MORGANTOWN — While many are concerned about the star power that has left the WVU football team since the end of the regular season, the Mountaineers have one of the best running backs in the Big 12 in the fold.
Most consider Iowa State’s Breece Hall the top back in the conference, but Brown averaged over 100 yards per game in 2020, a major step up from his sophomore year in 2019.
With the big season came gazing eyes from the next level, so Brown almost became another name on the list of important departures from the program.
“I had many talks with my mom, my family and, of course, God and coach (Neal) Brown about me either staying and going, and we all decided that the best thing for me is to stay,” Brown said Thursday. “I still have to work on the little things — not so much my running style. Things like breaking down a defense, route running, and catching the ball.
“If I came back, I could show the NFL scouts that I can be a big-league back.”
Brown was a workhorse last season, tallying 199 carries — nearly 20 carries per game — and was the premier back in a time where split backfields are the norm. Brown’s primary backup last year was Alec Sinkfield, but Sinkfield left for Boston College.
The rest of the running back room is inexperienced and depth is lacking this spring. Other than Brown, only redshirt-sophomore Tony Mathis and redshirt-freshman A’Varius Sparrow are on scholarship. Mathis and Sparrow shared just 26 carries between them in their careers.
Neal Brown said he doesn’t want to give Leddie Brown too many reps this spring as a proven commodity, so Mathis and Sparrow will have plenty of chances to prove themselves as reliable second and third options at running back.
“There’s no doubt about it – we have to find a second and third option,” offensive coordinator Gerad Parker said. “Tony Mathis and Sparrow, who are here now, will be crucial pieces to develop, and when we get some young guys in the fall, we’ll see how they can develop, too.”
Those young guys are a pair of 4-star recruits with the class of 2021, Jaylen Anderson and Justin Johnson.
Anderson, a native of Perry, Ohio, had offers from Florida, Iowa State, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Minnesota, Pitt, Nebraska, and Utah, as well as a host of Group of 5 programs.
Johnson had Power 5 offers from Illinois, California, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan State, Minnesota, Purdue, and Washington State.
TWEET @SeanManning_1
