West Virginia Professional Athletes

The Geno Show

West Virginia's most prominent NFL alumnus is making the most of his second chance in New York. Geno Smith — the Morgantown product who spent his prime years backing up in Seattle before reclaiming starter status — is off to the best start of his career with the Jets in 2026, and Week 3 only added to the legend.

Against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Smith posted 321 passing yards and three touchdown throws, including a highlight-reel strike to Garrett Wilson that knotted the game at 24 late in the fourth quarter. The performance was consistent with what Smith has done through the first three games of the season, a record-breaking stretch that Heavy Sports called "historic" and that has drawn comparisons to his best days in Seattle.

The final score didn't go the Jets' way — Detroit escaped with a 31-24 victory, thanks to a Jahmyr Gibbs touchdown and a Chuck Clark sack in the closing minutes — and Smith's day wasn't without blemish. A crucial fumble late in the game helped unravel what had otherwise been a strong outing, a moment that loomed larger given how tight the contest remained throughout. The offensive line also drew heat postgame, with analysts noting that the unit rarely gave Smith the time and protection his performance deserved.

Off-field noise added to the week's complexity: the NFL handed down a punishment to Smith just hours before kickoff against Detroit, and the Jets lost guard Dylan Parham to injury during the game, a development that clouds the protection picture heading into Week 4.

Despite the loss, Smith's early-season numbers are drawing league-wide attention. Sporting News noted he is "looking like his old Seahawks self again," a nod to the 2022 campaign in which he finished as a Pro Bowl alternate and nearly led Seattle to the playoffs. That version of Smith — disciplined, accurate, willing to extend plays — appears to be back.

Smith isn't looking past what comes next, either. Already this week, he identified five Chicago Bears defenders he expects to dictate the Jets' Week 4 game plan, a sign that his preparation matches the production. Former WVU teammate Beanie Bishop Jr. is on that Bears roster as a cornerback, setting up a muted Mountain State reunion with decidedly higher stakes.

The Rest of the Mountaineer Ledger

Smith wasn't the only Mountaineer on the field in Week 3. Cornerback Rasul Douglas, now with the Washington Commanders, was in action as Washington edged Seattle 33-31 in a thriller — though his individual stat line wasn't included in the game summary. Douglas has been a reliable presence in Washington's secondary since arriving from Green Bay.

Defensive tackle Dante Stills suited up for the Arizona Cardinals in their 30-36 loss to San Francisco, continuing to work on the interior of a Cardinals defensive line that has faced heavy pressure early in the season.

The broader WVU alumni footprint in the NFL remains deep — more than 35 former Mountaineers are active on rosters across the league — but right now, all eyes follow Geno Smith. If he can protect the ball and get some offensive line continuity, a Jets team with genuine playoff aspirations may have found its missing piece. And Mountaineer fans, long accustomed to watching their most famous quarterback bounce around the league, might finally get the deep postseason run they've been waiting for.

The Geno Show — Drama Included

West Virginia's most prominent NFL alumni had a week that captured the league's attention, for better and worse.

Geno Smith returned to MetLife Stadium as the Jets' starting quarterback in Week 2 and looked like the answer New York has been searching for at the position — until costly mistakes derailed what could have been a statement win. The WVU product threw for 247 yards and a touchdown against Green Bay, adding 17 rushing yards, but the Jets fell 17–20, and Smith wasn't interested in hearing silver linings afterward. Per Yahoo Sports, he was visibly frustrated and refused to take comfort in the team's positives, a response that actually signals the kind of accountability Jets fans have craved.

The NFL agreed the game warranted attention — though not the kind Smith wanted. The league dropped discipline on Smith and a pair of Packers players following the Week 2 matchup, issuing fines in the wake of the loss. The penalty didn't cool the broader buzz around the Mountaineer signal-caller.

