All 32 NFL Teams announced their initial 53-man rosters Sunday after completing the 2026 preseason.
In total, nine former WVU Football players made the cut and will prepare to suit up for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL regular season beginning September 9.
One of these former Mountaineers stands out from the rest; cornerback Michael Coats Jr. Read more: Former Mountaineer Michael Coats Jr. makes NFL roster despite unusual road.
Coats went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the Cleveland Browns decided to take a chance on him and signed him as a UDFA.
Related: Mountaineers headed to the NFL: One signing, five camp invites
While Coats played FBS football, his road to the NFL was quite unusual, as he did not play a single snap of football in high school. For that matter, he played no sports in high school.
Overall, Coats had a desire to have a better future for himself after high school, and his dedication proved to pay off big.
Coats’ story
While Coats did not play high school football, college was not his first experience with the sport.
According to Nevada Sports Net, Coats grew up playing Pop Warner football at a young age. He also played basketball and baseball.
However, once Coats reached high school, his interest in sports declined. He had experience with workouts, but ultimately, he decided not to play. Coats believed the coaches did not take him seriously due to his skinny build.
With no idea what he wanted to do after finishing high school, Coats took a job at a local arcade. He has said that the job was probably the best thing to ever happen to him, as it made him realize he wanted a better future.
While Coats was still working at the arcade, he would work out after work every day and occasionally play seven-on-seven football with his friends.
Nobody knew it but Coats himself, but all this work outside the arcade was a part of his plan to continue playing football after high school. His big break came when he found a post from East Central Community College on Facebook advertising football tryouts.
The tryout cost $10, and Coats took the trip to Decatur, Mississippi, to begin making his dream a reality.
Coats told his mother he was going to watch a Mississippi Gulf Coast basketball game when really, he was trying out to play football at the same community college his father played basketball for.
Coats’ hard work paid off when East Central coach Drew Dunn called to let him know he had made the team. To his surprise, three days before the first game of the season, he was told he was going to be a starter.
Collegiate career
Coats played at East Central from 2020-2022. He appeared in 21 games and recorded 38 tackles, five sacks, and four interceptions.
Coats did enroll with Louisiana Tech in 2021, but a coaching change led him to return to East Central for the 2022 season.
While playing at East Central, a pair of Nevada assistant coaches scouted Coats. He would enter the NCAA transfer portal following the 2022 season and join the Nevada Wolf Pack.
Coats played for Nevada for two seasons. His first season was solid with 13 tackles and one interception, but he had a breakout year in 2024 with 41 tackles and four interceptions.
To conclude his time with the Wolf Pack, Coats earned first-team all-Mountain West honors.
Coats would once again enter the transfer portal ahead of the 2025 season and join WVU for his final collegiate stop.
With the Mountaineers, Coats started all 12 games and had 30 tackles and a forced fumble.
Coats impressed NFL scouts at Pro Day with his speedy 4.39 40-yard dash time. Had Coats been invited to the NFL Draft Combine, this would have been the third-best time.
Coats also reached 10’8” in the broad jump and completed the three-cone drill in 6.83 seconds.
Making the Browns’ 53-man roster
Coats suited up for the Browns for the first time on August 15 in a preseason matchup against the Chicago Bears.
In the second quarter, Coats picked off Martinsburg, West Virginia native Tyson Bagent. He was the only Browns player to record an interception.
Related: Bishop, Coats, and Greene headline Mountaineer performances in Week 1 of NFL Preseason
Watch the interception by clicking here
Coats also had two tackles against the Bears. The following week, he would record four more tackles against the Buffalo Bills.
In the Browns’ final preseason game against the New England Patriots, Coats did not appear due to a leg injury.
Head coach Todd Monken had positive remarks for Coats through preseason, saying it was fun to watch him and that he “just shows up every day and makes plays.”
Who else is in/out
The Browns have one other former Mountaineer who made its 53-man roster, long snapper Rex Sunahara.
Sunahara was with WVU from 2016-2019 and has been the Browns’ long snapper since 2024.
Other Mountaineers making NFL rosters include quarterback Geno Smith (New York Jets), center Zach Frazier (Pittsburgh Steelers), offensive tackle Colton McKivitz (San Francisco 49ers), offensive guard Wyatt Milum (Jacksonville Jaguars), cornerback Rasul Douglas (Washington Commanders), defensive tackle Dante Stills (Arizona Cardinals), and long snapper Austin Brinkman (Houston Texans).
Coats is the only newcomer, as the other eight players all have at least one year of NFL experience.
While they have not officially made their respective rosters yet, Chicago Bears linebacker Tony Fields II and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver David Sills V were placed on injured reserve.
Bears cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. was waived with injury designation, meaning if he clears waivers, he will be placed on injured reserve.
Other waived players include wide receiver Jeff Weimer (Kansas City Chiefs), wide receiver Garrett Greene (Buccaneers), wide receiver Gary Jennings (Los Angeles Chargers), offensive lineman Doug Nester (Steelers), linebacker Reid Carrico (Tennessee Titans), linebacker Chase Wilson (Jets), and defensive tackle Fatorma Mulbah (Miami Dolphins).
All hope is not lost for these players yet, as other NFL teams will have a chance to pick them up off waivers, or they can be signed to practice squads.
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