3. Gets first downs (when he doesn’t score)
Unless you’ve failed to watch a single WVU game since Sills returned to Morgantown, you already know he’s a former quarterback. As a child-prodigy, Sills earned his first Division-I scholarship in middle school to play quarterback at the University of Southern California.
Offering teenagers scholarships has only progressed since then, but it’s no surprise Sills ended up being one of the best at his (new) position. Even as a freshman at WVU – when he was listed as a quarterback – Sills understood what it took to get on the field. He played sparingly at wide receiver, catching seven passes for 131 yards and two scores, but came up huge in the ‘Eers bowl game and caught the game-winning touchdown.
Sills’ nation-leading 18 touchdowns were a bit of a surprise in 2017, but even when he wasn’t putting points on the board he was moving the chains. Locating the first down marker is gravely important for a wide receiver, and if a player can find it and get there, it makes them more reliable to an offense.
He accounted for 27 first downs last fall, not including any scores. He converted five receptions into a season-high five first downs against both Virginia Tech and Texas Tech. He scored a combined five touchdowns in those two contests. When the Mountaineer offense got going, Sills’ production was usually a big reason it stayed on schedule.