The poor football coach. It took forever for him to max out his scholarship count and award 85, but he did it last year. This year, he recruited more brazenly and still methodically and, at one point, was looking at 89 scholarship players. That’s an impossibility, so we included a caveat that day: So already we can assume some decisions among returning players have been made and coaches know a few players have already decided to finish this semester and either graduate early or transfer.

Well, football happened. Paul Millard, Keishawn Richardson, Dustin Garrison and Andrew Buie said goodbye. Dana was down to 85. Garrett Hope, it would seem, is all baseball now. Down to 84. Justin Arndt got a scholarship. Back to 85. Antonio Crawford transferred in from Miami. Up to 86. And now Tyler Tezeno says on Twitter he’s gone and Malik Greaves and Jaylon Myers are reportedly gone as well. (Saying “reportedly” is misleading. It’s true, but give Greg the h/t.)

That’s eight players who have split after we arrived at that 89 number. Two additions puts WVU at 83, which is again under the 85. (I’ve seen 84 as a number out there today. Perhaps they know something I don’t know, and I don’t doubt that, but that’s not my purpose here.) WVU can skim for a graduate student, a May transfer or someone who opts out of a NLI. The Mountaineers can also wait to apply the extras over the summer and in the fall, too. Either way, the difference between the present number, whatever it is, and the maximum is negligible and not necessarily a hindrance for the Mountaineers, who will take this scholarship situation over the one they were used to.