WVU Football Bolsters Defense via Transfer Portal; In-State High School Player of the Year Commits to Mountaineers
By: Justin Walker, Clark Johnson & Jon Martin | WV Sports Chat
Rich Rodriguez and the West Virginia football program needed to add depth to their defense through the transfer portal. They did just that over the weekend, getting commitments from four more defensive players. WVU also received commitments from two more offensive players. One is coming from the portal, and one from the high school ranks. A brief breakdown of each player is below.
Offense
Brad Mossor
A native of Princeton, West Virginia, Mossor had a fantastic senior season at Princeton Senior High School. He helped lead the Tigers to their first state championship in school history. He also brought home multiple individual awards. The 5-foot-11 inch playmaker was given the Randy Moss Award, which goes to the top wide receiver in the state of West Virginia. He also won the WV MetroNews Player of the Year Award and the Kennedy Award. Both of those awards go to the top overall player in the state.
The dual-threat athlete not only did damage to opponents at the receiver position, but also made plays out of the backfield as a running back. He finished the season with 93 receptions for 1,512 yards and 14 touchdowns. On the ground, he accumulated 914 yards and 28 touchdowns on 125 carries. That’s not all. He scored seven more touchdowns combined in the return game and on the defensive side of the ball, where he plays defensive back.
Mossor was nearly unstoppable in the AAA state title game. He accounted for all five Princeton touchdowns in a 36-35 win over Nitro. He rushed for 115 yards and four scores, while catching five passes for 132 yards and another touchdown against the Wildcats. His defense also made a difference in the game. The two-way player had three tackles, one tackle-for-loss and two pass breakups to help slow down the Nitro offense, which also includes WVU receiver signee Malachi Thompson.
Kayden Luke
West Virginia football received a commitment from transfer fullback Kayden Luke. A native of Tucson, Arizona, Luke spent two seasons with the Wildcats. He played a total of 71 snaps according to Pro Football Focus, with 61 of those in run blocking situations. He had an average run blocking grade of 62.3 during that time. He’s carried the ball just five times in his career for a total of 20 yards. All five carries came during the 2024 season.
Luke has already become a fan favorite among WVU fans by posing in his cowboy hat and blue jeans during his visit to Morgantown. He also embraced the fullback legacy left by former Mountaineer great Owen Schmitt. His commitment announcement read, “Hard people doing hard things!! Beer truck loading.”
“Big Red,” as he was affectionately called by his former Arizona teammates, was a star running back at Canyon Del Oro High School, where he rushed for 2,307 yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior. Known for his physicality, he earned great respect from his teammates for his work ethic.
Rodriguez expressed frustration several times during postgame press conferences in 2025 because his offense was unable to succeed in short-yardage situations. Getting a hard-nosed, physical fullback who is a proven blocker can go a long way in helping the Mountaineer run game in 2026.
Defense
Jason Hall
Hall, a Massachusetts native, has appeared in 35 games for the Villanova Wildcats. While being used sparingly during his first two seasons with the FCS squad, Hall put together a solid 2025 season – tallying 45 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.
He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Ezekiel Durham-Campbell
Durham-Campbell is transferring from Coastal Carolina to WVU. He moved from Louisiana Tech to Coastal Carolina and put together a solid 2025 campaign for the Chanticleers. Tallying 39 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and a pass deflection, the Georgia native became a hot commodity in the NCAA Transfer Portal. Among the schools to offer Durham-Campbell were Kentucky, Syracuse, Baylor, and UCF.
He will have one season of eligibility remaining.
Jaire Rawlison
Rawlison is transferring from Kent State to WVU. The 5-foot-9 inch, 185-pound cornerback excelled in pass coverage with the Golden Flashes. He had a coverage grade of 65.6 and eight pass breakups in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus. He was also a solid tackler with 54 total tackles recorded and an elite PFF tackling grade of 85.5. The York, Pennsylvania native fills a need in the secondary for WVU’s defense.
Jacob Bradford
Bradford is transferring from LSU to WVU. The former consensus four-star recruit out of Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, committed to the Tigers as part of the 2025 class. Per 247 Sports, he was ranked as high as number five overall in the state of Louisiana. The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder appeared in five games for the Tigers as a true freshman in 2025. He only played one defensive snap. All other appearances were on special teams. He chose to transfer out of LSU after former coach Brian Kelly was fired.
Tobi Haastrup
Haastrup is transferring from Oregon to WVU. A native of London, England, the former Duck had only one year of American football experience before attending Oregon. That one year was at Mayde Creek High School in Texas. His performance in that lone season, along with his physical traits, earned him a four-star rating from ESPN. They listed him as the number 21 defensive end nationally in the 2025 class. Seen as a project with high upside, Haastrup stands 6-foot-4 inches and weighs approximately 230 pounds. The freak athlete also boasts a 10.7-second 100m dash time on the track and has hit 22.4 mph on the Catapult GPS system. Haastrup played special teams in only three games during his freshman season at Oregon, preserving his redshirt and giving him four years of eligibility remaining.