MORGANTOWN, W.Va. 鈥 Mountaineer football coach Neal Brown made news on Monday by what he did not say 鈥 as he did not reveal West Virginia鈥檚 starting quarterback for its Sept. 1 season opener at Pitt.
成品人视频鈥檚 fourth-year head coach didn鈥檛 go into much detail about other starting positions either, though he did provide his thoughts on a lot of individuals who will likely see action in the Sept. 1 Backyard Brawl at Acrisure Stadium.
Brown noted that he expected four true freshmen to be utilized in the opener, and they will probably have a consistent game role on the club throughout the season.
鈥淐.J. Donaldson has proven he鈥檚 ready to go. We鈥檒l continue to prep him,鈥 the coach said of the 6-foot-2, 240-pound running back from Miami. 鈥淗e鈥檚 probably got more live action than our other running backs (in preseason camp) and more carries versus our first-team defense than the other running backs. So, we鈥檝e got a pretty good view of how he鈥檚 handled that. Do I know how it鈥檚 going to go on Thursday? No, but he鈥檚 proven himself in practice. The thing we want to do with him is grow his role as we go through. Going into it, will he be in a featured role? I don鈥檛 know, but he鈥檚 going to play. I feel really confident in telling you he鈥檚 going to play, and his role is going to increase as he has success and gains some experience.
鈥淒efensively, Asani Redwood (a 6-foot-3, 280-pound defensive lineman) is someone I really like his ability. He鈥檚 going to make a bunch of plays here this year and moving forward.
鈥淛acob Spells (a 5-11, 180-pound cornerback), we鈥檝e talked about him. Raleigh Collins (a 6-3, 196-pound spear safety) is someone I think is going to make an impact on special teams.
鈥淭hose are the main guys in terms of true freshmen who have stuck out over the last week or two.鈥
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Donaldson has turned heads during the preseason after originally being projected as a tight end when he arrived at 成品人视频 this summer.
The true freshmen from Guliver (Fla.) Prep is finding a role at running back, though Tony Mathis and Justin Johnson still are regarded as the top two at that position.
Mathis (5-11, 207 lbs., Soph.) rushed for 312 yards last season as the main backup behind Leddie Brown, who is now trying to make the Los Angeles Chargers鈥 roster. Johnson (5-11, 198 lbs., Soph.) also saw duty in 2021, gaining 90 yards on 24 carries as a true freshman. 成品人视频鈥檚 head coach has seen improvement out of the St. Louis native in his second collegiate season.
鈥淛ustin is stronger this year. He鈥檚 put on some good weight. I also think he鈥檚 gotten faster,鈥 said Brown. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a guy, who going back to the winter and then this summer, was really good and was competitive. He鈥檚 taking advantage of his opportunity.
鈥淲e liked him in high school, and sometimes it takes a guy a while,鈥 the coach added. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 do many good things offensively in the bowl game, but I thought he did some nice things (35 yards on five carries). The bowl prep was good for him. He鈥檚 a guy who is going to get some carries and will be ready to play. I think he鈥檚 going to surprise some people.鈥
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West Virginia鈥檚 running backs 鈥 Mathis, Johnson, Jaylen Anderson (5-11, 214 lbs., RFr.) and Donaldson 鈥 will be depending on a 成品人视频 offensive line that returns all five starters from the latter half of the 鈥21 season.
Brown鈥檚 plan is for all five of those returning o-linemen 鈥 Wyatt Milum (6-6, 307 lbs., Soph.), James Gmiter (6-3, 310 lbs., r-Jr.), Zach Frazier (6-3, 306 lbs., Soph.), Doug Nester (6-7, 320 lbs., Jr.) and Brandon Yates (6-4, 308 lbs., r-Soph.) 鈥 to see action in the Sept. 1 opener along with Jordan White (6-2, 298 lbs., r-Fr.) and Ja鈥橯uay Hubbard (6-5, 318 lbs., r-Soph.), who will be part of the o-line rotation as well. Most of those seven are versatile enough to play multiple offensive line positions if necessary.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to go into week one playing seven. We鈥檝e already made that determination,鈥 explained Brown. 鈥淛ordan White can play both guards and center. Brandon Yates can play both tackle spots. Ja鈥橯uay Hubbard can play guard and tackle. Doug Nester can play guard and tackle. We鈥檝e gotten them a bunch of reps in all of those areas.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to play seven. They all deserve to play. They鈥檒l play in week one.鈥
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The Mountaineers also plan on utilizing their defensive line depth against Pitt and during the season as a whole.
成品人视频 figures to start Dante Stills (6-4, 290 lbs., Sr.) at defensive tackle, Jordan Jefferson (6-3, 310 lbs., Jr.) at nose tackle and Taijh Alston 6-4, 255 lbs., Sr.) at defensive end, but it has as many as seven other defensive linemen who will likely see game reps in the opener.
One of those is Hammond Russell (6-3, 300 lbs., RFr.), who saw action against Long Island and Minnesota last season but was still able to redshirt. A first-team all-Ohio selection while a senior at Dublin Coffman High School, Russell figures to be a solid contributor for West Virginia this season, according to Brown.
鈥淗e鈥檚 progressing,鈥 成品人视频鈥檚 coach said of the defensive lineman, whose sister Imarianah Russell is a freshman guard for the Mountaineer women鈥檚 basketball team. 鈥淗e鈥檚 heavy-handed and does a really good job of playing off double teams. He鈥檚 going to be in the d-line rotation. He had a little bit of an injury that limited his conditioning this summer, missing about six weeks. So, he鈥檚 playing himself back. He鈥檒l be in the mix.鈥
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West Virginia will rotate extra offensive and defensive linemen next Thursday, but usually there鈥檚 not much substitution at punter. The guy who wins the job normally will do the kicking the entire game, and to this point, Brown hasn鈥檛 decided who that will be.
鈥淚t is a battle between Kolton McGhee and Oliver Straw,鈥 stated the coach. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to let that play out, and it may play out through our last full-speed practice (on Aug. 29).鈥
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There are still some positions to be sorted out in the days leading up to the season-opening Backyard Brawl at Acrisure Stadium.
Overall, though, the Mountaineers are excited to get the 2022 season underway, particularly against a rival they haven鈥檛 faced in over a decade.
鈥淲hen you open up against a really good opponent, and you factor in that it鈥檚 a rivalry game, too, so there is going to be a lot of emotion, it makes it difficult,鈥 admitted Brown. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a really big moment. College GameDay is there, and it鈥檚 nationally televised (7 p.m. on ESPN).
鈥淭here is a little bit more to this game than your normal opener. I think you have to take that into account as far as getting guys ready to play,鈥 the coach continued. 鈥淵ou are never going completely mimic the atmosphere that is going to be there a week from Thursday, but you want to see if guys are ready for the moment. You put them in pressurized situations in front of their teammates to see if they鈥檙e going to perform or not. It鈥檚 an inexact science, but that鈥檚 how we do it.鈥
Ready or not, it鈥檚 about time to Brawl.