Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.- When DJ Epps entered the transfer portal after last season, he wasn’t looking for a fresh start but a chance to shine on a bigger stage.
The redshirt senior began his collegiate football career at Troy as a walk-on before earning a spot on the field. Last season, he finished with a team-high 47 catches, second with 512 yards, had a team-tying five touchdowns. Epps caught 66.2 percent of his passes and had at least four catches in six games while finishing second in the Sun belt with 554 return yards on 23 kickoffs.
Now, the veteran wide receiver is bringing that experience to West Virginia with the goal of becoming a bigger part of the Mountaineers’ offense.
“Just the opportunity to be a better player and get more opportunities with the ball and contribute more to win games,” he said.
Epps chose WVU partly because of head coach Rich Rodriguez and the opportunity he saw in Morgantown.
“Obviously West Virginia is a great program coming from Troy,” he said. “It’s always going to be a different process coming from different schools, but Coach Rodriguez is really a big part of why I chose here. He’s a great leader and that’s really it.”
The transition from a Group Five school to a Power Four conference has brought a new system and a different level of competition, but Epps the 5-foot-11, 188-pound, wide out is focused on improving every day.
“It’s a little different, like I said it’s always going to be a different process coming from a different school, but I’m getting better each and every day,” he said.
Epps’ versatility could help him find those additional opportunities he was looking for as he arrives in a receiving room that is replacing several veterans from last season. He has experience playing both inside and outside receiver and can contribute on special teams as a returner.
“I think I do a lot of things well, just play good at different positions,” he said. “I can catch the ball, I can block, I can return kicks, punts, so basically can do it all.”
That versatility is something Epps is embracing as he adjusts to his new team.
“Obviously I just try to help the team in different ways as possible,” he said. “Wherever the coaches need me, that’s where I’m going to go do and try to do my best at it.”
The Phenix City, Alabama native will also impact the Mountaineers’ return game this season, giving him another chance to contribute.
“That’s something I’ll be doing this season, too,” Epps said. “Just working with Coach (Pat) Kirkland, and he’s getting me better each and every day and just showing me different tips.”
As Epps looks to find a larger role on the field, the veteran is stepping into a new one in the locker room. While at Troy he didn’t fit the mold of a leader but WVU has helped him find his voice and help the younger members of the team.
“I wouldn’t say I really was a leader at Troy, but it’s something I’m growing into now,” he said. “Being here at West Virginia they really pushed me to try to be more vocal and that’s something I’m trying to do better at each and every day.”
The best advice Epps has is just the lessons he learned in transition from walk-on to role player.
“I would say just you have to take advantage of every rep you have and try to make plays and give your best effort each and every rep and ultimately coaches see it for sure,” he said.
As fall camp winds down, Epps is hoping those lessons and his versatility translate into a bigger role for the Mountaineers.
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
