When the coaching change took place in Morgantown, there were really only a handful of players who West Virginia fans were hoping would stay put and finish their career out at West Virginia.

One of those guys was running back CJ Donaldson.

The big bruiser quickly became a fan favorite when he rushed for 125 yards in his first-ever game playing the position in the 2021 season opener against Pitt in the Backyard Brawl. He dealt with a few minor injuries throughout his tenure in the Old Gold and Blue, but was still very productive.

He ended his career at WVU with 2,058 rushing yards, placing him 20th in program history. Had he stayed, there’s a good chance he could have jumped up to as high as sixth, surpassing Leddie Brown, who has 2,888 yards.

Donaldson didn’t stick around very long, entering the transfer portal about a week after Rich Rodriguez returned to his post at WVU. A few days later, he landed with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Following one of Ohio State’s spring practices, Donaldson was asked about his decision to leave West Virginia.

“There was a lot into it. You got to think about your family, you, and what you want to get out of this. This is my last opportunity, last guaranteed opportunity to play football because the next level is not promised. You have to earn that. I just took a chance on myself. You got to bet on yourself at all times.”

Why Ohio State?

“It was difficult. I would say it’s like speed dating. There’s a lot of calls, a lot of red carpet talk, but what separated the Buckeyes from every other program was coach (Carlos) Locklyn…and Coach (Ryan) Day had a big impact on it,” Donaldson said. “Coach Lock, he told me that he would challenge me and help me develop into the player that I know I can be.”

In a recent article on ESPN by Max Olson, Donaldson was ranked as the 65th-best transfer this offseason.

“The Buckeyes must replace second-round draft picks Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson at this spot and have lots of blue-chip talent competing for carries. Donaldson should be a great complement to sophomore James Peoples and will have an opportunity to play a significant role for the defending national champs.”

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Virginia Tech has tallied 30 transfers since the end of its disappointing 6-7 season. Virginia Tech has also shifted its coaching staff, by replacing offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen with Philip Montgomery, and defensive coordinator Chris Marve with Arizona Cardinal linebacker coach Sam Siefkes.

The Hokies have fielded a number of transfers across nearly every position. Today’s task? to create a Virginia Tech team where every position is fielded by transfers.

Rangel played three seasons in Stillwater, with 2022 being the year he saw the most snaps. That season, Rangel threw for 711 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 51% of his passes. According to PFF (Pro Football Focus), Rangel had 229 snaps during the 2022 season and finished with a 49.0 overall grade on offense. In 2023, Rangel played 68 snaps, and then he played 66 snaps last season. While the numbers won’t blow you away, Rangel has experience and could be better in Phillip Montgomery’s offense than the one he was in with Oklahoma State. With his addition, it will be worth keeping an eye on the backup quarterback spot now.

Bennett performed at the Hokies’ annual spring game. There, Bennett ran for 74 yards on nearly seven yards a carry. At Coastal, 781 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, with a further two caught through the air.

Greene, the oldest wideout in this current room, brought in 13 touchdowns and over 1,800 yards in his time at Wake Forest.

Spencer has spent the first two years of his time at Jackson State, where the Tigers went 19-6 through Spencer’s two years.

Combined, Spencer tallied 861 yards and five touchdowns, although last season is where Spencer really broke out.

Last season, en route to a Tigers’ Cricket Celebration Bowl victory, Spencer marked four touchdowns and 660 yards, all while raking in nearly 20 yards per reception (18.9).

Austin spent his sole year at West Virginia as a redshirt; however, coming out of high school, Austin was ranked as the No. 40 tackle and the No.12 ranked player in Illinois.

Rimac earned a 78.6 PFF overall grade in 2024 ranked fifth among Power Four guards, and he was one of only six in that group who earned 75.0-plus grades as a pass blocker and a run blocker. Rimac was also named a Big 12 Honorable Mention.

Altuner, the 55th highest ranked commitment in the history of West Virginia’s high school recruiting, according to 247Sports. Altuner held 20 offers out of high school and was ranked as a top 20 IOL. He was also the 5th highest ranked commitment ever by an offensive lineman to West Virginia.

