West Virginia football: 5 biggest surprises from the 2019 season

2. Youth movement

Without the freshman and sophomores on the 2019 WVU football roster, I’m not sure Neal Brown would’ve been able to even field a team in his first season at the helm. They didn’t seem as crucial early in the year, but when mid-season rolled around, the Mountaineers’ were in dire need of some young players to step up.

Redshirt freshman Sam James played in the opener, but a handful of true freshman stepped in to larger-than-expected roles as the season progressed. Nicktroy Fortune, Kerry Martin, Jr., and Tykee Smith were thrust into action in the Mountaineers’ secondary. And while each played through hiccups, they all improved and showcased they belong.

The trenches were dominated by primarily upperclassmen on defense, with freshman Jordan Jefferson getting occasional spot duty. And although the offensive line struggled as a unit, freshmen James Gmiter (10 starts) and Briason Mays (7) along with sophomore John Hughes (1) earned valuable playing time.

There were young contributors at the skill-positions on offense, too, like Isaiah Esdale, Ali Jennings, Tony Mathis, Mike O’Laughlin, Bryce Wheaton and Winston Wright. They combined for 74 catches, 701 yards and five touchdowns, and not a single one had more than 20 offensive touches. That’s loads of potential on offense. Wheaton had the highest yards-per-catch average among this group at 16.8 and also tallied two touchdowns.

With these players returning and likely improving, the Mountaineers are building a solid foundation of youthful talent. And assuming at least one blossoms into a star, he’ll be surrounded by experienced players all over the field.