This is the start of a preview series I am going to do throughout the summer. I asked for input on certain areas from someone who closely covers each Big 12 school. And, because I couldn't help myself, I added my own commentary and stats where I saw appropriate.
Offense:
Returners Most Excited About:
West Virginia returns all five offensive linemen for the first time since head coach Neal Brown inherited the program in the 2019 season. The Mountaineers have had issues up front over the past several years but the hope is that the position is ready to take the next step with a lot of talent in some key areas. Outside of that, West Virginia returns a trio of wide receivers that are very exciting in Bryce Ford-Wheaton, Sam James and Kaden Prather. The first two are proven commodities that have put together their best off-season, while the third is primed to make a significant jump in his second year.
Newcomers Most Excited About:
West Virginia has added quite a bit this off-season but no position is more exciting than at quarterback where the Mountaineers signed former Georgia and USC signal caller JT Daniels. The former five-star will likely get the keys to the West Virginia offense and has previous experience in offensive coordinator Graham Harrell's scheme during their time at USC.
To me, this is a very "Tyler Shough" situation for West Virginia. Daniels is a ridiculously talented individual with all the measurables and "skills," and yet his college career, due to injury and depth chart circumstances, has become incredibly complicated. Sure, he might return to the form everyone marveled at his freshman season, but it's just as likely that he's just the guy that's been passed up on the depth chart by two different schools. Overall, I think this is an upgrade for WVU over what they've had, and I'll be interested to see what Harrell can do with him.
Key Departure(s):
The biggest loss for West Virginia was at running back where Leddie Brown exits after a pair of 1,000 yard seasons. There are quite a bit of talented prospect set to replace him but expect West Virginia to use more of a committee look this coming fall.
This is where it must be nice to have your entire offensive line returning. Leddie is a huge loss, but running backs are, for the most part, the easiest position to find and replace.
Key Stat Going Into 2022:
Third downs. West Virginia must get better in that department as well as when it comes to landing explosive plays. Both were issues that derailed the offense throughout 2022.
Explosiveness measures the average expected points added on successful plays (Red = Bad, Green = Good, White = Average)
Defense:
Returners Most Excited About:
West Virginia got some significant news when Dante Stills announced he would be returning for a fifth year up front and he will be joined by another experienced option in Taijh Alston. The Mountaineers also welcome back Charles Woods who was the best cover cornerback in the Big 12 according to PFF last season.
The Mountaineer defense is weird to me, they seemed good whenever I watched them last season, but their counting stats, analytics, and PFF grades didn't really show that. More importantly, they seemed to never be able to get that one stop to change the game. They have the pieces, for our sake, I hope they don't put it together.
Newcomers Most Excited About:
There are a lot of reasons to be excited here as West Virginia has been considerably active in both the transfer portal and when it comes to filling needs. The talk of the spring was junior college linebacker Lee Kpogba. His performance helped pave the way for him to effectively push out the former starter as he is bigger and more athletic at the position. The Mountaineers added Colorado State cornerback Rashad Ajayi to address some of the biggest holes when it comes to experience on the roster and another transfer option in Marcis Floyd will fill a role at safety. There is a lot of optimism that despite some departures, this unit has a chance to be as good if not better than a year ago.
If I was writing this from the WVU perspective, I would hope these newcomers can create some havoc on the defensive side of the ball. Offenses were too comfortable when facing the Mountaineer defense.
Key Departure(s):
West Virginia has had some departures in the transfer portal this year but none was anywhere close as significant as what the program lost when junior Akheem Mesidor elected to leave. He eventually transferred to Miami but talent wise was one of the best players on the entire defense and was a key piece up front.
Key Stat Going Into 2022:
Passing. West Virginia has filled a lot of holes across the roster, but the question mark is with the young players and newcomers in the secondary. If things gel there it could end up being a very good unit yet again in Morgantown.
I expect this unit to be better in 2022. A little better turnover luck, combined with sustained effectiveness form last season, and this will be a top 5 defense in the conference.
Special Teams:
Key Stat Going into 2022:
Kickoffs, West Virginia has been downright embarrassing in the department of booting the ball into the end zone. West Virginia did it only 17-percent of the time last year and it caused plenty of issues with coverage and trying to compensate for those struggles. The Mountaineers went out and signed a transfer in Florida State kickoff specialist Parker Grothaus to fill that need and how he does will be one of the key items that will be worth paying attention to.
West Virginia ranked 127th out of 130 teams in Football Outsiders Special teams Fremeau Efficiency Index ratings ((STR) combine kickoff return, kickoff, punt return, punt, and field goal efficiency into one overall rating, represented as the team's standard deviation above or below average.)
Recruiting Insights:
High School: West Virginia signed a class that was inside the top 25 at the early signing period and added a nice mix of talented players both regionally and from states such as Florida. The focus was getting both bigger and more length and the Mountaineers accomplished that while adding a highly recruited quarterback in Nicco Marchiol. This was the strongest effort to date for Brown.
