West Virginia football: Can David Long lead Mountaineers’ defense in 2018?
By Phil Poling
With key departures on the West Virginia defense, the Mountaineers are expecting big(ger) things from David Long in 2018.
The WVU football team lost its top-two tacklers to the NFL following the 2017 season. Al-Rasheed Benton (110 tackles) is heading to the Detroit Lions, while Kyzir White (94 tackles) is on his way to Los Angeles to play for the Chargers.
David Long missed the first four games of the 2017 season, but he’s back in 2018 and ready to lead the way. He posted career-highs in tackles (solo and total), tackles for loss, sacks, pass deflections and fumble recoveries last season.
His 15.5 tackles for loss were a team-high, and his six pass deflections were third on the Mountaineers’ defense. If those two stats don’t display his versatility, I don’t know what will.
Long fits in perfectly with the ‘Eers (and the Big 12 as a whole) because of this versatility, too. His instincts get him downhill in a hurry, but he’s smart enough — and fast enough — to drop into coverage and make plays in the passing game. Playing in a pass-heavy league like the Big 12, it’s important for linebackers to be able to cover and Long is one of the best in college football.
The 5-foot-11 junior is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, though. However, all signs point to Long being ready for the season-opener against Tennessee. Just Sunday night, Long had a message for a lone Volunteer fan in Morgantown.
https://twitter.com/David__Long/status/1016138000365969413
The Mountaineer offense is getting most of the offseason attention, but Long — who believes they deserve it — isn’t too worried about his defense.
“I’m looking forward to going out there and proving a lot of people wrong,” said Long in a Q & A session with media late in June. “A lot of people don’t know what we have on this side of the ball.”
Next: WVU football: 5 breakout players to watch in 2018
Whether those people don’t know or simply don’t care about WVU, Tony Gibson and the Mountaineer defense will turn heads in 2018 with David Long leading the way.