West Virginia

West Virginia defensive lineman Tomiwa Durojaiye commits to FSU football

Published

2 years ago

January 9, 2024

West Virginia defensive lineman Tomiwa Durojaiye commits to FSU football

Florida State football continues to cash out in the NCAA transfer portal, landing its seventh commitment since Saturday.

West Virginia defensive lineman Tomiwa Durojaiye announced his commitment to FSU on Tuesday.

He is the Seminoles’ third defensive lineman addition out of the portal joining Colorado State transfer Grady Kelly – who committed on Sunday – and Georgia transfer Marvin Jones Jr, who announced his commitment on Dec. 18.

“I’m excited to be adding Tomiwa to the Nole Family,” FSU head coach Mike Norvell said in a press release announcing the signing. “He is a great playmaker who has just scratched the surface of what we believe his potential is. He’s going to be a wonderful addition to our defensive front as he combines explosive movements with great size, strength and intelligence.”

“He will be an impact player who will help uphold the standard of our Seminole defense. Tomiwa is a great young man who has a very high ceiling within our program.”

The 6-foot-4-inch, 278-pound redshirt freshman played in all 13 games for the Mountaineers this season, recording 23 tackles, six tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and a quarterback hurry.

This was his lone season at West Virginia as he transferred in from Kentucky.

During his one season at Kentucky, he saw action in three games and didn’t record any stats. He’s a native of Philadelphia and attended Middletown High School in Middletown, Delaware, where he was named the 2021 Delaware 3A Defensive Player of the Year.

During his career, he totaled 58 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups. Durojaiye helped Middletown to a 2021 DIAA Class 3A state title.

He was a 3-star prospect and ranked as a No. 2 Class of 2022 player out of Delaware. He originally committed to Kentucky over Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, South Carolina and Northwestern.

Durojaiye joins a defensive line room made up of, Dennis Briggs, Darrell Jackson, Joshua Farmer, KJ Sampson, Daniel Lyons, D’Nas White, Jamoire Flagg and Kelly. There were a handful of defensive line exits including Fabian Lovett (NFL Draft), Malcolm Ray (transferred to Rutgers) and Ayobami Tifase (transfer portal).

FSU also graduated Braden Fiske who left a major impact on the line in his lone season at FSU.

FSU Football 2023 Winter Transfer Tracker

Transfers in:

Marvin Jones Jr., DL, Redshirt sophomore – Georgia

DJ Uiagalelei, QB, Jr, Quarterback – Oregon State

Jalen Brown, Fr., Wide receiver – LSU

Earl Little Jr., R-Fr., Defensive back – Alabama

Grady Kelly, R-So., Defensive lineman – Colorado State

Jaylin Lucas, Jr., Running back – Indiana

Davonte Brown, 4th-Jr., Defensive back – Miami (FL)

Malik Benson, Jr., Wide receiver – Alabama

Tomiwa Durojaiye, R-Fr., Defensive lineman – West Virginia

Transfers out:

CJ Campbell, RB, Redshirt sophomore (Florida Atlantic)

Preston Daniel, TE, Redshirt junior

Dylan Brown-Turner, LB, Freshman:

Markeston Douglas, TE, Redshirt Junior (Arizona State)

AJ Duffy, QB, Redshirt freshman (San Diego State)

Bless Harris, OL, Redshirt senior (TCU)

Rodney Hill, RB, Redshirt freshman

Tyler Keltner, K, Redshirt senior (Oklahoma)

DJ Lundy, LB, Redshirt junior (Colorado)

Malcolm Ray, DT, Redshirt junior

Daughtry Richardson, OL, Freshman (Florida Atlantic)

Qae’shon Sapp, OL, Freshman (Louisiana Monroe)

Thomas Shrader, OL, Redshirt junior (Appalachian State)

Ayobami Tifase, DL, Redshirt freshman (Georgia Tech)

Tate Rodemaker, QB, Redshirt junior (Souther Miss)

Gilber Edmond, DE, Redshirt junior

Goldie Lawrence, WR, Freshman

NFL Draft declarations

Keon Coleman, WR, junior

Jaheim Bell, TE, Redshirt junior

Trey Benson, RB, Redshirt junior

Jarrian Jones, DB, Redshirt senior

Fabien Lovett, DL, Redshirt senior

Johnny Wilson, WR, Junior:

Kalen Deloach, LB, Redshirt senior

D’Mitri Emmanuel, OL, Redshirt senior

Tatum Bethune, LB, Redshirt senior

Akeem Dent, DB, Senior

Renardo Green, DB, Senior

Jack Williams covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at jwilliams@tallahassee.com or on X @jackgwilliams.

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West Virginia

“Naturally, West Virginia” program launched

Published

2 hours ago

December 9, 2025

Press Room

“Naturally, West Virginia” program launched

MORGANTOWN, WV (WVNS) — The West Virginia Agritourism Initiative and West Virginia University Extension Agency are coming together to create “Naturally, West Virginia.”

Naturally West Virginia is an Agritourism Promotion and Support Program designed to help West Virginia’s agritourism business grow and improve.

Dr. Dee Singh-Knights, Professor of Agribusiness Economics and Management, says businesses under this brand demonstrate a commitment to providing a high quality visitor experience and implement the best in agritourism practices.

To be eligible for the program, a business owner must have 10 hours of Agritourism Education and Professional Development Training, be reviewed by the Naturally West Virginia team to explore current practices, areas for improvement, and technical assistance, a West Virginia Agritourism Association Membership, and a completed verification form filed with WVU Extension.

