Photo by: WVU Athletic Communications
Epps Embracing New Role at West Virginia
August 12, 2026 03:59 PM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – When Rich Rodriguez and his coaches began researching transfer portal prospects last year, prior production was something that factored heavily into their decision-making process.
In the case of senior slot receiver DJ Epps, his emergence last year at Troy certainly caught their attention. The former walk-on blossomed in 2025, the Phenix City, Alabama, resident catching 47 passes for 512 yards and five touchdowns for the Trojans.
He caught his first touchdown pass against South Alabama, the football still in his possession as a keepsake, and his breakout performance was a 10-catch, 148-yard, two-touchdown effort against Texas State, including the game-winning touchdown in overtime.
He also hauled in eight passes for 103 yards with two touchdowns against Georgia State, not to mention his work as a returner on special teams. He returned one kick 79 yards and finished the season ranked second in the Sun Belt Conference with 554 return yards on 23 kickoffs.
Those things got West Virginia's attention, and Epps reciprocated their interest once he put his name into the transfer portal.
Epps fits the profile of most of the players wanting to make the jump to power-conference football. His goal was to challenge himself at a higher level and playing for a coach with a proven track record in Rodriguez was simply too good to pass up.
"Obviously, West Virginia is a great program, and coming from Troy, it's always going to be a different process coming from different schools, but coach Rodriguez is a big reason why I chose here because he's a great leader," the soft-spoken Epps said earlier today.
"There is a different intensity here than where I came from, so you have to play with a hard edge like coach always says and just give it your all each and every play," he mentioned.
Epps' football background includes a stint playing quarterback and wide receiver at Russell County High in Phenix City, Alabama, where he earned all-area honors. When he wasn't passing and running the football, he made 30 receptions for 544 yards and four touchdowns while accounting for 1,013 all-purpose yards and 10 scores.
Those figures didn't lead to a Division I scholarship offer out of high school, so he was required to take the harder route to reach the big time.
Epps spent two full years at Troy biding his time before finally seeing the field for significant action in 2024. In the meantime, he treated every practice rep like he was playing in the Super Bowl before he finally got noticed.
"I really had to earn everything that I have, and I just took advantage of my opportunities," he explained. "You have to take advantage of every rep you have and just try and make plays. Ultimately, coaches will see it, for sure."
It took three long years before that finally happened, and now that he's at West Virginia, he's putting himself in the mix for some significant action in meaningful football games. The 5-foot-11, 188-pounder is presently working with youngsters Armoni Weaver-Bomar and Kendrick Triplett at the Y position.
Epps' experience gives the coaches the comfortability of knowing they have a proven player out there who understands game situations.
"What I love about Epps is he understands what we're asking, and he takes coaching very well," West Virginia's inside receivers coach Logan Bradley said. "He can see what's happening in front of him because he has experience."
Bradley elaborated, "He can tell when the blitz is coming, he can tell what types of coverages he's seeing so it's not, 'Hey, let me teach you this coverage. Let me break it down, Football 101 for you.' When you do that to him, he's like, 'Yes sir, I know this.' As a coach, that makes you more comfortable and then he just puts his head down and works."
Epps has also gotten Rodriguez's attention.
"D.J. Epps is a really good player," he said following this morning's practice. "He's a guy who was highly productive where he was at, and he's had excellent practices all during camp."
Making Epps even more valuable is his ability to impact plays in the return game. When factoring all of that in, it really makes him one of the team's Swiss Army knives.
"Whatever the coaches need from me I'm going to do and try and do my best at it," he mentioned.
Although Epps said he never really considered himself one of the team leaders at Troy last year, his production and experience now make him one at West Virginia this season by default.
That's a responsibility he is embracing.
"I really just leading the young guys. I'm a vet now, so I just try and give them different tips each and every day and lead by example," he said, adding, "Be first in line and just show them how to be a true worker."
"I think DJ is leading the group pretty well right now," Bradley observed. "He understands the grind of every play and being in for five straight plays when we're going tempo, so that makes you feel good as a coach with him."
West Virginia wrapped up its seventh practice of fall training camp in shorts and helmets up on the Steve Antoline Family Practice Field earlier today.
Another fully padded practice is on the schedule for tomorrow morning leading up to Saturday's closed scrimmage inside the stadium. There are only four more practices scheduled before the beginning of the fall semester next Tuesday.
