Players stepping up after early WVU defensive line injuries
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MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia defensive lineman Darius Wiley was rushing Deuce Bailey in the fourth quarter of the season-opener against Coastal Carolina. He had a strong camp and was making an impact in just the first game of the season. Wiley was rushing like he always had, but tweaked his leg, which turned into a gruesome injury.
Trainers immediately came to his aid, threw towels over to hide the injury, and eventually, Wiley was carted off. Rich Rodriguez announced Monday night on his radio show that Wiley was done for the year.
Defensive tackle Corey McIntyre Jr. watched as his teammate was carted off. McIntyre Jr. had an injury himself and had to endure the long six-to seven-month recovery. He knew the constant grind, the loneliness and the pain Wiley would have to get through to get back on the field, hopefully.
"I exactly felt how Darius felt on Saturday," McIntyre Jr. said. "Sucks, and it's just the game, honestly. But I just checked up on him not too long ago and told him to keep his head up because I know how it feels. It sucks, but it's gonna be all right after."
Wiley had a great camp, not a good camp, as Rodriguez said. He made an impact through three quarters against Coastal Carolina and had a tackle for loss. That was his first game in the FBS after transferring from junior college, so he was only expected to get better.
Without Wiley, Coastal Carolina transfer Zeke Durham-Campbell will fully take over as the starting edge on the team. Wiley was listed as an Or with Durham-Campbell. Both of them started at the same time against the Chanticleers, with Wiley listed as a defensive lineman.
Someone will have to step up to fill Wiley's spot for the remainder of the season. Rodriguez and defensive coordinator Zac Alley listed a couple of options.
Looking at the U.T. Martin depth chart, two-year Alberta College transfer Emerson Joy is listed as the second-string edge. In 2025, Joy racked up 20 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and forced two fumbles. Those numbers allowed him to earn a Power Four offer and a bigger role for the rest of the season. Joy subbed in against the Chanticleers, but didn't register a stat.
"He's a good player," McIntyre Jr. said. "We got trust for him. Us as a D-line know he's going to be alright. We'll just keep on going as if nothing happened."
Redshirt freshman Brandon Caesar was another name to watch, Alley said. Caesar was a 3-star prospect out of high school and saw action last season against Robert Morris.
Rodriguez listed two more potential replacements: junior college transfer Jeremiah Johnson and Oregon transfer Tobi Haastrup.
Johnson played in 20 games over two years at Butte Community College. In 2025, Johnson tallied 34 tackles with 23 solo stops, 11 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Johnson subbed in against Coastal Carolina.
Haastrup was one of the splashes in the transfer portal this offseason, but he was always going to be a work-in-progress prospect. He didn't start playing football until his senior year of high school. But he immediately became a stud, recording 20 tackles for loss, nine sacks and 23 quarterback hurries. He was a 4-star prospect on numerous recruiting sites and landed at Oregon.
The Mountaineers staff talked about how Haastrup was still learning, and he made his first appearance for the school in Week 1.
"Two new guys are now going to get a bigger opportunity to maybe fill that role a little bit," Rodriguez said. "We'll see what they do starting this week."
Alley isn't at the point where he has to adjust his entire scheme because Wiley's out. He'd have to lose a lot of defensive linemen before he does that. He said every position is different in regard to the impact of injuries, but he will have to move some players around after the injury, which could include Joy, Johnson and Haastrup.
"As a whole, you're still trying to put the best players on the field," Alley said. "Once I feel like I can't put the best 11 out there, then we got to make a change."