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West Virginia Football: 3 early signees who’ll make instant impact in 2018

By Andrew Miller

MORGANTOWN, WV - OCTOBER 28: The West Virginia Mountaineers take the field against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Mountaineer Field on October 28, 2017 in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
MORGANTOWN, WV - OCTOBER 28: The West Virginia Mountaineers take the field against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Mountaineer Field on October 28, 2017 in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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West Virginia’s pass rush was lacking for most of the season, and is one big area to improve in next year. We’ll see how the Mountaineers fare against the Utah Utes, in the 2017 Heart of Dallas Bowl, to see if there’s any signs coming from sophomore defensive end Reese Donahue or junior Ezekiel Rose.

Donahue only has one sack on the season. But, Rose led the team in sacks, with 4.5. Among defensive ends, Adam Shuler finished the regular season second in sacks, with 3.0. There’s a ton of opportunity for incoming defensive ends to make a mark.

Four-star defensive end Dante Stills was a massive commit for the Mountaineers. Stills is the sixth best strong-side defensive end in the nation and the best prospect in West Virginia. Moreover, he’s the second best prospect signed with the Mountaineers at this point.

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The entire West Virginia defense could use some improvement, especially if the Mountaineers want to contend for a Big 12 Championship in 2018. This team does have the potential to reach that point, and Stills could be a big reason why.

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