West Virginia Football: 5 players with the most to prove in 2019

West Virginia football has plenty of doubters, as do some of the current players in Morgantown. With that in mind, these five have the most to prove in 2019.

Gone are the days of Will Grier-to-David Sills scores in the redzone. No more toe-tapping touchdowns by Gary Jennings to defeat the Longhorns, either. And that No. 11 linebacker who flew all over the field making plays — David Long — he’s gone, too.

Key player departures like these are great for a program when they make it to the NFL, but they also create gaping holes on the roster. Not only will their production be missed, but the star power — that fear — left with them.

All that means, though, is a batch of new players must step up and prove themselves. We saw Jennings do that in 2017 and catch 97 passes after hauling in only 10 the year prior. Sills wasn’t expected to lead the nation in receiving touchdowns in 2017, either, but it happened — and this was after a junior college stint playing quarterback.

So who is going to prove themselves in Neal Brown’s first season as head coach? Will a quarterback emerge in his system and become a multi-year starter? Can the effectiveness of the running game allow backs and offensive lineman to shine? What happens with the defense? Only time will tell, but these are our predictions.