Transfers: What West Virginia couldn't address in high school recruiting the Mountaineers did in the transfer portal. They are still adding a few pieces heading into the summer but overall the program filled the major holes on the roster that were quite obvious. West Virginia has added 10 total transfers at this stage and are involved with several more. Almost all of them are going to play in some capacity this fall and there is room for some to be significant contributors.
Impact of Coaching Carousel:
On Scheme: West Virginia dealt with a mess of an offensive system a year ago as the Mountaineers really lacked both identity and direction on that side of the ball. Brown essentially served as the offensive coordinator himself without the title but this past off-season realized it was an issue and to his credit handed things over to Graham Harrell. The offensive coordinator has had success at every one of his stops and this spring there was certainly a lot of excitement and energy around that side of the ball. Making leaps there to match the success that has occurred on defense over the past few years is key.
Graham Harrell's USC offenses ranked 44th (2021), 41st (2020), and 14th (2019) in Football Outsiders' Offense Fremeau Efficiency Index ratings. (OFEI) represent the per-possession scoring advantage each offense would be expected to have on a neutral field against an average opponent. I've always been a fan of what Harrell does offensively, maybe that's nostalgic, but I don't think the problems at USC can be blamed on him. He seems set up will to succeed here.
On Recruiting: Not a lot of changes on this front.
General Vibes Heading Into 2022:
There is optimism heading into the season if things fall into place. West Virginia again has a difficult schedule which will feature 11 power five opponents and two road games against traditional rivals in Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech. But if the offensive line can truly make a leap and Daniels is what he is billed as then the offense already should be better in theory. The defense has some key parts to replace, but has exciting options lined up as well as a lot of young talent that is longer and more athletic than many of their predecessors. This West Virginia team has a chance to surprise this year, but it has to find a way to score points and win close ball games first.
I hate to keep reaching back to Tech comparisons with this preview, but, once again, I feel like they are appropriate with this closing section. Both Tech and West Virginia, while optimistic, are fully aware of the realities of their respective schedules this season. So even if there is development, will it result in tangible success? Where our programs differ is placement in the life cycle of a head coach; even if Neal Brown shows growth, will the Mountaineer faithful continue to be patient if it doesn't result in tangible success?
Offense:
Returners Most Excited About:
West Virginia returns all five offensive linemen for the first time since head coach Neal Brown inherited the program in the 2019 season. The Mountaineers have had issues up front over the past several years but the hope is that the position is ready to take the next step with a lot of talent in some key areas. Outside of that, West Virginia returns a trio of wide receivers that are very exciting in Bryce Ford-Wheaton, Sam James and Kaden Prather. The first two are proven commodities that have put together their best off-season, while the third is primed to make a significant jump in his second year.
Targets | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Reception | Touchdowns | |
| Bryce Ford-Wheaton | 61 | 40 | 560 | 14 | 3 |
| Sam James | 54 | 39 | 465 | 11.9 | 5 |
| Kaden Prather | 21 | 12 | 175 | 14.6 | 0 |
Newcomers Most Excited About:
West Virginia has added quite a bit this off-season but no position is more exciting than at quarterback where the Mountaineers signed former Georgia and USC signal caller JT Daniels. The former five-star will likely get the keys to the West Virginia offense and has previous experience in offensive coordinator Graham Harrell's scheme during their time at USC.
To me, this is a very "Tyler Shough" situation for West Virginia. Daniels is a ridiculously talented individual with all the measurables and "skills," and yet his college career, due to injury and depth chart circumstances, has become incredibly complicated. Sure, he might return to the form everyone marveled at his freshman season, but it's just as likely that he's just the guy that's been passed up on the depth chart by two different schools. Overall, I think this is an upgrade for WVU over what they've had, and I'll be interested to see what Harrell can do with him.
Key Departure(s):
The biggest loss for West Virginia was at running back where Leddie Brown exits after a pair of 1,000 yard seasons. There are quite a bit of talented prospect set to replace him but expect West Virginia to use more of a committee look this coming fall.
This is where it must be nice to have your entire offensive line returning. Leddie is a huge loss, but running backs are, for the most part, the easiest position to find and replace.
Key Stat Going Into 2022:
Third downs. West Virginia must get better in that department as well as when it comes to landing explosive plays. Both were issues that derailed the offense throughout 2022.
Explosiveness measures the average expected points added on successful plays (Red = Bad, Green = Good, White = Average)
Defense:
Returners Most Excited About:
West Virginia got some significant news when Dante Stills announced he would be returning for a fifth year up front and he will be joined by another experienced option in Taijh Alston. The Mountaineers also welcome back Charles Woods who was the best cover cornerback in the Big 12 according to PFF last season.
The Mountaineer defense is weird to me, they seemed good whenever I watched them last season, but their counting stats, analytics, and PFF grades didn't really show that. More importantly, they seemed to never be able to get that one stop to change the game. They have the pieces, for our sake, I hope they don't put it together.
