{"id":22051,"date":"2019-07-02T14:00:10","date_gmt":"2019-07-02T18:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosoncfb.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=22051"},"modified":"2019-06-28T14:14:11","modified_gmt":"2019-06-28T18:14:11","slug":"mountaineers-managing-expectations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2019\/07\/02\/mountaineers-managing-expectations\/","title":{"rendered":"Mountaineers Managing Expectations"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the addition of<\/a> Head Coach Neal Brown<\/strong><\/a>, Mountaineer fans have shared plenty of excitement<\/a> over the past six months. Indeed, Brown brings a fresh approach, mixed with youthful exuberance, to the modern era<\/a> of Mountaineer football.\u00a0 And as we wrote here<\/a>, fans never truly embraced former Coach Holgorsen, as his hiring was botched from the beginning. So replacing him with an open, warm, blue-collar up-and-comer was the perfect move.\u00a0 And after the Spring Game<\/a>, which was one of the highest-attended in Mountaineer history, fans\u2019 excitement reached fever pitch.\u00a0 Over the past several weeks, however, we have watched the Mountaineers managing expectations carefully.<\/p>\n

Lyons Urges Patience<\/h2>\n

Indeed, Athletic Director Shane Lyons<\/strong> recently held a media briefing to recap the \u201cState of the Union\u201d of WVU sports.\u00a0Lyons opened his remarks about the football team with praise for Coach Brown.\u00a0 Even though he has not coached a game, Lyons told media that Brown is \u201con the right track.\u201d\u00a0 He echoed what all of us have heard and written from and about Brown.\u00a0 Lyons said Brown is \u201cworking hard and building a great culture.\u201d\u00a0 The locker room also \u201cbelieves in\u201d Coach Brown.\u00a0 The early recruits who have committed to the team\u2019s 2020 class should be included there as well.\u00a0 And the team atmosphere has been splashed across social media for months.<\/p>\n

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Rising As One#TrustTheClimb<\/a>#HailWV<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/lgrzT1hhvM<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) June 27, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Coach Brown hosts the D-Line this time for a night of bonding ?#HailWV<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/bu9mjXhI9U<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) June 12, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But Lyons reminds fans that there has been some turnover in the program.\u00a0 Indeed, the Mountaineers placed several players into the NFL through draft and free agency, as we discussed here<\/a>.\u00a0 Will Grier<\/strong><\/a> is gone, as are Gary Jennings<\/strong><\/a>, David Sills<\/strong><\/a>, and many others.\u00a0The Mountaineers also lost several players through common attrition, both inside and outside the transfer market.\u00a0 And while the sky is indeed not\u00a0<\/strong>falling<\/a> in Morgantown, the Mountaineers face depth and experience issues at several key positions.<\/p>\n

Lyons noted, in particular, the need to remain healthy on the offensive line and the attrition at quarterback and wide receiver.\u00a0 But Lyons exercised restraint in his remarks, cautioning that \u201c[w]e all have to be realistic here.\u201d\u00a0 Indeed, Coach Brown often uses the hashtag #trusttheclimb in his tweets.\u00a0 And while many fans have interpreted this as a call for patience, Coach Brown has indeed told the media that he expects his team to be great.\u00a0 His only question is when.<\/p>\n

Analyzing the Roster<\/h2>\n

While Lyons\u2019 remarks have not been well received by many fans, still others understand and appreciate them completely.\u00a0 The Mountaineers have lost a lot of production, especially in the passing game.\u00a0But compared to the remarks made by Lyons, a detailed look at the roster offers some surprising glimpses of hope.<\/p>\n

The Question Marks<\/h3>\n

While a starting quarterback has not yet emerged, the quarterback room is filled with three different four-star players.\u00a0 The competition is by no means finished<\/a>, and that competition should challenge at least one of those quarterbacks to raise his level of play.\u00a0 Regardless, this is the least experienced group on the teams in terms of returning snap count.<\/p>\n

The safety group is also a big question mark, with Kenny Robinson<\/strong><\/a> and Derrek Pitts<\/strong><\/a> both leaving the squad this summer.\u00a0 The position returns only one player, Jovanni Stewart<\/strong><\/a>, with a significant snap count (over 650).\u00a0 So while there is young talent waiting in the wings, the experience is lacking, even though the staff\u00a0could\u00a0<\/em>move one or more of the cornerbacks back to safety to help resolve this issue.<\/p>\n

