Where are they now?
Where some of WVU\'s top former players will play college football in 2026
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia football was always going to lose some players once the single transfer portal window opened in the winter. The players who hadn’t received a lot of playing time were always going to leave. Rich Rodriguez said he was going to be brutally honest with players and show them the door.
Those players went, but then some of the biggest names on the roster started to enter, which raised questions. Players who were supposed to be impact pieces in Year 2 under Rodriguez and were some of the only bright spots last season. Some of them were well-known names for the past couple of years.
When the transfer portal officially closed, there were around 50 departures from the program, which was nearly half the roster. It’s hard to keep track of where everyone ended up, so here’s where the biggest names from last year’s team ended up and where they’ll play college football in 2026.
WR CAM VAUGHN, MIAMI
The biggest head-scratcher during portal season was when wide receiver Cam Vaughn decided to leave. A lot of the portalers were players who stayed after Neal Brown left, figuring out if Rodriguez was the right coach for them, but Vaughn wasn’t a Brown guy. Rodriguez brought Vaughn over from Jacksonville State and actually turned Vaughn into a receiver from a quarterback.
Vaughn had a strong first season with the Mountaineers, even with the quarterback carousel that happened in the backfield. Vaughn was a true No. 1 receiver and led the team on 35 catches for 541 yards and four touchdowns. He was a deep threat who would make a miraculous catch or draw a pass interference.
Instead of staying, Vaughn wanted to take his Year 1 stock at WVU and enter the portal, going to a much more competitive team in Miami. The Hurricanes were in the national championship last year and are going to be right in the mix again this season. Vaughn won’t be the No. 1 WR on the team. Miami happens to have arguably a top 3 receiver in the country on the team, Malachi Toney, and other weapons, but Vaughn will definitely get more exposure if the next step is the NFL. He’s already working out with NFL receiver and future Hall of Famer, Mike Evans.
QB NICCO MARCHIOL, NORTHWESTERN
Long-time WVU quarterback Nicco Marchiol was rumored to be transferring for quite some time after he was ruled out with a season-ending mid-foot injury after the Kansas game, which was the fourth game of the season. Even with the reports circulating, Marchiol still showed support for his team, showing up to multiple games throughout the rest of the season.
At the end of the winter, Marchiol made it official and ended his four-year career with the Mountaineers. Marchiol had his ups and downs, including two wins in the Backyard Brawl, and helped WVU to two wins as a start in 2024. He also played in nine games in 2023 as a redshirt freshman and started in one of them. Marchiol was a household name and decided to stay even after his head coach, Neal Brown, was fired.
Marchiol just didn’t fit Rodriguez’s scheme. Rodriguez looks for a true dual-threat quarterback, and while Marchiol could run, he wasn’t efficient enough to be effective in the offense. After a while in the portal, Marchiol was picked up by Northwestern and will most likely back up Michigan State transfer quarterback Aidan Chiles, who also transferred in this offseason.
RB JAHIEM WHITE, NORTH TEXAS
Running back Jahiem White was another interesting player to enter the portal because Rich Rodriguez talked very highly of him before and even after he suffered his season-ending injury. After realizing what Rodriguez was bringing in through the portal, it makes sense why White hit the portal. The nation’s leading rusher in 2025, Cam Cook, joined the Mountaineers this offseason and immediately became the lead back. White could’ve still had a role, but Cook was going to be the main guy.
White was WVU’s leading rusher in 2024 and had 844 yards on 148 carries and scored seven touchdowns. He almost had 1,000 yards while sharing the backfield with C.J. Donaldson, who transferred to Ohio State for the 2025 season.
White rejoined his former head coach, Neal Brown, at North Texas. Brown is in Year 1 as the coach for the Mean Green, and White looks to be the feature back in the offense coming off a season-ending injury.
WR RODNEY GALLAGHER, ARIZONA
Like Jahiem White and Nicco Marchiol, Rodney Gallagher was a household name at WVU for the longest time. The Mountaineers beat out local rival schools, like Penn State, to bring the 4-star to Morgantown. He was expected to be a weapon for years to come at any position he played.
Gallagher didn’t really pan out, whether that was under Neal Brown or Rich Rodriguez. In his final year, Gallagher was used in the slot and had 243 yards through the air and didn’t record a touchdown. He had three scores in Year 2 in Brown’s final year, and also played some defense.
Gallagher was second on the team in receptions in 2025 with 28 and also ran the ball 14 times for 83 years. His 5.9 yards per carry was tops for WVU among the 11 players with 10 or more carries.
The Laurel Highlands graduate and Uniontown native decided it was time for a fresh start and went across the country to join Arizona. The Wildcats finished 9-4 overall and 6-3 in the Big 12, which was tied for fourth. Gallagher will have his homecoming on Oct. 10 when Arizona plays WVU at Milan Puskar Stadium.
DL HAMMOND RUSSELL, WISCONSIN
Defensive lineman Hammond Russell was a leader on defense and one of the impact players. Russell was a bit banged up throughout the season and missed three games. He still racked up 2.5 tackles for loss, 13 tackles and forced a fumble. It was more about what he did as a leader on the team. Russell didn’t seem like a vocal guy, but a lot of the players really liked him.
It wasn’t enough for Russell to stay. He decided to enter the portal, as another former Neal Brown player, and head to another Big Ten school. Russell transferred to Wisconsin, who is another struggling team. The Badgers ended the 2025 season also 4-8 and won just two conference games. Head coach Luke Fickell enters the 2026 season on a really hot seat.
LB BEN BOGLE, ARKANSAS
Ben Bogle was one of the top substitute linebackers on the team in 2025, and he was expected to have a bigger role in 2026 after Reid Carrico and Chase Wilson ran out of eligibility. He played in all 12 games and picked up 37 tackles, five tackles for loss, a quarterback hurry and three sacks. Bogle had a productive season.
Even if he joined Rodriguez through the transfer portal, Bogle went portaling again and ended up at Arkansas. He joined new head coach Ryan Silverfield, who left Memphis. Bogle will now play under defensive coordinator Ron Roberts. He was on Florida’s staff the past two seasons as the DC and linebackers coach.