West Virginia Football: 5 players to watch this Spring

NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 25: Wide receiver Marcus Simms #8 of the West Virginia Mountaineers waits to return a punt against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated West Virginia 59-31. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Few young linebackers in the Big 12 have a brighter future than rising sophomore Dylan Tonkery. The loss of senior linebacker Al-Rasheed Benton is going to hurt the linebacking corps, and someone needs to step into that role with the position group.

This starting SAM linebacker showed off his versatility with 2.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, 44 total tackles, and one forced fumble. A full season of action, with his freshman year under his belt, is a good thing for Tonkery. He’s all All-Big 12 linebacker waiting to happen.

Long and Tonkery are the key to leading the way for the linebackers in 2017. Both players showed a lot of promise in the pass rush, and can help out the defensive line in that department. Tonkery could also claim his first career interception early in the 2018 season, to really show off his value.

Morevoer, along with another rising sophomore in Robinson, the future of the West Virginia defense gets shown off on April 7 for a young core that will be great in the coming years. The development of those two will take the forefront in 2018.

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