West Virginia Football: 5 most underrated Mountaineers in 2021

The West Virginia defense has been excellent the past two seasons, ranking No. 1 in total defense in 2020. But unless you’re a Mountaineer fan, the only players you probably know are Tykee Smith, Tony Fields, and the Stills Bros., Dante and Darius. And kudos to those guys, they deserve that recognition. They didn’t earn that ranking alone, though.

While Dreshun Miller patrolled one boundary cornerback spot, Nicktroy Fortune held down the other. Miller made far more plays on the ball, totaling the fifth-most pass breakups (8) in the Big 12 while snagging an interception, but he transferred to Auburn. That leaves Fortune, a junior, as the lone returning veteran with starting experience.

You never want a player in the secondary to have high tackle numbers. Most of the time it means they’re being attacked and abused in pass coverage. But after taking over as a starter this past season, Fortune’s tackle numbers more than doubled. After securing just 16 tackles in 2019, Fortune tallied 35 in 2020.

With Miller and Smith no longer with the West Virginia football program, much is expected of Fortune in the secondary. Not just on the stat sheet making tackles and forcing turnovers, but in communicating with his teammates. It’s unlikely he’ll be called on to coach the defense as a cornerback, but his experience will certainly help those around him.