West Virginia football: 3 Mountaineers with the most to prove in 2020
By Phil Poling
West Virginia football and Neal Brown begin their second season together this fall in Morgantown. Which Mountaineers have the most to prove?
Neal Brown kicked off his inaugural season as head coach in Morgantown with an up-and-down campaign. The Mountaineers got off to a solid start, winning three of their first four games, before dropping five consecutive contests heading into November. Although their final record (5-7) didn’t deem them bowl-eligible, Brown and the ‘Eers finished 2-1 down the stretch, giving them plenty of momentum heading into the offseason.
This offseason, however, has been a unique one due to COVID-19. But like Brown’s been saying since he took over: #TrustTheClimb. That climb is an obvious uphill battle coming off a 5-7 campaign with questions all over the roster, but Brown’s players and Mountaineer Nation have bought in. All that’s left is proving it on the field.
In order to take that next step, West Virginia will need a handful of players to step up. The consistency of veterans like T.J. Simmons, Sean Mahone, and Dante and Darius Stills will be a tone-setter, but that alone won’t propel the Mountaineers to new heights. They’ll need players to continue blossoming in order to complete their trek to the top.
Who’s it going to be? Who will prove in 2020 that they belong to be mentioned with the Big 12’s best? The nation’s best? These three guys stood out for West Virginia last season. Will they become widely-known with their efforts this fall?