West Virginia’s secondary received an influx of transfers this past offseason, and with the season opener against Penn State approaching later this month, let’s take a look at where the cornerback squad is at the start of the season.
Ayden Garnes
Garnes is a redshirt junior who transferred to West Virginia after three seasons at Duquesne. During his two active seasons with the Dukes, the Philadelphia native started 19 consecutive games in 2022 and 2023. As a full-time starter last season, Garnes recorded 51 tackles and was third on the team with five tackles for loss. He was also the top Duquesne player with 11 pass breakups. Garnes can be expected to bring a lot of experience to a relatively young cornerback room, as he is only one of two cornerbacks entering their fourth season.
TJ Crandall
Crandall is a true sophomore who transferred from Colorado State last December. In his freshman year, Crandall appeared in 10 games and made five starts for the Rams. He recorded 19 tackles, including 13 unassisted stops and one tackle for a loss. Crandall also caught an interception against Utah State, a game in which he also had three tackles. The former three-star prospect had just five offers before committing: Colorado State, Arizona State, Army, Idaho State and Yale. Expect Crandall to get playing time this fall, but to develop into a full-fledged starter in the coming seasons.
Jordan Jackson
Jackson is a redshirt freshman who only played in two games last season. In high school, Jackson was rated as a three-star talent by 247Sports. During his recruitment, the Cincinnati native received 16 offers. These included opportunities to play at Duke, Maryland, Minnesota and Purdue. Jackson visited Duke, Purdue and West Virginia, but chose the Mountaineers before his official visit to Morgantown. With his commitment, Jordan joined his twin brother Josiah in Morgantown with the class of 2023. In high school, Jackson played running back in addition to the secondary. His diverse skill set should help him develop in the coming seasons, but expect him to be a complement in 2024.
Garnett Hollis Jr.
Hollis is a true senior who transferred from Northwestern with two years of eligibility remaining. Hollis was a full-time starter for the Wildcats last season, recording 49 tackles, one interception, three pass defenses and one fumble recovery. Notably, 33 of those 49 tackles were unassisted. He also recorded five tackles in five individual games over the course of the season. Hollis is one of two players who transferred from Northwestern to West Virginia last offseason, joining free safety Jaheem Joseph. Like Garnes, Hollis brings a wealth of experience from his final two seasons at Northwestern. He will likely be an immediate starter for the Mountaineers.
Jacolby Zauber
Spells is a true junior who appeared in 12 games last season, adding depth to the cornerback position. He finished the 2023 season with eight tackles, including five solo stops, an assist on a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. He also had success with West Virginia’s special teams, appearing in a season-high 12 snaps for the unit. The former four-star prospect was coached by three-time NFL Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Surtain in high school and also participated in track and field. The receiver-turned-cornerback ran the 100-meter dash in 10.79 seconds. Spells is expected to get more snaps in 2024 behind Garnett Hollis Jr. and Ayden Garnes, but he is expected to be a starter in 2025.
Dontez Fagan
Fagan is a redshirt senior who transferred from Charlotte after a chaotic college career. The Oklahoma City native originally committed to Central Oklahoma, a Division II school, for the 2019 season. He redshirted in 2019, but the Broncos did not compete in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2021 was Fagan’s first season of playing time, and he recorded 14 tackles, 2 interceptions and 2 pass breakups in 11 games. At the end of the season, Fagan moved to the JUCO level and committed to Independence Community College in Independence, Kansas. In his redshirt sophomore season, Fagan earned KJCCC All-Conference First Team honors after recording 14 tackles, including two tackles for loss in seven games. He also recorded one interception and one pass breakup. Fagan re-entered the portal after the 2022 season and was rated as a two-star JUCO prospect. He received offers from several Group of 5 teams, including Buffalo, Georgia Southern, Kent State and New Mexico State, but ultimately chose Charlotte in the American Athletic Conference. Fagan now plays Division I football and played in 12 games for the 49ers, including 9 starts. He collected 21 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and an interception in 2023 before transferring to West Virginia for his final season of eligibility. Fagan’s path has taken him from a complete unknown to a contender for snaps at the Power 4 level. Expect Fagan to get snaps in the secondary this season. While his path to the Mountaineers is different than everyone else’s, keeping Fagan down and out seems impossible.
