MORGANTOWN — Will Grier hopes that opposing defenses don’t take notice of what tight end Trevon Wesco is doing lately. He’s also not entirely optimistic that will remain the case. People tend to notice a 6-foot-5, 280-pound human who can run and catch as well as Wesco did against TCU.
“I hope they don’t [notice him],” Grier said. “Because that kind of closes up something we’ve got. Wesco is a real weapon.”
The senior from Martinsburg finished with five catches for 86 yards in the most productive performance by a West Virginia tight end in 16 years.
Wesco is often wide open whenever Grier delivers passes to him, with no instance being more jarring than his 32-yard touchdown reception. Wesco could have moonwalked the final 20 yards and still scored easily.
That figures to change. Offensive coordinator Jake Spavital has steadily increased the servings of Wesco in the Mountaineers’ diet since the Baylor game.
“The Baylor game is when I was like ‘I need to get him guaranteed touches,’” Spavital said. “It adds a lot to the game-planning aspect. You didn’t know he’d be taking over games like he has these past couple. You just start expanding that playbook, and that call sheet gets longer.”
Defenses have remained hesitant adjust to the new-found receiving threat. If they do, the Mountaineers have plenty of ways to make up for it.
“As people start seeing him on film more, they’re probably going to start guarding him more,” Grier said. “But as an offense, you have to have options and the ability to adapt. I think the ability Wesco has to block in the run game is what opens him up when he leaks out. And if he’s not open, he takes a guy with him, so the run should be good. But we have to continue to use him.”
While Wesco’s pass-catching ability has been a recent revelation, it’s still not his greatest strength. Blocking remains Wesco’s bread-and-butter. He was particularly dominant against talented TCU defensive end L.J. Collier, who ranks in the Big 12’s Top 10 in sacks and tackles for loss.
Offensive guard Josh Sills is so impressed that he’s happy to claim Wesco as a sixth offensive lineman.
“He’s one of us, but he’s a lot more skilled and a lot more athletic,” Sills said. “You can trust he’s going to do his assignment and bury kids.”
Sills, an avid outdoorsman, speaks about watching Wesco’s film with the same level of excitement he typically reserves for hunting and fishing.
“Oh my. He’s killing kids right now,” Sills gushed. “All you have to do is watch the film. He hit the one TCU defender on the sideline and took the white paint, the whole logo, off of his helmet.”
