West Virginia has struggled in press man coverage for the most part in recent years and because of it, defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley has had to adjust his plan for how to attack offenses.

This offseason, the Mountaineers went out and snagged former Northwestern corner Garnett Hollis Jr. out of the transfer portal who they hope can help fix that problem and open up Lesley’s playbook. Hollis already has the attention of NFL scouts, including the executive director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl, Jim Nagy. Earlier this week, Nagy offered some analysis on what Hollis will bring to the West Virginia defense.

“Simple answer is someone with requisite physical traits to matchup against the best perimeter receivers in Big 12, which has been an issue for WVU in recent years. A couple agents put Hollis on radar last fall when he was considering coming out for 2024 draft and he eventually played his way into a mid-Day 3 draftable grade for us. Early tape was shaky with too many eye violations and missed tackles but Hollis played more dialed-in & physical as season wore on and he was noticeably playing with more confidence in later views. Hollis is at his best in press-man where he can use his length & strength to disrupt at the LOS and he’ll be fast enough (high-4.4 estimate based off tape) to run with almost every receiver on their schedule this year.”

Checking in at 6’1″, 200 lbs, Hollis is easily the biggest and longest corner the Mountaineers have had in quite some time and that alone will help prevent them from getting shoved around down the field. If he can essentially eliminate one half of the field, WVU can get really creative with how they dial up pressure and move guys around in the secondary.

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