West Virginia football: 5 biggest surprises from the 2019 season

5. The Stills Bros

Dante and Darius Stills, a sophomore and junior, respectively, from Fairmont played All-Big 12 football in 2019. They combined for 14 sacks (each top three in the Big 12) and 26 tackles for loss, essentially living in opposing offense’s backfields. The Stills Bros. had a saying when rushing the passer, too, “Meet me there, beat me there.” More than just playing against their opponent, they were competing against each other.

The older brother, Darius, a junior, started at nose tackle in 11 games for West Virginia and finished seventh on the team in tackles (43 total and 27 solo). He demanded double teams in the middle of the ‘Eers defense, but still earned All-Big 12 First Team honors for his impact. Few expected Darius to be an all-conference player just one year after making 12 total tackles, but the junior played lights out.

Dante, a sophomore, didn’t normally start games but still got his fair share of reps as one of the rotating defensive linemen, playing roughly 500 snaps on the year. He only managed 26 total tackles, but many of them were splash plays in key situations — including 14 tackles for loss and eight sacks. But at 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds, the combination of impact and size certainly bodes well for the future of West Virginia football and beyond for the younger Stills.

Did anybody expect Darius and Dante to dominate in the Big 12 this early? To be formidable, sure, even good. But to be as dominant as they were — with their backs seemingly always against the wall — the Stills brothers were a welcomed surprise for Neal Brown and Mountaineer fans. Who else will join them on this list?