An injury scare unfolded during West Virginia’s matchup against Coastal Carolina when defensive lineman Darius Wiley went down with an apparent knee injury early in the fourth quarter.
Darius Wiley carted off the field
Staff members later appeared to place an air cast on his leg before he was carted off the field.
College football reporter Joe Smith shared the update on X, tweeting “West Virginia DL Darius Wiley goes down for a long time. Appears that the staff is putting an air cast on, and he's being carted off the field.”
What happened to Wiley?
WVU had just forced and recovered a fumble when Wiley, who had been making an impact throughout the game, suddenly collapsed and immediately grabbed his knee.
{{/usCountry}}WVU had just forced and recovered a fumble when Wiley, who had been making an impact throughout the game, suddenly collapsed and immediately grabbed his knee.
{{/usCountry}}CFB insider Mike J. Asti also provided an update, saying Wiley had to be carted off the field after appearing to suffer a serious injury.
He wrote, “Darius Wiley had to be carted off after suffering what looks to be a serious injury.”
When did Wiley get injured?
Wiley’s injury came during a turnover play after Coastal Carolina lost possession and Zeke Durham-Campbell recovered the fumble for West Virginia. The Mountaineers had built a 24-7 advantage at that point.
Also read | What happened to Clay Matthews? Alleged photos spark ‘plastic surgery’ claims; ‘are they real?’
He had already contributed three tackles, including a tackle for loss, before being forced out of the game.
Mountaineers could face depth concern
Although Wiley was listed as Durham-Campbell’s backup at defensive end, his absence could still affect West Virginia’s defensive depth.
The matchup also marked Wiley’s first appearance for the Mountaineers. He arrived at West Virginia after two seasons with Hutchinson Community College, where he emerged as one of the standout defensive players in junior college football.
Wiley earned All-American honors
Wiley’s 2025 campaign earned him NJCAA Division I First-Team All-American recognition.
Also read | Why was Kris McCullough fired by Gardner-Webb after one game? What we know about investigation
He finished the season with 57 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and nine sacks, helping Hutchinson post an 11-1 record, go unbeaten at 6-0 in conference play and finish No. 2 in the final NJCAA national rankings.
With West Virginia continuing its development under head coach Rich Rodriguez, Wiley was expected to add another layer of depth to the defensive line.