The 5 Best West Virginia Mountaineers in NFL History

Pat White won four bowl games as West Virginia's starting quarterback, including the Sugar Bowl against Georgia and the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma. He also established the NCAA career rushing-yardage record for a quarterback at the time. His college résumé therefore combines repeated postseason success with a major statistical accomplishment tied directly to the way he contributed at his position.

White's place in West Virginia's ranking is supported by breadth rather than one isolated season. The bowl victories offer multiple examples of team success with him starting, while the rushing record gives his individual production historical significance. His running belongs within the evaluation of his quarterback play. Together, those achievements create a sustained college-career case that does not depend on a later professional reputation.

Steve Slaton rushed for more than 1,700 yards in 2006 and scored 50 total touchdowns across three seasons at West Virginia. His speed was an important element alongside Pat White in Rich Rodriguez's spread offense. The rushing season supplies a distinct individual high point, while his career touchdown total shows that his scoring contribution extended beyond that single year.

Slaton's ranking argument benefits from keeping those two measures separate. His peak rushing output establishes the scale of one standout season; his total touchdowns demonstrate broader production without suggesting that every score came on the ground. Playing alongside White provides offensive context, but Slaton's own accomplishments merit attention. For West Virginia, he represents a running back whose individual output adds substance to the memory of a productive offense.

Tavon Austin accumulated more than 2,900 all-purpose yards for West Virginia in 2012, including a 572-yard performance against Oklahoma. Those totals describe a contribution broader than receiving yardage alone, even though his position was wide receiver. He became a top-10 draft pick in 2013, following a college season with both substantial overall production and an exceptional individual-game highlight.

Austin's ranking case is strongest when the full season and the Oklahoma performance are kept in perspective. The game illustrates the scale of his peak, but the season total shows that his contribution was not limited to one afternoon. All-purpose production also warrants a different reading from a conventional receiving résumé. West Virginia's case for him rests on that wide-ranging college impact, with the draft transition remaining secondary.

Major Harris led West Virginia to an 11–0 regular season in 1988 and a place in the national title game. He followed that team achievement by finishing third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1989. Those consecutive seasons give his quarterback résumé two distinct points of emphasis: a championship opportunity for the Mountaineers and prominent individual recognition the following year.

Harris' ranking argument does not require merging those achievements into one season. The unbeaten regular season establishes the team success associated with his leadership at quarterback, while the later Heisman finish adds a separate measure of national standing. Together, they provide more depth than a single highlight or isolated award. His importance to West Virginia is grounded in both the program's title pursuit and his sustained prominence across that stretch.

Sam Huff earned All-America recognition as a lineman at West Virginia before becoming a Hall of Fame middle linebacker in professional football. His later career included the Giants and Washington, but his college contribution came in a different role. Keeping that distinction clear gives the Morgantown portion of his story its proper place rather than projecting his NFL position backward.

Huff's West Virginia ranking case begins with the national recognition he earned there. The All-America honor provides a concrete college accomplishment, while his Hall of Fame career explains the broader professional significance of his inclusion. This is not a case built around a supplied statistical peak or lengthy list of college awards. It rests on recognized line play at West Virginia, followed by distinguished achievement at another position.