Newcomers Most Excited About:
There are a lot of reasons to be excited here as West Virginia has been considerably active in both the transfer portal and when it comes to filling needs. The talk of the spring was junior college linebacker Lee Kpogba. His performance helped pave the way for him to effectively push out the former starter as he is bigger and more athletic at the position. The Mountaineers added Colorado State cornerback Rashad Ajayi to address some of the biggest holes when it comes to experience on the roster and another transfer option in Marcis Floyd will fill a role at safety. There is a lot of optimism that despite some departures, this unit has a chance to be as good if not better than a year ago.
| First down rate (DFD) is the percentage of opponent offensive drives that earn at least one first down. | .738 (94th) |
| Busted drive rate (DBD) is the percentage of opponent offensive drives that gain zero or negative yards. | .071 (111th) |
| Turnover rate (DTO) is the percentage of opponent offensive drives that end with an interception or fumble. | .087 (97th) |
If I was writing this from the WVU perspective, I would hope these newcomers can create some havoc on the defensive side of the ball. Offenses were too comfortable when facing the Mountaineer defense.
Key Departure(s):
West Virginia has had some departures in the transfer portal this year but none was anywhere close as significant as what the program lost when junior Akheem Mesidor elected to leave. He eventually transferred to Miami but talent wise was one of the best players on the entire defense and was a key piece up front.
Key Stat Going Into 2022:
Passing. West Virginia has filled a lot of holes across the roster, but the question mark is with the young players and newcomers in the secondary. If things gel there it could end up being a very good unit yet again in Morgantown.
I expect this unit to be better in 2022. A little better turnover luck, combined with sustained effectiveness form last season, and this will be a top 5 defense in the conference.
Special Teams:
Key Stat Going into 2022:
Kickoffs, West Virginia has been downright embarrassing in the department of booting the ball into the end zone. West Virginia did it only 17-percent of the time last year and it caused plenty of issues with coverage and trying to compensate for those struggles. The Mountaineers went out and signed a transfer in Florida State kickoff specialist Parker Grothaus to fill that need and how he does will be one of the key items that will be worth paying attention to.
West Virginia ranked 127th out of 130 teams in Football Outsiders Special teams Fremeau Efficiency Index ratings ((STR) combine kickoff return, kickoff, punt return, punt, and field goal efficiency into one overall rating, represented as the team's standard deviation above or below average.)
Recruiting Insights:
High School: West Virginia signed a class that was inside the top 25 at the early signing period and added a nice mix of talented players both regionally and from states such as Florida. The focus was getting both bigger and more length and the Mountaineers accomplished that while adding a highly recruited quarterback in Nicco Marchiol. This was the strongest effort to date for Brown.
Transfers: What West Virginia couldn't address in high school recruiting the Mountaineers did in the transfer portal. They are still adding a few pieces heading into the summer but overall the program filled the major holes on the roster that were quite obvious. West Virginia has added 10 total transfers at this stage and are involved with several more. Almost all of them are going to play in some capacity this fall and there is room for some to be significant contributors.
Impact of Coaching Carousel:
On Scheme: West Virginia dealt with a mess of an offensive system a year ago as the Mountaineers really lacked both identity and direction on that side of the ball. Brown essentially served as the offensive coordinator himself without the title but this past off-season realized it was an issue and to his credit handed things over to Graham Harrell. The offensive coordinator has had success at every one of his stops and this spring there was certainly a lot of excitement and energy around that side of the ball. Making leaps there to match the success that has occurred on defense over the past few years is key.
Graham Harrell's USC offenses ranked 44th (2021), 41st (2020), and 14th (2019) in Football Outsiders' Offense Fremeau Efficiency Index ratings. (OFEI) represent the per-possession scoring advantage each offense would be expected to have on a neutral field against an average opponent. I've always been a fan of what Harrell does offensively, maybe that's nostalgic, but I don't think the problems at USC can be blamed on him. He seems set up will to succeed here.
On Recruiting: Not a lot of changes on this front.
General Vibes Heading Into 2022:
There is optimism heading into the season if things fall into place. West Virginia again has a difficult schedule which will feature 11 power five opponents and two road games against traditional rivals in Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech. But if the offensive line can truly make a leap and Daniels is what he is billed as then the offense already should be better in theory. The defense has some key parts to replace, but has exciting options lined up as well as a lot of young talent that is longer and more athletic than many of their predecessors. This West Virginia team has a chance to surprise this year, but it has to find a way to score points and win close ball games first.
I hate to keep reaching back to Tech comparisons with this preview, but, once again, I feel like they are appropriate with this closing section. Both Tech and West Virginia, while optimistic, are fully aware of the realities of their respective schedules this season. So even if there is development, will it result in tangible success? Where our programs differ is placement in the life cycle of a head coach; even if Neal Brown shows growth, will the Mountaineer faithful continue to be patient if it doesn't result in tangible success?
