Jan 6, 2025
Texas A&M quarterback Jaylen Henderson (16) is chased out of the pocket Abilene Christian safety Elijah Moffett (7) during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)
West Virginia University’s football team had an active weekend, officially announcing a pair of coaching staff additions and getting commitments from multiple players.
WVU announced that Jack Bicknell, who spent last year as Wisconsin’s offensive line coach, would be serving in that capacity for new Mountaineers coach Rich Rodriguez for 2025. Rodriguez and Bicknell worked together when the two both coached at Ole Miss.
“Jack comes from a family of coaches and brings years of experience at the collegiate and NFL levels,” Rodriguez said. “His knowledge and ability to develop and build offensive lines make him a great fit here. He and his family are a great addition to WVU, and I look forward to working with him again.”
Prior to Wisconsin, Bicknell also coached offensive lines for North Carolina in 2022 and Louisville in 2021. He also has NFL experience, coaching offensive lines for the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The university also officially announced that WVU Sports Hall of Famer Noel Devine, a former All-Big East running back for WVU, would return as an offensive analyst and assistant running backs coach who will help the returning Chad Scott.
“Noel knows how I run my program, and more importantly, he wants to give back to the place that has given him so much,” Rodriguez said. “He knows Mountaineer football, and he will be a great asset on the offensive side of the ball.”
Devine is third in career rushing yards at WVU with 4,315 and sixth with 29 rushing touchdowns. The North Fort Myers, Florida, native was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 2021. In 2009, he was an All-Big East first-team pick and a Maxwell Award semifinalist.
On the player front, WVU picked up a quarterback commitment Saturday night and added wide receiver and running back commitments Sunday.
Former Texas A&M signal caller Jaylen Henderson announced his commitment to the Mountaineers on Saturday. Henderson began his college career at Fresno State, playing sparingly for two seasons before transferring to Texas A&M in 2023. Injuries pushed him into the starting role in that 2023 season.
He started four games that year, completing 53 of 78 passes for 715 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions while running for 104 yards and two touchdowns on 41 carries. He returned to a backup role in 2024 and did not appear in a game.
On Sunday, former Youngstown State receiver Cyrus Traugh and running back LJ Turner from Division II Catawba College announced their commitments. Traugh, a Parkersburg native, won the 2022 Randy Moss Award as West Virginia’s best high school receiver as a Parkersburg South senior. He was a Football Championship Subdivision Freshman All-American this year after redshirting in 2023. He caught 36 passes for 409 yards and five touchdowns.
Turner will have one year of eligibility when he arrives in Morgantown. He was a Division II All-American after rushing for 1,224 yards and 13 touchdowns on 174 carries this past season.
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