(Story by Greg Carey and Joe Brocato)
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Less than 12 hours after West Virginia football coach Neal Brown revealed defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor was on his way out of Morgantown and into the NCAA Transfer Portal, Mesidor released a statement on the matter through social media.
Mesidor’s post contained many of the traditional markings of a farewell letter to fans, teammates and coaches that have become common in today’s landscape of college athletics. In the final paragraph of his message, Mesidor specifically detailed his reasons for leaving Morgantown.
Mesidor said, “Despite the recent media conference and public speculation, I have decided to transfer for my overall well-being and in pursuit of a better environment for my development on and off the field. These last 48 hours have been extremely challenging and at times I have felt unsafe on campus.”
Thank you Gold and Blue nation!!@WVUfootball pic.twitter.com/Rvjf7fdoU9
— Akheem Mesidor (@Akheem_Mes) April 1, 2022
Twelve minutes after posting that tweet, Mesidor posted another message saying he has received a scholarship offer from USC. The Trojans are led by former Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley. Mesidor had three tackles in WVU’s game against the Sooners in September. Mesidor revealed Friday he also holds offers from Tennessee and Auburn.
Mesidor will be one of the most heavily recruited players in the transfer portal. The Athletic lists Mesidor at No. 6 in their list of best available players in the portal.
Schools are not permitted to contact prospective student-athletes until they enter the portal. With the new one-time transfer rule, thousands of football players have changed schools over the last two seasons.
“In today’s college football world, these men are surrounded by some much noise and they are pulled in so many different directions that it is hard to decipher right and wrong many times. There are things going on in our profession that aren’t good. They shouldn’t be out there but they are,” said WVU head coach Neal Brown.
“I am not bitter. I am not down on the transfer portal. I am not down on college football or its direction. I am not down on the profession.”
Brown said most transfers don’t catch him by surprise. Mesidor’s departure was significantly different.
“The hard thing for me is how quick it happens,” Brown said. “He was at practice, in meetings even as late as Tuesday afternoon. In many ways, I hurt for Akheem, too. I don’t think he’s making a good long-term decision.”
The Ottawa, Ontario native burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2020 when he posted a team-high five sacks in 10 games to go with 32 tackles. 6.5 of which came behind the line of scrimmage. Mesidor made a strong enough impression that season to garner freshman All-American honors from ESPN.
In 2021, Mesidor made the switch from defensive end/tackle to nose guard, and while he didn’t duplicate his 2020 production from a statistical standpoint, Mesidor was again a major factor. He made 38 tackles and one sack and the attention he demanded from opposing offensive lines often led to double teams, creating better opportunities for other defensive linemen and linebackers to make plays.
Sean Mahone’s interception effectively sealed WVU’s win over Texas Saturday.
WVU DC Jordan Lesley says Akheem Mesidor made the play at the point of attack: pic.twitter.com/DWXcqFk9dE
— Joe Brocato (@joebrowvm) November 23, 2021
Mesidor was ruled out of spring practice after suffering an upper body injury during a Guaranteed Rate Bowl loss to Minnesota in December 2021, but he was expected to be full go for preseason camp.
Prior to Mesidor’s departure, defensive line was perhaps the deepest position on the WVU roster. The Mountaineers must now work to find a replacement at nose guard to play alongside Dante Stills and Taijh Alston, though Brown noted the team will add pieces before the start of preseason camp.
Redshirt junior Jordan Jefferson, sophomore Edward Vesterinen and redshirt freshman Hammond Russell could be in line for added snaps at nose.
“I want our fans to understand that I believe in the young men in our program,” Brown said. “We have had five practices here. It is the most excitement we have had. It is the most competitiveness. We have had college coaches here talking about how well our guys are practicing. My staff and I are really excited about these guys and the work they have put in over the last eight weeks of winter and through two weeks of spring ball.”
Brown also said there would be “good news in the weeks to come,” before finishing his media briefing by offering a vote of confidence for what’s ahead in 2022.
“In 154 days we are going to line up at Heinz Field and we are going to play. We are going to line up with a damn good football team,” he said. “We are going to go out there with a group of guys that believe and are committed to this university and this state. And they are going to play their [tails] off for the name on the front and the name on the back.”
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