West Virginia football enters the 2017 season with some question marks at important positions but what does the two-deep depth chart look like?
Six years into his West Virginia football tenure, Dana Holgorsen tied his best record as head coach. Everything seemed to fall in place for the underrated team, such as breakout stars Skyler Howard and Justin Crawford.
West Virginia finished the season 10-3 with a trip to the Russell Athletic Bowl where they lost to Miami, 31-14. Still, the Mountaineers had a successful season which builds momentum for the future — or so fans hope. Holgorsen’s first season finished with a 10-3 mark, though, and the Mountaineers failed to break the eight-win plateau for the next four years.
Adding some strong pieces to this year’s squad could be a step in the right direction and the Mountaineers seem poised to finish with 10 wins once again. However, the team is returning just eight total starters and that could cause some growing pains early.
Let’s take a look at what the Mountaineers’ two-deep depth chart looks like for 2017.
Offensive Line
Starting tackles: Yodny Cajuste (LT), Colten McKivitz (RT)
Backups: Ja’Shaun Seider (LT), Josh Sills (RT)
Unfortunately, the Mountaineers have to replace their starting left tackle from a season ago. Fortunately, it’s in the form of junior Yodny Cajuste who had started six games during the 2015 season as a redshirt freshman before injuring his knee and missing the remainder of the year. He was poised to come back healthier in 2016, but suffered another knee injury in the season-opener. Now, he’s back and looking to finally live up to his potential.
On the other hand, Colten McKivitz started 10 games as a redshirt freshman at right tackle in 2016 and was one of the best in the conference. In fact, he earned All-Big 12 Freshman first-team honors. Sophomore Ja’HShaun Seider and freshman Josh Sills look to be backups.
Starting guards: Kyle Bosch (LG), Grant Lingafelter (RG)
Backups: Alec Shriner (LG), Chase Behrndt (RG)
Senior Kyle Bosch is back starting at the left guard spot and he might just be the best at his position in the Big 2. The all-conference talent will be starting with fellow senior Grant Lingafelter who is getting his first chance to be the full-time starter. He did, however, see action in eight games last season. Sophomore Alex Shriner and freshman Chase Behrndt are waiting in the wings for their chance to start in 2018.
Starting center: Matt Jones
Backup: Kelby Wickline
Matt Jones is entering his first year as the full-time center for the Mountaineers, but he has the potential to be a solid piece in the middle for the next few seasons. He saw action in just one game as a redshirt freshman in 2016, but it’s his time to prove himself. Former UTSA lineman and JUCO transfer Kelby Wickline is expected to be the No. 2, but he will get some snaps.
Defensive Line
Starting ends: Adam Shuler II, Reese Donahue
Backups: Jon Lewis, Ezekiel Rose
Defensive coordinator Tony Gibson didn’t have the best defensive last season, ranking 60th against the run and 75th in total yards allowed, but he had solid pieces. Unfortunately, he’s tasked with replacing his entire defensive line in his 3-3-5 scheme.
Adam Shuler II looks to take over as a sophomore end following a breakout freshman season in which he had 34 tackles, two for loss and a sack. He also had two forced fumbles and was a force in the trenches. Fellow sophomore Reese Donahue looks to get the nod at the other end spot after a relatively quiet freshman campaign. Both have high upsides, but being first-year starters causes concern.
Jon Lewis, a senior, and Ezekiel Rose, a junior, will play the backup roles. The latter is a JUCO transfer from Netflix series Last Chance U’s East Mississippi Community College. Not much experience at the two end spots.
Starting tackle: Xavier Pegues
Backup: Jaleel Fields
Finally getting his shot to contribute at the FBS level, senior tackle Xavier Pegues enters the 2017 season with high hopes. Another JUCO transfer, Pegues has yet to play a snap at the Division 1 level but his 6-foot-2, 292-pound frame is perfect for a cog in the middle of the defense. Junior Jaleel Fields is back after missing the entire 2016 season with an injury.
Linebackers
Starting middle linebacker: Al-Rasheed Benton
Backup: Brendan Ferns
When you take a quick look at the linebacker spots, it’s clear that this might be the strength of the team. While the Mountaineers need to find a way to improve against the run, bringing back the second-leading tackler from last season in the middle is crucial. Al-Rasheed Benton is returning as the middle linebacker starter as a senior following an 80-tackle campaign in 2016. He added an interception and tackle for loss.
Redshirt freshman Brendan Ferns was a top recruit in the 2016 class and made the move from outside linebacker. He could be a solid contributor in the middle and is the heir apparent to the throne.
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Starting outside linebackers: David Long, Xavier Preston
Backups: Adam Hensley, Dylan Tonkery
The other returning linebacker in the 3-3-5 scheme is sophomore David Long. He had an outstanding freshman season, putting up 63 tackles, 4.5 for loss and two sacks, but didn’t quite get the recognition he deserved. He will be an All-Big 12 candidate by the end of the 2017 season and is an untouchable starter. Senior Xavier Preston is the presumed starter on the other side. He played sparingly in 2016.
Two young guys will be adding depth to the outside linebacker positions as sophomore Adam Hensley will be in the two-deep as well as redshirt freshman Dylan Tonkery. Is the youth in the No. 2 spots concerning? Possible, but the starters more than make up for it.
