By: Justin Walker | WV Sports Chat
When it comes to college football preview magazines, many consider Phil Steele to be the gold standard. That’s why WVU football fans should be thrilled looking at his newly released “Top 75 JUCO’s” list featured in the 2026 edition of his College Football Preview magazine.
West Virginia didn’t just sprinkle in a few Junior College transfers to fill out roster depth this cycle—they went out and secured some of the premier JUCO talent in the country.
In fact, Rich Rodriguez and his staff managed to land nine players in Phil Steele’s Top 75.
Here is how the JUCO Mountaineers stack up, headlined by a massive recruitment win right at the very top.
Mountaineers Dominate the Top Tier
Not only did WVU football bring in quantity, but they also brought in quality. According to Phil, West Virginia secured the absolute jewel of the junior college market:
#1 Deshawn Woods (OT, Butler Community College): Steele ranks the 6-foot-5 inch, 307 pounder as the number one overall JUCO prospect in the country. Locking down an experienced and talented offensive tackle of this caliber is a massive win for the Mountaineer front line and offensive line coach Rick Trickett.
#19 Keon Hutchins (WR, Northwest Mississippi Community College): Sneaking into the top 20, Hutchins brings immediate, high-end speed to the receiving corps.
Deep Roster Value in the Top 40
The talent haul doesn’t stop there. The Mountaineers consistently pop up throughout the upper half of Phil Steele’s rankings. This proves that the WVU staff targeted high-impact positions across the board.
#28 Kedrick Triplett (WR, Pearl River Community College): The Florence, Alabama native gives Rich Rodriguez and company another weapon for the passing game. This means that WVU landed two top-30 JUCO wideouts. (Check out my sit down interview with Kedrick Triplett in a past episode of Couz’s Corner on YouTube). See link below.
#31 Jaylen Thomas (DT, Northwest Mississippi Community College): The 6-foot-2, 308-pound junior adds crucial size and depth for the interior of Defensive Coordinator Zac Alley’s defensive line.
#33 KJ Henson (DL, Hutchinson Community College): The 6-foot-4, 284-pound Maryland native is another prominent defensive line addition sitting right in the heart of the top 35. He’s also one of several players that WVU picked up from Hutchinson.
#38 Jeremiah Johnson (DE, Butte Community College): Zac Alley bolstered his pass rush with this top-40 rated edge player from Spanish Springs, Nevada.
Secondary Depth in the Back Half
To round out the impressive class, Steele’s list highlights two defensive back additions. Both players will provide immediate competition and depth in the secondary for West Virginia. With the Mountaineers losing all four starters from the backend last season, this depth was much needed.
#51 Da’Mare Williams (S, Coffeyville Community College): 6-foot-1, 201-pounds from Sylvia, North Carolina.
#53 Da’Mun Allen (CB, Hutchinson Community College): 6-foot-3, 201-pounds from Sanford, FL
#69 Darius Wiley (DE, Hutchinson Community College): 6-foot-6, 268-pounds from Elizabethtown, KY.
The Takeaway
Finding reliable, impactful college talent is harder than ever in the current landscape of the sport. While standard high school recruiting and the traditional transfer portal get all the headlines, West Virginia clearly used the JUCO ranks to find some instant-impact contributors. It’s also notable that most of these players have multiple years of eligibility remaining.
Landing nine of the top 75 players—including the #1 overall prospect in Deshawn Woods—is a massive statement. Expect to see some of these names making plays inside Milan Puskar Stadium this fall.
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