If anything, Smith's profile only grew heading into Week 3. Sports Illustrated reported that he's already proving to be the best quarterback the Jets have fielded in years, doing and saying the right things to erase early fan skepticism. The Jets' front office clearly shares that confidence: New York signed Will Levis to the practice squad as a QB3, slotting him behind Smith and Cade Klubnik — a depth chart that underscores Smith's firm grip on the starting role. Head coach Aaron Glenn publicly backed the arrangement, explaining the Levis signing as pure insurance rather than any vote of no-confidence in Smith.

With a matchup against the Detroit Lions on deck, at least one NFL insider issued a public challenge to Smith to elevate his game against a legitimate contender — a measuring-stick moment that will go a long way toward defining whether the Jets' optimism is warranted.

Frazier in the Trenches

While Smith commanded the headlines, fellow Mountaineer Zach Frazier was drawing his own praise in Pittsburgh. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers spoke publicly about Frazier and the offensive line ahead of the team's game against the Cincinnati Bengals, signaling that the WVU center has earned real trust from the most experienced QB in the building. Rodgers' willingness to name Frazier specifically — rather than speak in generalities about the unit — speaks to the young center's standing within the Steelers' system.

Around the League

It was a quieter week for the broader WVU contingent. Gary Jennings saw his tenure with the Chargers come to an end, as Los Angeles released the West Virginia wideout after signing tight end Hayden Rucci to address depth needs created by injuries. Jennings will look to catch on elsewhere.

Rasul Douglas suited up for Washington's Week 2 loss to Dallas, while Dante Stills was in the mix for Arizona in a 7–31 blowout defeat to Seattle. Neither generated significant statistical attention in the research window.

The week belonged to Smith. Whether he can convert the spotlight into a signature performance against Detroit will be the defining question for WVU fans watching their most prominent NFL alum navigate what could finally be his franchise-QB moment.

Nearly a decade removed from his last start in a Jets uniform, Geno Smith walked back into the building and looked like he'd never left — in the best possible way.

The West Virginia product was the story of the NFL's opening weekend for Mountaineer alumni, delivering one of the most efficient performances of his career in New York's 23-10 dismantling of the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Smith completed 19 of 24 passes for 215 yards, added 7 rushing yards, and — perhaps most remarkably after being sacked a league-high 55 times in 15 starts with the Raiders last season — wasn't touched once.

"I don't think I got touched once all day," Smith said after the game, and the stat sheet backed him up.

After a quiet first half, Smith carved up Tennessee's defense in the final two quarters, earning game-ball recognition alongside linebacker Demario Davis and cornerback Qwant'ez Stiggers. Head coach Aaron Glenn and star receiver Garrett Wilson both pointed to Smith's composure as the engine of the offense. "Calm" was the word that kept surfacing in the postgame locker room.

The victory was also a narrative milestone — Smith's first Jets win as a starting quarterback since the 2016 season. His message to fans afterward was direct: this is a different chapter.

Smith's performance has already generated buzz heading into Week 2, with analysts noting he carries a statistical edge over the Green Bay Packers' defense. The Jets, 1-0 despite modest power-ranking movement league-wide, are building something real — and their WVU signal-caller is at the center of it.

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The Rest of the Mountaineer Ledger

Smith wasn't the only WVU alum making noise in Week 1. Defensive tackle Dante Stills recorded a sack for the Arizona Cardinals in their 26-14 win over the Los Angeles Chargers — a clean, productive debut to the season for the former Mountaineer.

Rasul Douglas suited up for Washington in a tight 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, while long snapper Rex Sunahara was in uniform for Cleveland in the Jaguars' lopsided 34-10 road win — a rough opener for the Browns, though Sunahara's role was clean and routine.

The headline, though, belongs entirely to Smith. For West Virginia fans who watched him develop in Morgantown and have tracked his nomadic NFL journey — Seattle, Las Vegas, now New York again — Sunday felt like a full-circle moment. The Jets may not be getting power-ranking respect yet, but Geno Smith is making a case that respect is coming.