MORGANTOWN — The WVU football team kicked off fall camp on a hot Friday morning in Morgantown, but like most of the college football landscape, head coach Neal Brown was asked about the ever-changing conference landscape due to realignment.
Last month, Texas and Oklahoma began the process of leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, and Brown said he has taken the time to address his team about what it could mean for the Mountaineers moving forward.
“I have no crystal ball,” Brown said during his first news conference of camp. “I have no idea how it’s going to play out. What I do know, though, is West Virginia, for a really long time, has been in a bunch of different conferences and played at a high level. The success of our men’s basketball program and our football program will dictate that we will be in a good landing spot. I can’t project what that looks like. For the foreseeable future, we’re in the Big 12. We’re getting ready to play in the Big 12. We’re happy members there. It’s not going to affect anything we’re doing this year. We’re playing the same schedule.”
Texas and Oklahoma claim they are expected to leave following the 2025 season, but there is a strong possibility they leave for the SEC before that as steps in the process continue to be completed. Currently, with a top 25 recruiting class according to Rivals.com, Brown is forced to answer these questions along the recruiting trail, so he wanted his opinion publicly known.
“That’s the way I talk about it to our guys, ‘Hey, we’ve had several different conferences. The one common thing is we’ve always played football at a really high level here and we’ve handled those changes whatever they may be. And we’ll do that moving forward as well.’ “
COVID-19 update
Brown previously said he tried to educate his players on the benefits of getting vaccinated against COVID-19, and overall, the Mountaineers have a high percentage of players and staff vaxxed.
However, Brown said he wishes that number was higher than it is, especially with the increase in delta variant cases.
“It’s still alive and well, unfortunately,” he said. “We’re still using a lot of precautions. Almost every member of our staff is vaccinated. A high percentage of our team is vaccinated, but not everyone. My preference would be for everybody to be vaccinated, but each individual has a choice, and we don’t have 100% at this point.”
Unvaccinated members of the program are still required to wear masks and Brown said they are still taking precautions around the facility. The NCAA announced this week asymptomatic vaccinated players will not be tested, but others will continue to be tested regularly.
Newcomers
Every member of the 2021 recruiting class has arrived and is participating in fall camp, according to Brown, except running back Jaylen Anderson.
Anderson, a 4-star prospect from Perry, Ohio, isn’t enrolled at the university, and Brown isn’t sure when he will be.
“Jaylen is not here,” he said. “Everybody else is here that you all have heard about being here. Not sure when Jaylen will arrive. We’re still hopeful that he will … some Clearinghouse things going on. Not sure when he will arrive, but he’s the only one not here right now.”
Anderson was expected to battle for the backup running back spot behind Leddie Brown, but Neal Brown said sophomore Tony Mathis is the favorite for that spot. Justin Johnson, who signed alongside Anderson as part of the 2021 class, is someone Brown also believes could get snaps.
Transfers Doug Nester (offensive line, Virginia Tech), Lance Dixon (linebacker, Penn State), Deshawn Stevens (linebacker, Maine), Charles Woods (cornerback, Illinois State), and Darel Middleton (defensive tackle, Tennessee) are enrolled and practicing.
Injuries
Brown mentioned there will be a few players missing from Saturday’s open practice, but fortunately, that number is small for the time being.
Tight end “Mike O’Laughlin out with a minor injury for right now. Precautionary as much as anything,” Brown said. Linebacker “JaCorey Hammett has an ACL injury that he is still recovering from. He’s a ways away from being ready. He did that in his high school season last year. Naim Muhammad had off-season surgery. He’s out right now, and he’ll probably be out for a few more weeks.”
With good news, Brown said kicker Evan Staley kicked Friday, about nine months since a freak injury during a kickoff against Kansas State last season.
Head athletic trainer Vince Blankenship said it was one of the best rehab processes he has ever seen.
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