Defensive Backs
Starting cornerbacks: Elijah Battle, Corey Winfield
Backups: Mike Daniels, Hakeem Bailey
The defensive backfield was a weak spot for the Mountaineers in 2016 as it ranked 104th in yards per game allowed through the air. That’s an area where this team really has to improve if it wants to get back to the 10-win mark. Unfortunately, this unit loses four starters in the defensive backfield, but that could mean a “tear it down and rebuild it” mindset will take place.
At cornerback, seniors Corey Winfield and Elijah Battle take over. Battle finished the 2016 season with 23 tackles and a pass deflection, but Winfield comes in as a grad transfer from Syracuse. He had 41 tackles, four pass deflections and a pick last season for the Orange, bringing some starting experience with him. Sophomore Hakeem Bailey is a name to watch as well as senior Mike Daniels.
Starting safeties: Dravon Askew-Henry, Toyous Avery
Backups: Shane Commodore, Derrek Pitts
Looking for an All-Big 12 candidate in the secondary? Well, the Mountaineers have two. The first is Dravon Askew-Henry. The junior, like multiple other starting Mountaineers, suffered an injury and missed the entire 2016 season. He had started 13 games at safety the year before, recording 59 tackles and an interception. He will be joined by first-year full-time starter Toyous Avery. He had 24 tackles and four pass deflections last year in 11 appearances. Senior Shane Commodore will be in the rotation and freshman Derrek Pitts could break out.
Starting Spur: Kyzir White
Backup: Marvin Gross
Remember when I said the Mountaineers had two all-conference caliber players? Well, Askew-Henry was the first and ‘Spur’ starter Kyzir White is the other. The fifth defensive back, and younger brother of Chicago Bear Kevin White, had a strong junior season. He had 58 tackles, seven for loss and three sacks in 2016. Senior Marvin Gross will back him up.
Wide Receivers
Starting wide receivers: Marcus Simms, Gary Jennings, Ka’Raun White
Backups: David Sills, Dominique Maiden, Jovon Durante
Gone are the two leading receivers from a season ago, but that shouldn’t hurt the corps too much. West Virginia seems to have breakout stars at receiver each season, and 2017 will be no different.
Sophomore Marcus Simms showed promise in very little action last year, catching six passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. He is a projected starter along with upperclassmen Gary Jennings and Ka’Run White — yes, the latter is brothers with Kyzir and Kevin White. Jennings had 10 catches for 165 yards and two scores while White finished with 48 catches for 583 yards and five touchdowns.
Don’t sleep on White as one of the biggest breakout candidates in all of college football now that he’s likely to be the No. 1 receiver.
A trio of juniors — David Sills, Dominique Maiden and Jovon Durante — are preparing to join the receiver rotation. Durante was fourth on the team in receiving last season.
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Starting tight end: Trevon Wesco
Backup: Matt Bezjak
Junior tight end Trevon Wesco looks to have a major impact on the offensive side of the ball after catching just one pass for six yards in 2016. Freshman Matt Bezjak looks like a capable backup, but needs to prove himself first.
Running Back
Starting running back: Justin Crawford
Backup: Kennedy McKoy
West Virginia is no stranger to adding JUCO transfers and having them become major contributors and last season, it was junior Justin Crawford who assumed that role. He transferred from Northwest Mississippi C.C. and started four games for the Mountaineers in the backfield.
Although he played in all 13 contests, he didn’t truly tackle over as the starter right away — although, looking back, he should have. Hindsight is 20/20 for Holgorsen and the offense, but moving forward, they have a solid senior running back in place. Heck, he could be the conference’s top rusher in 2017.
Crawford finished with 1,184 yards and four touchdowns on 7.3 yards per touch. He also had 14 receptions for 68 yards and another score. He will be back to build on those fantastic numbers.
Backing him up, though, is sophomore Kennedy McCoy. The second-year back could be a breakout contender in 2017 after finishing with 472 yards and four rushing scores on 6.5 yards per carry in 2016. He also added a receiving score. The backfield is as dynamic as any in the nation.
Starting fullback: Ellijah Wellman
Backup: Elijah Drummond
Sometimes the Mountaineers showcase a fullback look without the tight end and when that’s the case, senior Ellijah Wellman will be there. He had 44 yards rushing as the team’s primary fullback in 2016 and will be backed up by Elijah Drummond.
Quarterback
Starting quarterback: Will Grier
Backup: Chris Chugunov
How can a team lose a 3,300-yard passer who had 26 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions in 2016 and still feel confident about the quarterback position for 2017? The answer is simple: Will Grier. The former Florida gunslinger transferred from The Swamp a couple of years ago after being busted for PED use.
Grier chose West Virginia as his next landing spot, giving the Mountaineers a quarterback with two years of eligibility remaining to go along with starting experience. He led Florida to a 6-0 record to begin the 2015 season before getting suspended and he was one of the hotter names on the market.
Replacing Skyler Howard won’t be easy, but Grier feels as if he can do just that. He has the arm, the poise and the confidence to lead the team and has already been cleared to play in Week 1 against Virginia Tech. Expect him to play well from the get-go, although there will be growing pains sprinkled in with him learning a new system.
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Sophomore quarterback Chris Chugunov probably hoped to be named the starter when Howard left, but Grier changed all that. He has just five career pass attempts, completing two for 15 yards and a pick. West Virginia is in good hands with Grier.