Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | W 52-7vs UT Martin | 1 | 32 | 32.0 | 1 | 32 | Season-high 32 yds |
| Total | 1 | 32 | 32.0 | 1 | 32 |
#84
Ryan Ward
Junior tight end for West Virginia. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
6′4″ · 248 lb · Rutherford, NJ · Rutherford
Returning to West Virginia for 2026
The numbers
32
receiving yards · 2026
1 catches · 1 TD · 32 per catch
1 game into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 rec, 32 yds, 1 TD, vs UT Martin
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 tight end for West Virginia. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to North Carolina in 2024.
- Transferred from North Carolina to West Virginia in 2025.
Ryan Ward
Across three seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Freddie Kitchens and Rich Rodriguez. The receipt: 32 rec yds, 1 receptions against UT Martin — Week 2, 2026.
32 REC YDS · 1 REC · 1 REC TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2024
- Signed with North Carolina3-star out of Rutherford
20256 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
Chad Scott
West Virginia
Coaching transition mid-career: Chad Scott → Rich Rodriguez. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024North Carolina6-7HC: Freddie Kitchens · Run-leaning
2025West Virginia4-8HC: Rich Rodriguez · Run-heavy
2026West Virginia2-0HC: Rich Rodriguez · Run-heavy
Where this profile ranks vs the TE cohort
Box-score percentiles
Elite: yards / catch (100th percentile). Concern: rec yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (5)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 1 game: 1.0 REC/g, 32.0 YDS/g, 32.0 YPR, 1.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Rich Rodriguez
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | West Virginia | 1 | 32 | 32.0 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | West Virginia | 6 | 41 | 6.8 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | North Carolina | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 7 | 73 | 10.4 | 2 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 52–7
vs UT Martin
1 rec · 32 yds · 1 TD
Dominant 45-point win at home against UT Martin.
With M. Hawkins Jr. — 155 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 99.8 · 96 rush yds (6 car) · 2 TD · D. Epps — 18 rush yds (1 car)
Game log
How he plays
2026 Outlook
West Virginia
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Tight end · West Virginia
Returning around him
- 14% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- Transfer portal: -17 net (34 in / 51 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
West Virginia · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #49 · 2026 recruiting class #25
Background
2025 (r-So.) Academic All-Big 12 Conference First-Team Honors Added depth at tight end and used extensively on special teams Played in 10 games Saw action on 321 plays, including 216 on offense Season-high 39 plays at Kansas, including 20 on offense Finished with six catches for 41 yards and a to...
The tight end room · West Virginia
- Josh Sapp150 receiving yards · 2025
- #84Ryan Ward41 receiving yards · 2025
- #10Cameron Ball12 receiving yards · 2025
- #49Carter Zulianino box-score line yet
- #81Kade Bushno box-score line yet
2 more on the roster · West Virginia team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology