Portal Addition Bishop Jr. Becomes WVU’s 13th Consensus Football All-American
December 14, 2023 01:25 PM | Football, Blog
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – When it comes to West Virginia University senior cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr., the transfer portal has giveth.
After spending four outstanding seasons at Western Kentucky, one as a member of the All-Conference USA squad, Bishop began shopping his services following the 2021 campaign in hopes of displaying his talents on a bigger stage.
Bishop ended up at Minnesota, where he had a limited role in 13 games for the Golden Gophers in 2022. There, he finished with 29 tackles, one sack and one pass breakup – not the type of production he was seeking after a dominant year at Western Kentucky in 2021.
So, Beanie bet on himself and went back in the portal for another crack at stardom, ended up at West Virginia, and this time it paid off handsomely.
Earlier today, Bishop became Mountaineer football's 13th consensus All-American after the AFCA All-America team was announced, and its second of the Big 12 era – both coming under current coach Neal Brown.
The other is defensive lineman Darius Stills in 2020.
"Everyone associated with the Mountaineer football program is proud of him and what he has accomplished this year," Brown said. "He has been an excellent leader and a great representative for Mountaineer football, the University and the state."
Considering how long West Virginia has played football and how many players have put on a gold and blue uniform through the years, to be one of only 13 is an impressive accomplishment.
Consider the list … Rat Rodgers, Bruce Bosley, Darryl Talley, Brian Jozwiak, Mike Compton, Todd Sauerbrun, Aaron Beasley, Canute Curtis, Grant Wiley, Steve Slaton, Dan Mozes, Stills and now Bishop, just one of two cornerbacks on it.
This is the Who's Who of Mountaineer football over the last 132 years.
Even the great Adam Pacman Jones wasn't a consensus All-American! Tavon Austin should have been but was omitted because of a technicality, but that's a story for another day.
Bishop's numbers compare favorably to Beasley's, the only other cornerback to earn consensus All-America honors in 1995. The Pottstown, Pennsylvania, native made five interceptions, 18 pass breakups and 40 total tackles in 11 games that year.
Bishop played his way to All-America status in 2023 with the finest season of his collegiate career. He led the nation in passes defended with 24, which includes pass breakups and interceptions, pass breakups with 20, forced incompletions with 17 and ball-hawk rate (interceptions and forced incompletions combined).
His 20 PBUs are one short of Brian King's school record of 21 set in 2003, and his final six games of the regular season saw him break up 13 passes, including a school-record-tying five in the BYU win.
The Louisville, Kentucky, resident finished third on the team with 59 tackles, including 48 solos, and was credited with one tackle for loss.
To earn consensus All-America status, a player must be a first-team All-American on the majority of the five All-America teams recognized by the NCAA. They are The Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Football Foundation, Football Writers Association of America and The Sporting News.
A player who makes at least three first team All-America squads automatically qualifies. After that second team choices are considered.
Bishop was on two first teams, Walter Camp and Football Writers, but was on the second team of the other three, tying Alabama's Kool-Aid McKinstry, who was on the AP and Sporting News first teams, and was a second-team choice by Walter Camp and AFCA.
Bishop was named Big 12's Defensive Player of the Week following the UCF victory when he intercepted two passes and broke up another one.
Other Big 12 players on this year's consensus All-America team include Kansas State's Cooper Beebe, Oklahoma State's Ollie Gordon II and Texas' T'Vondre Sweat.
Bishop, a 5-foot-10, 185-pounder, was among the last group of guys to commit to West Virginia following the conclusion of spring practice in 2023. His signing was officially announced on May 22, which meant he didn't even get his picture in the team media guide.
Now, Beanie's picture will forever be in the media guide.
His Mountaineer football activities have involved summer conditioning, fall training camp and a four-month football season.
That's it.
The other 12 guys on West Virginia's consensus list required years of work and training, plus multiple years of promotion to earn it.
