Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup (that we didn’t already talk about in another article) with some sophomoric humor and daily distractions thrown in for good measure. And if there’s something we missed, be sure to talk about it in the comments.
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FOOTBALL
WVU’s Nysewander Sees Similarities in Rodriguez and Saban | West Virginia University Athletics “(Saban) and coach Rodriguez are very similar, in my opinion,” Nysewander said. “I think it’s the blue-collar, West Virginia-type feel.”
Nysewander was destined to coach with Rodriguez | Blue Gold News If Rich Rodriguez ever wants to market his hard-edge philosophy of football, Nysewander would be the face of it.
The end of spring football means the start of the next phases of WVU’s offseason | EerSports The spring ends with Saturday’s spring showcase, but Rich Rodriguez will keep the team busy the next few months.
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BASKETBALL
What a year!!! Thought this was probably my most rewarding year as a coach. We got a lot out of this group and they gave us EVERYTHING they had!!! A group that was fun to be around and coach—from the Italy trip to that last buzzer in Kansas City! I had no doubt we built a resume that deserved to be in the field!!
Want to say thank you to our players, the staff, administration, fans, and everyone who played a part in the season!! How fun was the Bahamas trip… winning in the Phog… at home vs Iowa State…
Want to send special thanks to our seniors—appreciate the way you represented this season! It wasn’t easy, but we sure found a way!! Future is bright for all of you!!
To the Mountaineer fans—you guys are the best!!! Thanks for your undying loyalty and love for WVU!! You guys made my family feel welcomed and we will always be appreciative!! Wish we could’ve finished what we started, but I’m sure you guys will be great!!!
WITH LOVE, FRAZ
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Mountaineer Memories: WVU’s all-time top 10 women’s basketball players | Blue Gold News There’s little question that JJ Quinerly, who stayed through three coaching changes and left every ounce of energy on the WVU Coliseum floor, will long be remembered as one of the best women’s basketball players to ever play for the Mountaineers. But just where do Quinerly’s four seasons rank among the all-time great Mountaineer careers?
BASEBALL
WVU wins weekend of inches; heads for two midweek non-conference games | Blue Gold News WVU is prepared for single non-conference games against Ohio State on the road on Tuesday and against Pitt at home on Wednesday. Both are winnable games in which the Mountaineers will be favored, but anyone with baseball knowledge understands that one game can break any which way.
Mountaineers Set for Split Midweek at Ohio State, Home Against Pitt | West Virginia University Athletics The West Virginia University baseball team is set for two midweek games, first on the road at Ohio State on Tuesday, before coming home to face Pitt in the first edition of the Backyard Brawl this season on Wednesday.
WVU ATHLETICS
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Naukot Named Student-Athlete of the Week | West Virginia University Athletics After shattering West Virginia’s 10,000-meter record, Joy Naukot of the West Virginia University track and field team has been named Student-Athlete of the Week
Rowing Opens Season with Split Squad Races | West Virginia University Athletics The West Virginia University rowing team opened its 2025 spring season this past weekend as a split squad, with four boats competing in the Sarasota 2k in Sarasota, Florida, and two boats participating in a race against Robert Morris in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Jets Looking at Linebacker Kyzir White With $2.3M One-Year Deal | FOX Sports Radio New Jersey In an unexpected move, the New York Jets might land linebacker Kyzir White at a bargain price of $2.3 million for one year. This deal would be a steal, coming in well below his usual market value of $5.8 million per year
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Rivals national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. has three predictions on Auburn winning out for a top quarterback target, West Virginia winning another recruiting battle in Florida and Miami signing the nation’s top offensive line class.
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AUBURN WINS OUT FOR TRAVIS BURGESS
The quarterback carousel has its eyes on five-star Jared Curtis’ decision coming on May 5, but plenty of movement at the position will happen both before and after he selects between a recommitment to Georgia or a pledge to the Oregon Ducks. The ripples will splash throughout the Power Four, but some programs are pushing to close the door with top passing prospects sooner, including Auburn.
Travis Burgess has frequented the Plains and always comes out of trips with the Tigers inching toward the top of his list. Wisconsin got a multi-day trip out of the big Peach State passer and Florida State held the honors before that, but he has admitted AU will be “hard to turn down” in the end anyway.
Official visits are set for the Tigers, Badgers, North Carolina and Duke but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the remainder get canceled if AU pulls him in before the end of May.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH AUBURN FANS AT AUBURNSPORTS.COM
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WEST VIRGINIA WINS ANOTHER BATTLE IN FLORIDA
Plenty of programs beyond the Sunshine State have created a recruiting pipeline in fertile parts of the state and West Virginia is no exception. The program gets in on Power Four talent sooner than most and it creates long standing relationships as other contenders fade in and out for certain prospects. In Cameron Dwyer’s case, WVU jumped in during January under the new coaching staff, standing as the first Big 12 offer sent in Dwyer’s direction.
The Mountaineers have since hit the ground running, getting the first official visit set to his name. South Florida and Liberty also have trips locked in and while Dwyer may take all of the visits, he is likely to do so as a Mountaineer verbal commitment based on the latest Rivals intel.
The combination of novelty and turnover on the roster at linebacker, where many players are in the portal, could allow the path to playing time to become a swift one for the Palm Beach Central star.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH WEST VIRGINIA FANS AT WVSPORTS.COM
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MIAMI WILL SIGN THE TOP OFFENSIVE LINE CLASS
The 2024 Miami Hurricanes were known for their high-scoring and production led by potential No. 1 NFL Draft pick Cam Ward, but there was a steady running game and plenty of talent up front on the offensive line under Mario Cristobal and Alex Mirabal. We’re continuing to see that from a recruiting standpoint, too, fresh off of Mirabal claiming ACC Recruiter of the Year following a great haul in 2025.
The 2026 group, if nothing else, will be a larger group per sources close to the program. Miami already holds the commitment of a trio of massive blockers in Ben Congdon, Joel Ervin and JJ Sparks on board.
There won’t be a shortage of additional blockers set to play at The U based on the rest of the board, and in one sense the most talented of the potential group remain largely undecided. It includes the nation’s top-ranked recruit in Jackson Cantwell, who Miami continues to pursue.
IMG Academy’s Keenyi Pepe may be considered a Hurricane lean at this stage and there is a similar feel for fellow blue-chippers Canon Pickett, Breck Kolojay, Ryan Miret and others. Miami is the dark horse for elites Lamar Brown and Micah Smith in addition to SEC legacy Chancellor Campbell.
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Whether the final number is five or even more, UM looks poised for not only a great blocking group by volume, but also from a sheer talent perspective.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MIAMI FANS AT CANESCOUNTY.COM
MILWOOD, W.Va. — A total of six people have been arrested in the theft of an armored Humvee in Jackson County
State Police say Tresten M. Williams, 20, of Ravenswood, William McCommons, 20, of White Hall, Joseph Juzkiw, 18, of Ravenswood, Ryan McDaniels, 21, of Elkview, Aubrie Pasadyn, 18, of Ravenswood and Annarose Garrity, 18, of Ravenswood, have all been charged with conspiracy, breaking and entering and grand larceny along with misdemeanor vehicle tampering and trespassing.
Williams was arrested on March 25, while the other five were arrested were arrested between April 1 and April 2.
The Humvee, which was estimated to be worth around $330,000, was stolen from the Milwood Armory on March 6. It was later found wrecked and abandoned in a sand and gravel pit in Racine, Ohio.
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Upon investigation, the fence at the Milwood Armory surrounding military vehicles and a gate lock were cut. According to court documents, Williams’ fingerprint was found on the Humvee.
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