For Southern Illinois linebacker Ben Bogle the decision to pick West Virginia came down to fit.
Bogle, 6-foot-2, 225-pounds, entered the transfer portal April 17 and that led to a flurry of scholarship offers including Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, South Florida and UNLV, among others.
But it would be a trip to Morgantown April 23 which closed the deal on his recruitment.
“It felt like the best fit for me there and I like the culture they are building,” he said.
The Florida native spent three seasons with the Salukis and is coming off a highly productive season in 2024 where he started the final ten games of the year with 87 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and 2 interceptions.
Those totals earned Bogle second-team all-Missouri Valley and honorable mention all-American.
It also caught the eyes of West Virginia defensive coordinator Zac Alley and safeties/nickels coach Henry Weinreich. Those were the coaches that Bogle got to know the best during the process.
“I really liked the way they coach and the high standards they set. And secondly they are good people that love football and refuse to lose,” he said.
The Mountaineers see Bogle as a MIKE linebacker in their scheme and it’s the same type of responsibilities that he held during his time at Southern Illinois.
“I’m very familiar with all of the concepts,” he said.
The plan is for Bogle to arrive in Morgantown May 18 and he is ready to get started toward working toward winning a Big 12 Championship with the Mountaineers.
“I’m excited to be a part of it,” he said.
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