Another day, another transfer portal loss for West Virginia. This time, it’s starting defensive lineman Hammond Russell who’s heading out. That’s a big body gone from the middle of the Mountaineers’ defensive front, and it’s not one that’s easily replaced.
Russell played in 33 games during his time in Morgantown, which is a lot of football at the Power Four level. The 6-foot-3, 315-pounder was a steady contributor and had carved out a role for himself this past season, putting up 13 tackles and two sacks in nine appearances.
It’s not like Russell was putting up All-Big 12 numbers, but this wasn’t some freshman trying to find his way either. He had experience, knew the system, and played with the kind of physicality that Rich Rodriguez had been trying to bring out of his guys. Losing him means somebody else has to step in and grow up fast, which is a tough ask when depth is already stretched thin.
For Russell, the move makes sense if there’s a better opportunity out there. It’s a relatively new coaching staff, he’s got some nice tape out there, and he’s still got time to make a jump somewhere else. It’s not hard to imagine a mid-tier SEC or Big Ten team calling.
Still, from the West Virginia side of things, this hurts. You build your line from the inside out, and Russell was part of the core foundation. Now, he’s the latest in a growing list of guys who’ll be wearing different colors next fall.
Portal season isn’t slowing down anytime soon, and the Mountaineers are learning that the hard way. Again.
