On his flight home from the Liberty Bowl, quarterback Austin Kendall felt the stir from sparking West Virginia’s comeback over Army. It mingled with the pangs of a two-year stint with the Mountaineers that didn’t meet his expectations. Adrenaline and atonement.
The coaching staff knew Kendall wouldn’t be returning to Morgantown. Whether he was finished with football entirely, even Kendall wasn’t sure. Along with two master’s degrees from West Virginia, he departed with a sixth season of eligibility.
Thus began his unique portal experience. Overtures ranged from Northwestern to North Texas, with South Carolina, Cal and Appalachian State involved at various intervals — and to varying degrees of interest.
