by: Justin Walker
Earlier this week, former WVU defensive back, Beanie Bishop, made Pitt fans angry by wiping his feet on their logo inside the Pittsburgh Steelers practice facility – which Pitt shares. Seeing how much Beanie embraces the Backyard Brawl and how Mountaineer fans rallied behind him, it got me thinking; “of the athletes that have transferred into West Virginia to only play one season, is Beanie Bishop at the top of the list?” So, I created my top five list of the greatest one-year transfers in the history of WVU sports. Here they are:
Honorable Honorable Mention: Charles Sims (Football, 2013)
- Key offensive contributor during WVU’s 4-8 season
- Grad transfer from Houston
- Carried the ball 208 times for 1,095 yards and 11 touchdowns, plus 45 receptions for 401 yards and 3 touchdowns
- Third-round NFL draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with a solid five-year NFL career
5.) Tony Fields (Football, 2020)
- Grad transfer from Arizona
- Led the Big 12 with 9.8 tackles per game (27th nationally)
- Named All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12 Newcomer of the Year
- Drafted in the 5th round by the Cleveland Browns, still active in the NFL
- Helped WVU to a 6-4 season and a Liberty Bowl win
4.) Eric Stevenson (Basketball, 2022-23)
- Averaged 15.4 points per game, shooting 43% from the field and 38% from three
- Known for his “it factor” and connection with WVU fans
- Hit a memorable game-winning shot for Best Virginia in the TBT
- Signed with the San Antonio Spurs’ G-League team, later joining the Washington Wizards organization
- Contributed to a 19-15 season and an NCAA Tournament appearance
3.) Javon Small (Basketball, 2024-25)
- Averaged 18.6 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game
- Shot 42% from the field and 35% from three
- Played 36.1 minutes per game
- Earned All-Big 12 First Team honors (1 of only 5 WVU men’s basketball players to do so)
- Helped WVU achieve 19 wins, though the team narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament
2.) Derek Clark (Baseball, 2024)
- Starting pitcher for WVU’s first Super Regional team
- Finished with an 8-3 record and a 3.23 ERA
- Recorded 4 complete games with 97.2 innings pitched, 91 strikeouts, and a 1.085 WHIP
- Third-team All-American
- Drafted in the 9th round by the LA Angels
- Played a pivotal role in WVU’s 36-24 season
1.) Beanie Bishop (Football, 2023)
- Consensus All-American, one of 14 in WVU football history.
- Led the nation with 20 pass breakups and had 4 interceptions.
- Scored a punt return touchdown in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
- Contributed significantly to WVU’s 9-4 season
- Fully embraced the program’s culture and rivalry with Pitt
- Signed as an undrafted free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers & is currently on their roster
This ranking emphasizes players’ impact in their single season at West Virginia. It considers statistical performance, accolades, and cultural fit. Beanie Bishop tops the list due to his rare consensus All-American status and significant contributions on and off the field. If you’d like further analysis, you can catch it on a recent episode of Couz’s Corner on YouTube.
4 Responses
Jeff Hostetlet?
He played two years – 1982 & 1983. But I appreciate the comment.
Don’t blame you for having Javon Small where you have him. He should have been higher because WVU absolutely got robbed not making the tournament! The reason the committee gave was basically Tucker’s injury. Which just pours more salt into the wound since many of the players believe that Tucker could have played. Another way that Devries family screwed over the team and the fans!
I think having Javon at 3 instead of 2 was more to show how good Derek Clark was and how important he was to that Super Regional run.