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West Virginia

Why Losing Jahiem White Stings But Will Not Derail West Virginia’s 2026 Plans

Published

15 hours ago

December 9, 2025

Press Room

Why Losing Jahiem White Stings But Will Not Derail West Virginia’s 2026 Plans

During his two years and change in Morgantown, running back Jahiem White was one of the most, if not the most, dynamic players on the West Virginia football roster. Every time he touched the ball, you had the feeling that something special could happen, and oftentimes it did.

After not seeing the field through the first half of his true freshman campaign, he burst onto the scene in a road game against UCF, and from that point on, he became the electrifying back we all know him as. Injuries are a part of the game, but White is coming off a season-ending knee injury, marking the second straight offseason he’ll spend a good chunk of his time recovering. Last year, he suffered a lower-body injury in the Frisco Bowl against Memphis.

On Monday, news dropped that White plans to enter the transfer portal in January, which caught a lot of Mountaineer fans off guard because of the responses he had to fans earlier in the week on Instagram asking if he would be returning.

WVU has been holding exit interviews with players, discussing the report on them for the 2025 season, their future, and if they have a spot on next year’s roster. Pretty much every one of those talks will feature some time spent on money. Those figures are not generally made available to the media or public, but it’s within reason to assume West Virginia was a little weary of offering a decent-sized package to White, considering the injuries he’s had the past two years.

So, what now for West Virginia?

When a player of Jahiem’s caliber would depart in the past, everyone would panic and assume trouble lies ahead. Don’t get me wrong, losing White stings for WVU, but probably not as much as it would have in the past.

Rich Rodriguez signed five running backs during the early signing period, two of whom are going to have a chance to be significant contributors from day one in JUCO star Martavious Boswell and four-star recruit Amari Latimer, who flipped from Wisconsin. Those two, plus another incoming freshman, Christopher Talley, will be enrolling early. Big, physical back Lawrence Autry and the speedy SirPaul Cheeks will arrive in the summer

Goin’ shoppin’

Yes, WVU has to beefen up in the trenches and address other areas of the roster, but don’t think for a second that Rodriguez will ignore the running back position. After seeing the position decimated by injury in 2025, he’s going to do everything in his power to make sure that doesn’t happen again. West Virginia will add another running back to the mix once the portal opens next month, and likely one that has played meaningful football.

West Virginia

West Virginia registers season-high point total in 109-40 victory over Texas Southern – WV MetroNews

Published

1 day ago

December 8, 2025

Press Room

West Virginia registers season-high point total in 109-40 victory over Texas Southern – WV MetroNews

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In its final game of the regular season against non-power conference competition, West Virginia put forth the second-highest scoring effort in Mark Kellogg’s three seasons as head coach.

Behind six double-figure scorers, the Mountaineers romped past Texas Southern 109-40 on Monday night at Hope Coliseum.

With contests on deck against Georgia Tech and Texas A&M before beginning Big 12 Conference play, WVU (8-2) dominated the final 31-plus minutes to have its way with the Tigers.

“After the first 6 or 7 minutes, we settled in,” said Kellogg, who celebrated his 50th birthday. “It’s not that we weren’t playing hard. We weren’t all on the same page. We can’t really be feast or famine with turnover or give up baskets. That’s not the way we want to play. It’s a work in progress.”

West Virginia made its last four field-goal attempts of the opening quarter, which it ended on an 8-0 spurt that featured two three-pointers from Sydney Shaw for a 26-16 lead.

“It looked better going up 10, but it wasn’t good those first 7 or 8 minutes for sure,” Kellogg said.

The Mountaineers made it 15 consecutive points altogether by building the advantage to 33-16 before the second quarter was 4 minutes old.

WVU forced 13 TSU turnovers in the second quarter and attempted 22 free throws, converting 18 in a 32-point frame that enabled the home team to hold a 58-26 halftime advantage.

“Offensively, we got what we wanted for the most of the night,” Kellogg said. “We’d like to see the threes to go in at a little bit higher clip [6 for 24 on Monday].

The Mountaineers enjoyed their highest-scoring quarter of the season in the third, amassing 34 points on 14-for-22 field-goal shooting to open up an even bigger lead. The catalyst was Kierra “MeMe” Wheeler, who made all six of her shots and poured in 14 points in the period, which WVU finished with a 92-37 lead.

“There were a few mismatches. We knew that going into the game,” Wheeler said. “I didn’t start off well. Coach sat me down and allowed me to readjust myself knowing my presence was needed.”

Texas Southern (3-5) made only one fourth-quarter field goal and finished with 35 turnovers, which the Mountaineers turned into 54 points.

Wheeler led six WVU double-figure scorers with a season-high 23 points.

Jordan Harrison added 17 points to surpass 1,000 in her time at WVU, with this season marking her third in a Mountaineer uniform.

“I knew in the beginning of the season that I was going to eventually get it,” Harrison said. “I had no idea it was going to happen this close or in this game.

“I’m glad to have my name in the book on that. It’s great.”

Gia Cooke scored 14, Sydney Woodley and Carter McCray added 12 apiece and Shaw contributed 11 in the victory.

Starting center Jordan Thomas was not in uniform and was with the team on the bench in street clothes.

“It’s day to day,” Kellogg said. “We anticipate her to be back soon.”

Daeja Holmes and Taliyah Logwood led the Tigers with 12 points apiece.

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