MORGANTOWN — WVU head coach Neal Brown is entering his third year at the helm for the Mountaineers, which began fall camp Friday, less than a month from the season opener at Maryland on Sept. 4.
Coming off a unique 2020 season due to COVID-19 — a shortened regular season with different regulations and protocols put in place — WVU is looking to continue its “climb” under Brown, hoping to improve from its 6-4 mark.
This off-season was also dicey with the introduction of the NCAA’s new transfer rules that allow players to move to different schools without penalty. The Mountaineers benefitted and were hurt by it, but many decisions will factor into key position battles this fall.
Brown stated during spring camp no one was going to be named a starter in March and April because it was a “teaching environment,” but August is critical to figuring out personnel. A depth chart was released Thursday, but should be taken with a grain of salt. Here are some of the position battles to watch over the next four weeks.
Offensive line
The offense at the skill positions remains close to its 2020 counterpart with the exception of T.J. Simmons missing at wide receiver, but it’s expected Sam James will slide inside to take that spot.
Where things are shaky, and not necessarily in a bad way, is along the offensive line. A veteran group returns, but it’s unclear where a few will play, with the juggling act position coach Matt Moore likes to play.
The key difference from last year is the addition of Virginia Tech transfer Doug Nester, who has versatility to play all over the place at guard and tackle. With the Hokies, he played in 19 games the last two seasons and started 18, mainly at right guard.
The Mountaineers lost Michael Brown to graduation, who mainly played left guard during his career. James Gmiter bounced back and forth from left and right guard the last two years, so expect Gmiter to solidify himself at left guard to replace Brown, while Nester will slide in at right guard.
“Doug is a lot more confident [Friday] than he was at any point in the spring,” Neal Brown said. “He’s an extremely humble guy and he wanted to make sure he earned his spot. He was a little unsure what we were trying to get him to do because we were bouncing him around a lot in the spring. I’m looking forward to him having a great fall camp because we’re going to need him to play.”
On the depth chart, Nester is listed next to 300-pound redshirt freshman Jordan White with an “OR,” so the newcomer isn’t guaranteed anything at this point.
Right tackle is another spot to watch — Parker Moorer came in as a tackle but played guard last year out of necessity. He is listed with an “OR” next to John Hughes, who battled injuries last season but played in 11 games in 2019, including one start.
Sophomore Brandon Yates is the clear favorite at left tackle, backed up by Morgantown High alum Nick Malone. Fairmont native and sophomore Zach Frazier will replace Chase Behrndt at center after playing significant snaps as a true freshman last year at guard and center.
Defensive end
At the end of spring practice, it was a surprise to see senior defensive end Jeffery Pooler, who was using his extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA, enter the transfer portal and ultimately moving to Northwestern.
It was expected Pooler would rotate with senior Taijh Alston, so moving Alston into the starting spot seemed like the natural fit, and the current depth chart reflects that. Alston has battled injuries each of the last two years, playing in just three games after hurting his knee in the second game of 2019, and suffering a pre-season injury in 2020.
Now, without Pooler, this could be Alston’s shining moment, but he will be backed up with two unknowns who have Brown excited, even calling them two of the most-natural pass-rushers on the team.
Lanell Carr and Taurus Simmons each redshirted last season but bulked up and moved from linebacker to defensive end this off-season. This could be one of the biggest things to watch this fall in two budding young talents.
Cornerback
Dreshun Miller’s abrupt exit from the program in February left a gaping hole opposite Nicktroy Fortune at cornerback, but a few young and new faces will have a chance to take the starting spot.
The favorite, according to the depth chart, is Jackie Matthews, a former junior college signee. At Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in 2019, he was a JUCO All-American and helped his team win the national championship. Last year with the Mountaineers, he played in eight games and had three tackles. The coaching staff raved about Matthews’ growth during spring camp, and that’s likely why he doesn’t have an “OR” next to his name.
Other names to watch, though, are sophomore Daryl Porter Jr., who played mainly special teams last season but has high upside, and Illinois State transfer Charles Woods.
Woods was an FCS All-American in 2019, starting all 15 games for the Redbirds with 17 passes defended and four interceptions. He didn’t play last season with the delay in the FCS schedule until the spring.
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