File photo WVU and coach Rich Rodriguez, shown with athletic director Wren Baker, left, announced the addition of 29 players to the roster via the transfer portal on Thursday.

MORGANTOWN — The West Virginia University football team on Thursday officially welcomed more than two dozen new players to the roster via the transfer portal.

The Mountaineers and new coach Rich Rodriguez announced the addition of 29 players into the fold. That portal class has WVU ranked 40th overall and ninth in the 16-team Big 12, according to recruiting website 247Sports.com.

Here are some of the highlights of the 2025 portal class:

— WVU overwhelmingly went with experience with who it signed. Of the 29 signees, 22 of them are fourth-year or fifth-year seniors.

— The staff made a special emphasis on restocking the secondary. WVU signed four corners and five safeties in this group.

That was a crucial move, as the Mountaineers struggled with one of the worst pass defenses in the Football Bowl Subdivision. West Virginia ranked 126th out of 134 FBS teams in allowing 270.8 passing yards per game, ranked 129th in opponent’s passer rating (160.25), and 123rd with 26 passing touchdowns allowed.

— WVU also made a point to bolster its offensive line, signing five in that group. West Virginia is losing both experience and talent from that room. Consensus All-American tackle Wyatt Milum is preparing for the NFL Draft, as is graduated starting senior Nick Malone. Starter Tomas Rimac has transferred to Virginia Tech.

— West Virginia was able to pick up seven transfers from other power conference schools — offensive lineman Ty’Kieast Crawford (Arkansas), safety Justin Harrington (Washington), quarterback Jaylen Henderson (Texas A&M), offensive lineman Robby Martin (North Carolina State), offensive lineman Kimo Makane’ole (LSU), tight end Johnny Pascuzzi (Iowa) and linebacker Ashton Woods (North Carolina).

— Five signees will be very familiar to Rodriguez and much of his coaching staff.

Those players followed Rodriguez from his last coaching stop, Jacksonville State. Former Gamecocks now on the WVU roster include tight end Jacob Barrick, receiver Jarod Bowie, corner Derek Carter, safety Fred Perry and receiver Cam Vaughn.

— Five signees are returning to their home state. Those West Virginia natives are Barrick (Martinsburg), Bowie (Martinsburg), Martin (Huntington), offensive lineman Wyatt Minor (Clarksburg) and receiver Cyrus Traugh (Parkersburg).

The full list of portal signees is as follows:

Jacob Barrick, TE, 6-3, 235, Sr. Martinsburg, W.Va./Martinsburg/Jacksonville State

Jarod Bowie, WR, 5-9, 160, r-Sr., Martinsburg, W.Va./Martinsburg/Concord/Jax State

Max Brown, QB, 6-2, 233, r-Jr., Tulsa, Okla./Lincoln Christian/Florida/Charlotte

Derek Carter, CB, 5-10, 175, r-Sr., Birmingham, Ala./Gardendale/Jax State

Jason Chambers, CB, 5-11, 178, Sr., Charlotte, N.C./Butler/NC Central/Appalachian State

Michael Coats Jr., CB, 5-10, 170, r-Sr, Biloxi, Miss./East Central CC/Nevada

Ty’Kieast Crawford, OL, 6-5, 327, Sr., Carthage, Texas/Carthage/Charlotte/Arkansas

William Davis, S, 5-10, 190, r-Sr., South Boston, Va./Halifax County/Virginia Union

Tye Edwards, RB, 6-2, 237, r-Sr, Palatka, Fla./Menendez/Ga. Military/Hutchinson CC/UTSA/UNI

Devonte Golden-Nelson, CB, 5-11, 178, r-Sr., Memphis, Tenn./Memphis Univ. School/Memphis/Akron

Justin Harrington, S, 6-3, 214, r-Sr., Raleigh, N.C./Southeast Raleigh/Oklahoma/Washington

Ethan Head, K, 6-1, 182, So., West Chicago, Ill./Wheaton Academy/Tulane

Jaylen Henderson, QB, 6-3, 229, r-Sr. Los Angeles, Calif./Chaminade/Fresno State/Texas A&M

Kimo Makane’ole, OL, 6-4, 300, r-Sr., Niceville, Fla./Niceville/LSU

Robby Martin, OL, 6-3, 297, r-Fr., Huntington, W.Va./Huntington/NC State

Wyatt Minor, OL, 6-5, 315, r-So., Clarksburg, W.Va./Robert C. Byrd/Youngstown State

Johnny Pascuzzi, TE, 6-4, 242, r-Sr., Olathe, Kan./Rockhurst/Iowa

Fred Perry, N/S, 5-11, 200, Sr., Vienna, Ga./Warner Robins/Jax State

Jimmori Robinson, DL, 6-4, 262, r-Sr., Alexandria, Va./Hayfield/Dodge City CC/Monroe/UTSA

Jordan Scruggs, N/S, 5-11, 190, r-Sr, Kan. City, Mo./Blue Valley W./Central Mo./Hutchinson CC/USA

Brandon Siders, BAN, 6-2, 241, r-Sr., Thornton, Colo./Ralston Valley/Wyoming

Oran Singleton, WR, 5-9, 164, r-Sr. Clewiston, Fla./Clewiston/Akron/Hutchinson CC/East. Michigan

Cyrus Traugh, WR, 6-0, 166, r-So., Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg So./Youngstown State

LJ Turner Jr., RB, 5-9, 189, Sr., Palm Beach, Fla./Heritage/Catawba

Cam Vaughn, WR, 6-2, 190, r-So., Temple, Ga./Temple/Jax State

Jordan Walker, S, 6-0, 190, r-Sr., Lafayette, Ala./Lafayette/UT-Chattanooga

Chase Wilson, LB, 6-1, 230, r-Sr, Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley/Colorado State

Ashton Woods, LB, 6-3, 225, r-Fr., Marietta, Ga./Walton/North Carolina

Walter Young Bear, OL, 6-3, 312, r-Sr., Norman, Okla./Norman North/Tulsa