Continuing our series of reviewing positional groups for West Virginia football, this week we will take a look at the tight end room. Read more: WVU Football’s Tight End Room: Quality Depth or One Man Show?
Recent years have shown that this has been a relatively quiet group for the Mountaineers. Kole Taylor was able to bring some spark to the position last year, but that was short-lived.
Taylor has since graduated from WVU, and Morgantown hasn’t seen a real impact player at the position since Trevon Wesco.
Will 2025 be the year that changes? Let’s take a deeper look at the group and see who can emerge as the next difference maker at tight end.
Hometown Heroes
West Virginia currently has seven tight ends on their roster, three of whom hail from the Mountain State.
Noah Braham, a Morgantown native, is entering his third year with the Mountaineers. The 6-foot-3, 243-pound redshirt sophomore was primarily used as depth last season. He saw action in just two games when WVU took on UCF and Texas Tech.
Braham, whose father Rich is a WVU Hall of Famer, is continuing the family legacy. While unlikely he sees consistent playing time, the younger Braham looks to be quality depth in the group.
Collin McBee is the second tight end on the roster who is originally from Morgantown. McBee is entering his fourth year with the program after redshirting his freshman year. Just like Braham, he provided a stable body last season for the Mountaineers.
Related: Why Rich Rodriguez Represents a Better Bet Than Scott Frost
McBee appeared in three games for the Mountaineers and was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Conference First Team. He, too, will continue to be a solid piece in the tight end room.
Martinsburg native Jacob Barrick is the final tight end on the roster from West Virginia. Following Rich Rodriguez from Jacksonville State, Barrick played a key role in the Gamecocks’ offense.
Though primarily used as a blocker, he managed to have six receptions for 70 yards last season. With Rodriguez joining him in their return to West Virginia, expect Barrick to play a key role, especially in the run game.
More Quality Depth
Greg Genross and Ryan Ward are a pair of tight ends who continue to bolster the depth this group has.
Genross is a redshirt junior entering his second season at WVU. Standing at 6-foot-6, Genross is the biggest target out of the group. The former Junior College All-American didn’t see any action last year, but that imposing size could push him into the rotation under Rodriguez’s guidance.
Ward comes to West Virginia after transferring from the University of North Carolina. He redshirted during his lone season with the Tar Heels, but saw action in four games, including one against the University of Pittsburgh.
A former 3-star recruit and No. 9 tight end in the nation, Ward has the potential to become a key contributor in the Mountaineers’ offense.
The Clear Leader of the Group
Now, all that is left is the presumed starter Grayson Barnes. Entering his senior year, Barnes transferred in after spending the last two seasons at Northern Illinois.
Barnes led the Huskies last season with four touchdown catches and was second on the team with 31 receptions. He recorded 338 yards in the season with 10.9 yards per reception.
At 6-foot-4, he couples above-average size with an elite catch radius. He demonstrated this in last year’s Idaho Bowl, where he made an impossible one-handed grab. He also had two touchdowns in that game.
Related: WVU’s Jahiem White Named to Preseason All-Conference Team
In the two years he spent at Northern Illinois, Barnes recorded 780 yards and nine touchdowns on 54 receptions.
Expect Barnes to step into the starting role and make a big impact for the Mountaineers in the passing game.
The Overall Consensus
That completes the group of tight ends that will be playing this year for the Mountaineers.
Not everyone will see playing time, but this group boasts quality depth with Barnes leading the charge. While Barnes is feasting in the passing game, Barrick will be able to step in and provide much-needed blocking help.
Ward is the sleeper among this group. With time, he can develop into someone the Mountaineers could lean on in their passing attack.
WVU hasn’t always had the strongest tight end room, but with Barnes and a solid group behind him, that could change in 2025.
WVU Football’s Tight End Room: Quality Depth or One Man Show?