Yes, the transfer portal can taketh, but it can also giveth, and in the case of Beanie Bishop, it has delivered West Virginia the rarest of rarities - a consensus All-American!
After spending four outstanding seasons at Western Kentucky, one as a member of the All-Conference USA squad, Bishop began shopping his services following the 2021 campaign in hopes of displaying his talents on a bigger stage.
Bishop ended up at Minnesota, where he had a limited role in 13 games for the Golden Gophers in 2022. There, he finished with 29 tackles, one sack and one pass breakup – not the type of production he was seeking after a dominant year at Western Kentucky in 2021.
So, Beanie bet on himself and went back in the portal for another crack at stardom, ended up at West Virginia, and this time it paid off handsomely.
Earlier today, Bishop became Mountaineer football's 13th consensus All-American after the AFCA All-America team was announced, and its second of the Big 12 era – both coming under current coach Neal Brown.
The other is defensive lineman Darius Stills in 2020.
"Everyone associated with the Mountaineer football program is proud of him and what he has accomplished this year," Brown said. "He has been an excellent leader and a great representative for Mountaineer football, the University and the state."
Considering how long West Virginia has played football and how many players have put on a gold and blue uniform through the years, to be one of only 13 is an impressive accomplishment.
Consider the list … Rat Rodgers, Bruce Bosley, Darryl Talley, Brian Jozwiak, Mike Compton, Todd Sauerbrun, Aaron Beasley, Canute Curtis, Grant Wiley, Steve Slaton, Dan Mozes, Stills and now Bishop, just one of two cornerbacks on it.
This is the Who's Who of Mountaineer football over the last 132 years.
Even the great Adam Pacman Jones wasn't a consensus All-American! Tavon Austin should have been but was omitted because of a technicality, but that's a story for another day.
Bishop's numbers compare favorably to Beasley's, the only other cornerback to earn consensus All-America honors in 1995. The Pottstown, Pennsylvania, native made five interceptions, 18 pass breakups and 40 total tackles in 11 games that year.
Bishop played his way to All-America status in 2023 with the finest season of his collegiate career. He led the nation in passes defended with 24, which includes pass breakups and interceptions, pass breakups with 20, forced incompletions with 17 and ball-hawk rate (interceptions and forced incompletions combined).
His 20 PBUs are one short of Brian King's school record of 21 set in 2003, and his final six games of the regular season saw him break up 13 passes, including a school-record-tying five in the BYU win.
The Louisville, Kentucky, resident finished third on the team with 59 tackles, including 48 solos, and was credited with one tackle for loss.
To earn consensus All-America status, a player must be a first-team All-American on the majority of the five All-America teams recognized by the NCAA. They are The Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Football Foundation, Football Writers Association of America and The Sporting News.
A player who makes at least three first team All-America squads automatically qualifies. After that second team choices are considered.
Bishop was on two first teams, Walter Camp and Football Writers, but was on the second team of the other three, tying Alabama's Kool-Aid McKinstry, who was on the AP and Sporting News first teams, and was a second-team choice by Walter Camp and AFCA.
Bishop was named Big 12's Defensive Player of the Week following the UCF victory when he intercepted two passes and broke up another one.
Other Big 12 players on this year's consensus All-America team include Kansas State's Cooper Beebe, Oklahoma State's Ollie Gordon II and Texas' T'Vondre Sweat.
Bishop, a 5-foot-10, 185-pounder, was among the last group of guys to commit to West Virginia following the conclusion of spring practice in 2023. His signing was officially announced on May 22, which meant he didn't even get his picture in the team media guide.
Now, Beanie's picture will forever be in the media guide.
His Mountaineer football activities have involved summer conditioning, fall training camp and a four-month football season.
That's it.
The other 12 guys on West Virginia's consensus list required years of work and training, plus multiple years of promotion to earn it.
Yes, the transfer portal can taketh, but it can also giveth, and in the case of Beanie Bishop, it has delivered West Virginia the rarest of rarities - a consensus All-American!
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