MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — WVU defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor has entered the transfer portal.

Neal Brown announced the move Thursday in an unscheduled press conference, noting that he was shocked when he learned of the player’s decision earlier this week.

“Candidly, I was…very surprised,” Brown said.

Brown added that he was hurt by the move, but not angry or upset.

Mesidor was slated to sit out on WVU’s 2022 spring season as he recovered from an upper body injury he sustained in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

The Ottawa, Ontario, Canada native played two seasons with the Old Gold and Blue, appearing in 22 games. He amassed 70 total tackles in that span, including 7.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. In his freshman season in 2020, he led the Mountaineers with five sacks.

Mesidor is a two-time All-Big 12 selection, earning second team honors as a freshman in 2020 and an honorable mention in 2021. He was also named a Freshman All-American after 2020.

He becomes the fourth defensive starter to leave the program this semester, following cornerback Darryl Porter Jr., linebacker Josh Chandler-Semedo and cornerback Nicktroy Fortune.