not see the field against Iowa State on defense but then recorded a tackle against Kansas State and had another against Arizona. He didn’t record any statistics in his four snaps against UC.
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 3 | Grade of 60.0
Dunbar did not see the field on offense against Arizona as West Virginia elected to use just their other options ahead of him.
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 3 | Grade of 62.2
Byerson saw action in this game toward the end against Albany and was at least able to get on the field and experience some defensive snaps at this early stage of his career. He did not see the field on defense in either of the past six games.
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West Virginia
More than 30,000 without power in West Virginia after strong winds overnight
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — A large portion of the Mountain State saw storms with gusty winds last night, which has resulted in several trees coming down across roads, thousands of power outages and schools being delayed and closed.
As of Friday morning, the WV 511 website displays multiple warnings of fallen trees and debris in roadways, including several in north-central West Virginia. Both Harrison and Marion County 911 logs show crews responding to several reports of trees down.
The First Energy website also shows that a total of 36,688 of its customers are currently without power, with many still waiting for an estimated restoration time.
Due to these power outages, multiple schools throughout West Virginia have been delayed or closed for the day, including those in Barbour, Gilmer, Lewis, Marion, Ritchie, Taylor, and Upshur counties.
Regular trees weren’t the only ones forced down due to the winds. Christmas decorations, including the Bridgeport Christmas tree, were knocked over as well.

West Virginia
Man dies in southern W.Va. mining incident
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – A miner died Thursday after an incident at a coal mine in Wyoming County, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said.
The governor said it happened at the Lower War Eagle mine.
Morrisey released the following statement on Thursday evening:
“Denise and I were deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a coal miner today at the Lower War Eagle mine in Wyoming County. Our hearts go out to his family, loved ones, and coworkers during this sorrowful time.
“The West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety, and Training responded immediately and is conducting a full investigation.
“Each day, West Virginia miners perform difficult and demanding tasks. They do this to provide for their families, to build the communities, and to forge a better future for the next generation of West Virginians. It is that work, their strength, and their dedication that defines our state and our nation.
“I ask that all West Virginians lift this miner’s family, friends, and community up in your prayers and keep them in your thoughts through the difficult days ahead.”
The victim’s name has not been released.
Copyright 2025 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
West Virginia
Biggest Surprises and Disappointments from West Virginia’s 2025 Portal Class
The transfer portal officially opens here in a couple of weeks, so before the madness begins, we’re going to take a look back at last year’s West Virginia portal class, highlighting some of the biggest surprises and disappointments.
Biggest surprises
For this group, we’re keeping it all positive. These are players who rose above expectations and turned out to be pretty solid players.
OL Donovan Haslam (Austin Peay) – He’s far from a finished product, but he helped West Virginia get through some of its issues toward the end of the season when he replaced Walter Young Bear in the starting lineup. WVU will bring in competition for him, but he’s at least a capable option, just needs more development. That play he had dragging Diore Hubbard for a first down may have been a penalty, but it may have been the most determination we saw from a lineman all year.
BAN Devin Grant (Incarnate Word) – The stats may not show his impact, and sometimes that happens with a role player. His playmaking was very timely. Every time the Mountaineers desperately needed a sack, tackle for loss, or turnover, Grant delivered. He’s someone the staff would love to have for another year.
LB Ben Bogle (Southern Illinois) – Although he didn’t start, Bogle was the Mountaineers’ best run defender in the second level, and it really wasn’t close. As a matter of fact, he graded out as the best run stopper on the entire team. He’ll be in contention to start at the MIKE spot in 2026.
Biggest disappointments
Before I get started here, I’m not including offensive linemen Walter Young Bear and Kimo Makane’ole, simply because they did not come to WVU with big expectations. Yes, they played poorly, but this category is for players who didn’t live up to expectations, in one way or another.
RB Tye Edwards (Northern Iowa) – Obviously, this isn’t a performance-based performance as Edwards injured his hip in the Backyard Brawl and was eventually lost for the season. Not having his physicality really hurt WVU’s offense and its ability to run the football. Had he been healthy, perhaps they could have won another game or two.
RB Jaylan Knighton (SMU) – Who? Yeah, Jaylan Knighton, the guy who never played a down for the Mountaineers. The SMU transfer was expected to be the No. 2 to Jahiem White, which would have formed a pretty strong duo, albeit behind a bad offensive line. He had some academic issues that led to his dismissal in fall camp.
BAN Jimmori Robinson (UTSA) – Without question, the biggest disappointment of all. Robinson was expected to be an elite pass rusher for WVU and an all-league caliber player. I wouldn’t throw all of the blame at his feet, though. Some of it can be attributed to the late start with the NCAA, taking forever with his eligibility, which ended up going to court. Some of it could be the fit in the defense as well. Regardless, Robinson fell well short of expectations, finishing with just 0.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss one year after recording 17 TFLs and 10.5 sacks at UTSA.
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