Wide receiver is the next-thinnest position on the roster, with only two players returning with over 100 snaps.\u00a0 T.J. Simmons<\/strong><\/a> looks to emerge as the leader of this group. Sam James<\/strong><\/a> and Florida State five-star transfer<\/a> George Campbell<\/strong><\/a> offering potential game-breaking talent. But the group, as a whole, is unproven.<\/p>\n

Finally, the offensive line does need to stay as healthy as Lyons suggests for the Mountaineers to produce results.\u00a0 But the situation is not quite as dire as many suggest.\u00a0 In fact, the offensive line is the most experience collective group on the team, with five returning players tallying over 100 snaps (three with over 300).\u00a0Beyond the starters, questions do remain.\u00a0But some highly-rated players are patiently waiting for their chance.\u00a0 And of the positions where there are question marks, this group offers the quickest answers.<\/p>\n

The Positives<\/h3>\n

The remaining position groups offer mostly positives to the overall roster.\u00a0 Three cornerbacks with over 450 snaps return.\u00a0 Josh Norwood<\/strong><\/a>, Keith Washington<\/strong><\/a>, and Hakeem Bailey<\/strong><\/a> each gained substantial experience in 2018 and offered glimpses of brilliant play.\u00a0 Behind them, Dreshun Miller\u00a0<\/strong>shows significant promise.<\/p>\n

The Mountaineers return three linebackers who played over 150 snaps in 2018. Behind those three stands\u00a0Charlie Benton<\/strong><\/a>, who was injured in the season opener, but not before he was named a starter for the team at linebacker.\u00a0 Indeed, the prior staff praised Benton so heavily that we named his as one of our five defensive surprises<\/a> last summer.\u00a0Finally, VanDarius Cowan<\/strong><\/a>, whom we named one of our top returning linebackers in the Big XII<\/a>, should earn significant playing time after transferring from Alabama and sitting out last season.<\/p>\n

Of the two deepest positions for the Mountaineers\u2019 roster in 2019, only one should surprise.\u00a0 Indeed, the running back group returns three players who tallied over 200 snaps each, and a fourth, Alec Sinkfield<\/strong><\/a> flashed a unique skillset before fighting through injury.\u00a0 Lyons joked that Coach Brown focuses too much on this group when reciting the positives aspects of his team.\u00a0 But Brown does so with good reason, as each of the top three running backs carry multiple 100-yard games in their logs. \u00a0Kennedy McKoy<\/strong><\/a> even made our list of top five returning running backs in the Big XII<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Believe it or not, however, the defensive line also offers significant returning experience. \u00a0 We named Dante Stills<\/strong> as one of the best returning defensive linemen in the Big XII<\/a>, and he racked up nearly 200 snaps as a true freshman last season.\u00a0 His brother, Darius Stills<\/strong><\/a>, saw action in every game and offered solid play in his nearly 300 snaps in 2018.\u00a0 Reese Donahue<\/strong><\/a> also returns for his senior season.<\/p>\n

Mountaineers Managing Expectations<\/h2>\n

As a whole, Lyons is more right than he is wrong. \u00a0He is simply ensuring that the Mountaineers are managing expectations. Undoubtedly, transitions pose challenges.\u00a0 Some players have and will buy into Coach Brown and the staff\u2019s brand of football.\u00a0Others will not. Under the best conditions, it would take time for the team to adjust to the nuances and preferences of this new staff, especially on the defensive side, as Vic Koenning<\/strong> looks to replace the 3-3-5 with the 4-2-5.\u00a0 But there are some early holes in this roster.\u00a0 And while the talent is there to fill those holes, those players are not yet experienced.\u00a0 As a result, this team might take its lumps early.\u00a0 But it also might not.\u00a0 Coach Brown has certainly not given up.<\/p>\n

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Fired up about this team and the progress we are making! Only 87 days! #TrustTheClimb<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/h8vu7HFg5W<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Neal Brown (@NealBrown_WVU) June 5, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And fans shouldn\u2019t either. \u00a0In fact, West Virginia fans, of all people, should know how dangerous an oft-overlooked Mountaineer team with a chip on its collective shoulder can be.<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>