Muskrat spent two years at Auburn. As a Tiger, Muskrat played in every game at Auburn, including as a backup at left tackle last season, for an Auburn team that went 5-6, including losses to six different SEC schools.

Below is an excerpt from All Auburn on SI about Muskrat’s transfer.

“Muskrat, a Tulsa transfer, where he was coached by Auburn Offensive Coordinator Philip Montgomery, was the lone offensive lineman signed by Auburn in the Spring portal. He played in all 12 games for the Golden Hurricanes in 2022, and was a starter at right tackle for the last nine. At Auburn, he projects to be an interior lineman at one of the guard spots.”

Crawford was a highly touted center prospect out of Maryland. He was a consensus three-star by ESPN, 247Sports, On3, and Rivals. Rivals had him ranked 15th in Maryland as well as the eighth-best center in the 2025 class. Crawford was not initially on the Hokies board. Pitt, Duke, and Syracuse were the only ACC teams that recruited him among the 19 total teams. Matt Moore made sure the Hokies did their due diligence this time around.

Last season for the Eagles, Djonkam racked up 98 total tackles, 3 sacks, 1 FF, 3 PDs, and was a 2nd team All-MAC selection. He began his career at Arizona State before transferring to Eastern Michigan.

Huisman was an honorable mention in the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference, where he played all 16 games and tallied 37 tackles in just seven starts. Huisman was third on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss, including a season-high six tackles and a forced fumble, and 2.5 tackles for loss when the NDSU took down South Dakota State en route to an FCS National Championship

Nash had 53 tackles and nine sacks last season for the Bears, who were one of the top teams in the FCS, as Nash and Mercer reeled in 11-3.

Bell started his career at Louisiana Tech before transferring over to Texas State. For his career, he has totaled 126 tackles and 19 sacks, with his season-high in sacks coming in 2023 when he totaled 10. According to Pro Football Focus, Bell played 206 snaps this past season and finished with an 80.8 grade, the third highest on the defense. What is notable is that he finished with a 91.1 pass-rushing grade. In 2023, Bell finished with a 90.9 grade in over 500 snaps and an even better 93.0 pass-rushing grade. In 2022, Bell received a 71.2 grade from PFF in 272 snaps, including an 83.9 pass-rushing grade. The Hokies are getting themselves a seasoned pass rusher who should be an impact player for the defense next season.

Short hails from Charlotte, N.C., where he spent one season as a Tar Heel. Short spent his sole season. Short tallied 23 tackles with 17 of them being solo, including a season-high five against Duke in the Tar Heels’ 21-20 loss to the Blue Devils.

Bass finished his Panthers career with 25 total tackles, 1 sack, and one pass deflection. Bass was considered the No. 4 player from Virginia in the class of 2023 by 247Sports, as the site rated Bass as a four-star recruit.

Flowers earned a 76.8 grade from PFF in 544 snaps and was the third-highest graded defender on the Owls’ defense last season.

Cash racked up 68 tackles and two interceptions, and he brings plenty of experience. Cash came to Sam Houston State from Houston Christian and has five years of experience under his belt. For his career, Cash has 173 tackles and five interceptions. This past season, Pro Football Focus gave him a 77.4 grade in 881 snaps, including an elite 91.0 tackling grade.

Brown leaves Hawaii after spending the last two seasons with the program, racking up 41 tackles in his tenure along with 14 pass breakups–totaling an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 77.1 with the Rainbow Warriors.

According to Pro Football Focus, Brown-Murray played 830 snaps and finished with a 74.0 grade, including an 80.4 tackling grade. He has played a lot of snaps over the past couple of seasons and should bring some experience and playmaking ability to the Hokies’ secondary.

Related Links:

ESPN Predicts Who Will Be Virginia Tech’s Top Three Transfers in 2025

NCAA Baseball Field of 64 Projections: The Virginia Tech Hokies are out of contention