West Virginia and Rich Rodriguez were active in the transfer portal Saturday morning.

Northern Illinois tight end Grayson Barnes and Appalachian State defensive back Nick Taylor announced their commitments to the Mountaineers, per social media.

Early Saturday morning, WVU tight ends coach Michael Nysewander posted on X or Twitter a GIF that had the caption “Ladies and gentlemen, we got him,” hinting at an addition in the portal. Just an hour later, Barnes announced his commitment.

Barnes played two seasons with the Huskies. He saw action in 13 games last season, hauling in 31 grabs for 338 yards and four touchdowns. He has one more year of eligibility. In 2023, he had arguably a better season with 23 catches for 422 yards and five scores.

The 6-foot-5 tight end will provide another veteran in a room that lost four players to the transfer portal. Nysewander and Rodriguez wanted a versatile tight end that can block and catch, complementing the high-tempo offense that they’ll run in the fall.

Barnes wasn’t the only addition in the portal on Saturday.

Taylor announced his commitment a little bit before Barnes. He entered the portal as a sophomore with three years of eligibility left. As a true freshman, Taylor played in seven games and started against Georgia State at corner. He had 10 tackles and a pass breakup.

Taylor was a three-star high school prospect, according to 247Sports, out of Gainesville, Georgia, for the class of 2024.

The secondary took a big hit in the portal, losing five-plus members when it opened on Wednesday.

The two additions Saturday morning total three transfer additions for Rodriguez’s squad. North Alabama offensive lineman Mickel Clay announced his commitment to the Mountaineers Thursday afternoon. Clay played over 700 snaps at right tackle. He started his career at JUCO and was granted an extra year of eligibility, which he utilized and transferred to WVU.

Rodriguez said he’d be active in the portal earlier this spring with a focus on adding depth, and he’s already been active in just the couple days the portal has been open.

“We gotta increase our competition at most of our positions,” Rodriguez said earlier in the spring. “I hope it comes from a lot of guys within, but inevitably it’s going to come from, in a few spots, guys that aren’t here yet.”