MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – This transfer portal thing can work both ways. It can taketh, as we sometimes seem to dwell too much on, and it can also giveth, which we sometimes seem to forget.
 
Last year around this time, the transfer portal did some giving to WVU in the form of Penn State's Lance Dixon, and it appears West Virginia could be on the verge of really reaping the rewards of having the athletic junior will linebacker on its defense.
 
The former four-star prospect from Oak Park, Michigan, began his college career in Happy Valley where he appeared in nine games and made one start during his freshman season in 2020. His best game was against Ohio State when he made four unassisted tackles and forced a fumble against the Buckeyes.
 
But Dixon wasn't too happy with the idea of constantly throwing his 6-foot-2, 215-pound body around against guards and tackles in the defense the Nittany Lions were playing at the time, so he felt a change was in order.
 
He did his research and discovered that the defense Jordan Lesley was running here at West Virginia more closely suited his skillset. 
 
That's why he chose to transfer.
 
"I like how they let us run out in space and do more things than I was allowed to do at (Penn State)," Dixon said after Saturday morning's practice. "I was in the box like 90% of the time where here, it's more 50-50; I'm out and I'm in. It can change each game, and I like that a whole lot.
 
"Obviously, it was a difficult process having to transfer schools, but I'm pretty happy with the decision I made, and I can't really say that I would go back and change it," he added.
 
When he was in high school, Dixon said West Virginia wasn't really on his radar. He recalled once going to a camp here as a 10^th grader, but that's about the only contact he had with the school.
 
"I didn't really talk to West Virginia much in the past. That was like a whole different coaching staff," he noted.
 
Last year, Dixon got on the field immediately, but it wasn't until about midseason when he really began to feel comfortable with the defense. He had six tackles and a tackle for loss against Oklahoma and had four stops in West Virginia's big victory against Iowa State.
 
Then, he hurt his hip in the Kansas State game, which forced him to miss the Mountaineers' final three regular season games against Kansas State, Texas and Kansas.
 
"That set me back physically, but I still stayed in the playbook and tried to learn more so I could do more when I got back," he explained. "In the bowl game I felt way better out there."
 
It certainly showed. 
 
Dixon played his best overall game with a team-best 11 tackles and a pass breakup against the Golden Gophers. He showcased his ability to chase down ball carriers from sideline to sideline with his impressive speed. The way he played against Minnesota in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl is how he envisions his college career moving forward at West Virginia.
 
"I felt like I was definitely ready to play more towards the middle of the season and at the end," he said, adding, "I'm fast so I like to run and you get more opportunity to run playing outside the box. I like to showcase my speed more than anything."
 
Dixon, injured senior Exree Loe and junior mike linebacker Lee Kpogba give West Virginia one of its more athletic linebacker corps in recent years. All three are 6-feet or taller, which adds some sorely needed size the Mountaineers have been lacking there.
 
In Kpogba, another giveth who began his college career at Syracuse before transferring to Eastern Mississippi Community College, Dixon believes the Mountaineers might have themselves a real diamond in the rough.
 
"We've got a bunch of new guys coming in and a lot of them are long, fast and athletic so it's going to be a fun season," he said. "I like the pieces we have and what we're doing. Our new mike linebacker (Kpogba), I like him a lot. He's playing in space well and we've got a couple of new safeties in the back end and we're going to see if they can compete and be ready for the season."
 
Dixon also likes what he's looking at in front of him with one of the most experienced and talented returning defensive lines in the Big 12. In Dante Stills, Akheem Mesidor and Taijh Alston, you're talking about three gifted and savvy performers who know what they're doing out there.
 
"Yeah, that definitely helps," Dixon said. "For newer guys like Lee coming in, it's easier for him to be able to know the guys in front of him are going to do exactly what they're supposed to do. 
 
"You're trying to learn your gaps and stuff like that, and the guys up front might mess it up and then you're confused and you really don't know what you're doing," he continued. "So it's definitely helpful having those guys up front who know what they're doing."
 
For Dixon, who is taking part in his first spring practice at West Virginia, he believes he's much farther along than he was just seven months ago when the season began.
 
"I feel way better compared to last season because last season I didn't really get the offseason training that I usually got over the last couple of years. Right now, I feel way better and feel like I can do a lot more and have a lot  more stamina," he concluded.
 
West Virginia completed its third practice of the spring Saturday morning inside the Caperton Indoor Practice Facility. Parents and family members were invited to watch today's workout and eat lunch with the players and coaches afterward.
 
WVU resumes practice on Tuesday.