MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — When the NCAA-mandated suspension came down on West Virginia’s VanDarius Cowan a little more than a week before the season-opener, it seemed like a major blow to a position of need for the Mountaineers.
The lengthy linebacker had all the physical tools on paper, and as a former 4-star recruit that signed with Nick Saban and Alabama out of high school, there was no reason to think those physical assets couldn’t be put to good use.
After transferring from the Crimson Tide to West Virginia, he had to sit out the 2018 season due to NCAA rules, but was primed to step into the “bandit” role in Vic Koenning’s defensive scheme. That came to a screeching halt when the NCAA ruled that Cowan still needed to serve time because of what transpired at Alabama, so another four games were tacked on.
Now, four games into the season, the Mountaineers are about to sic Cowan on opposing offenses … though coach Neal Brown isn’t quite sure how long of a leash the coaching staff will keep on Cowan.
“Our expectations have to be reasonable,” said West Virginia coach Neal Brown. “He hasn’t played a football game in well over two years. At Alabama, he played special teams and a little bit of defense.”
While he played in seven games as a freshman at Alabama, Cowan played little to no significant reps.
But at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, there are high expectations for Cowan, though no one is sure what he’ll be able to do until he actually gets on the field and plays. That will happen Saturday when the Mountaineers host Texas.
“He’s very athletic and very long,” senior defensive end Reese Donahue said. “I can’t say enough about his athletic ability and what he brings to that bandit position. He can be an asset to us. I’m excited to see what he does on Saturday.”
Cowan will step in at bandit, which has been a sore spot defensively all season. Quondarius Qualls has gotten the majority of those reps, but with lackluster results and little depth behind him.
But being athletic and long is different than doing schematically what Cowan is supposed to do. Koenning has been critical of many of his defenders for not doing what coaches teach and instead, getting out of position and trying to do others’ jobs.
Koenning sees flashes in Cowan at practice, but he hopes that translates to game action.
“We don’t know yet what he does best,” Koenning said. “He’s got some football instincts. Sometimes, it’s important to have a guy that just has good instincts. If I’m fitting off a lineman, I’m not just running up the lineman’s tail end, but fitting the gap. I think he has some good feel and good vision.”
Cowan did not leave Alabama under his own will, though. He was dismissed from the team following a third-degree misdemeanor assault charge due to a fight in a Tuscaloosa bar in June 2018. According to the Tuscaloosa News, Cowan was accused of punching a 26-year-old man in the face.
“VanDarius has been dismissed from the team and is no longer a part of our football program due to a violation of team rules,” Saban said in a statement following Cowan’s dismissal. “Each of us has a responsibility to represent The University of Alabama in a first-class way, and failure to meet those standards can’t be tolerated. We wish VanDarius the very best in the future.”
That future ended up in Morgantown, and while there has been a gray cloud over Cowan for over a year, including his suspension to start this season, his teammates have embraced him and tried to keep him grounded.
“Everyone gives him a bad rap because of what happened,” Donahue said. “I think he’s a relatively good person on and off the field. I’m not worried about anything that’s happened in the past with him.”
Even Koenning knows Cowan’s past has haunted him, but he’s made strides to improve his position on and off the field.
“He’s still here, so that’s a big positive,” Koenning said. “I’m not saying that sarcastically or to be against him. He has had to be persistent and not give up. Calvin Coolidge has got a saying about persistence. I’m not fluent enough to sit and recite it, but as long as you show up to work every day and you ain’t quitting, you ain’t leaving.”