In the case of senior slot receiver DJ Epps, his emergence last year at Troy certainly caught their attention. The former walk-on blossomed in 2025, the Phenix City, Alabama, resident catching 47 passes for 512 yards and five touchdowns for the Trojans.
He caught his first touchdown pass against South Alabama, the football still in his possession as a keepsake, and his breakout performance was a 10-catch, 148-yard, two-touchdown effort against Texas State, including the game-winning touchdown in overtime.
He also hauled in eight passes for 103 yards with two touchdowns against Georgia State, not to mention his work as a returner on special teams. He returned one kick 79 yards and finished the season ranked second in the Sun Belt Conference with 554 return yards on 23 kickoffs.
Those things got West Virginia's attention, and Epps reciprocated their interest once he put his name into the transfer portal.
Epps fits the profile of most of the players wanting to make the jump to power-conference football. His goal was to challenge himself at a higher level and playing for a coach with a proven track record in Rodriguez was simply too good to pass up.
"Obviously, West Virginia is a great program, and coming from Troy, it's always going to be a different process coming from different schools, but coach Rodriguez is a big reason why I chose here because he's a great leader," the soft-spoken Epps said earlier today.
"There is a different intensity here than where I came from, so you have to play with a hard edge like coach always says and just give it your all each and every play," he mentioned.
Epps' football background includes a stint playing quarterback and wide receiver at Russell County High in Phenix City, Alabama, where he earned all-area honors. When he wasn't passing and running the football, he made 30 receptions for 544 yards and four touchdowns while accounting for 1,013 all-purpose yards and 10 scores.
Those figures didn't lead to a Division I scholarship offer out of high school, so he was required to take the harder route to reach the big time.
Epps spent two full years at Troy biding his time before finally seeing the field for significant action in 2024. In the meantime, he treated every practice rep like he was playing in the Super Bowl before he finally got noticed.
"I really had to earn everything that I have, and I just took advantage of my opportunities," he explained. "You have to take advantage of every rep you have and just try and make plays. Ultimately, coaches will see it, for sure."
It took three long years before that finally happened, and now that he's at West Virginia, he's putting himself in the mix for some significant action in meaningful football games. The 5-foot-11, 188-pounder is presently working with youngsters Armoni Weaver-Bomar and Kendrick Triplett at the Y position.
Epps' experience gives the coaches the comfortability of knowing they have a proven player out there who understands game situations.
"What I love about Epps is he understands what we're asking, and he takes coaching very well," West Virginia's inside receivers coach Logan Bradley said. "He can see what's happening in front of him because he has experience."
Bradley elaborated, "He can tell when the blitz is coming, he can tell what types of coverages he's seeing so it's not, 'Hey, let me teach you this coverage. Let me break it down, Football 101 for you.' When you do that to him, he's like, 'Yes sir, I know this.' As a coach, that makes you more comfortable and then he just puts his head down and works."
Epps has also gotten Rodriguez's attention.
"D.J. Epps is a really good player," he said following this morning's practice. "He's a guy who was highly productive where he was at, and he's had excellent practices all during camp."
Making Epps even more valuable is his ability to impact plays in the return game. When factoring all of that in, it really makes him one of the team's Swiss Army knives.
"Whatever the coaches need from me I'm going to do and try and do my best at it," he mentioned.
Although Epps said he never really considered himself one of the team leaders at Troy last year, his production and experience now make him one at West Virginia this season by default.
That's a responsibility he is embracing.
"I really just leading the young guys. I'm a vet now, so I just try and give them different tips each and every day and lead by example," he said, adding, "Be first in line and just show them how to be a true worker."
"I think DJ is leading the group pretty well right now," Bradley observed. "He understands the grind of every play and being in for five straight plays when we're going tempo, so that makes you feel good as a coach with him."
West Virginia wrapped up its seventh practice of fall training camp in shorts and helmets up on the Steve Antoline Family Practice Field earlier today.
Another fully padded practice is on the schedule for tomorrow morning leading up to Saturday's closed scrimmage inside the stadium. There are only four more practices scheduled before the beginning of the fall semester next Tuesday.
Players Mentioned
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/ FootballWednesday, August 12
Wednesday, August 12
Wednesday, August 12
Wednesday, August 12
