The transfer portal gives and takes. West Virginia suffered some recent losses to the portal, as we recapped here, but they also brought in some big names to fill immediate needs. In recent days, in fact, we saw the Mountaineers add five-star receiver George Campbell.
Mountaineers Add Five-Star Receiver
Unfortunately, repetitive hip and core injuries marred Campbell’s career at Florida State. Campbell, however, came to Florida State as part of its 2015 class as a composite five-star player. He finished that year’s recruiting class ranked 19th overall. Indeed, Campbell showed some flashes in limited use through injuries. In all, he hauled in six receptions for 122 yards for a whopping 20 yards per reception in 2017. Nonetheless, it is safe to say that Campbell’s potential has not yet been realized.
Campbell comes in as the second-highest rated player to enroll in West Virginia. The highest was Kenny Bigelow. Like Bigelow, Campbell looks to resurrect his football career in Morgantown. And, like Bigelow, Campbell has an axe to grind with his detractors.
Someone said I fell off, oh I needed that… Glad to be home @wvufootball pic.twitter.com/QxnTyMM3FW
— George Campbell (@GeorgeCampbell0) June 4, 2019
If Campbell can stay healthy, his size and talent will be a welcome addition to a receiver room depleted by graduation and attrition. Outside of T.J. Simmons, the Mountaineers return very little experience. Further, Campbell could add wisdom and a different perspective to the locker room, much like Bigelow and Jabril Robinson helped overhaul the defensive line last season. Look for Campbell to begin the season with a bang. And do not be surprised if he and Simmons finish hand-in-hand as the top receivers on the team. Either way, because the Mountaineers add a five-star receiver, they substantially upgrade their offensive potential.