Five WVU football players to be excited about this season
College football is less than three months away and the expectations for this year's West Virginia team are high.
WVSports.com takes a look at five players to be excited about for this upcoming season. This list focuses on players who have yet to play a single down for the team and/or are new to the program.
Sinkfield may not have had his redshirt burned last season, but the Delray Beach, Florida native will likely get his fair share of carries this upcoming season.
When it comes to Sinkfield, coaches and players have done nothing but praise him since he arrived on campus last season and new running backs coach Marquel Blackwell has been impressed by his instincts and abilities to change both speed and direction
The running back position is loaded with depth and even though Sinkfield made a strong case for himself this past spring, he’ll still likely work behind juniors Kennedy McKoy and Martell Pettaway on the depth chart, but don’t be surprised if earns more carries and takes on a larger role in West Virginia’s offense during the season.
“Before you get to the field, you can see what type of kid he is,” Blackwell said. “He’s very coachable, it means something to him, he’s got a great deal of pride about himself but,obviously, he’s a good football player. He’ll be a name that you better look out for.”
Once a high school quarterback, Miami transfer Jovani Haskins has found himself playing tight end and brings a different element to West Virginia’s offense.
West Virginia’s offense has rarely used a tight end as a receiving threat in recent years, but having Haskins eligible to play for this season after he sat last year due to transfer rules will more than likely change that.
Haskins is simply an athletic mismatch for opposing defenses with his combination of size, strength and speed as well as his ability to run routes and catch passes. The one area the New Jersey native will have to improve on is his run blocking, but the Mountaineers have stocked up the tight end position and have the ability to plug in various tight ends best suited for whatever they wish to call offensively.
“We all have room to improve, but I’m really excited about him this year,” quarterback Will Grier said. “I think he’s going to be fine in the long run, he’s a physical guy, he’s really long, he’s strong. We know he’s going to be really good in the passing game; we’re bringing him along in the blocking game.”
Robinson highlights West Virginia’s incoming transfer list after winning a National Championship with Clemson in 2017 and playing over 200 snaps on a fierce defensive last season on a Tiger team that advanced the College Football Playoff for the third straight year.
His presence gives the Mountaineers some much-needed depth on the defensive line after the unit lost Adam Shuler and Lamonte McDougle, who both transferred from the program.
West Virginia’s defensive line suffered some growing pains last season, but with some experience returning and some players on the rise, Robinson’s experience will allow him to be plugged in at different positions on the defensive front depending on depth and where coaches believe he fits best, but he will likely start out at defensive end.
“We are bringing energy now, the d-line is bringing energy to the whole defense now,” defensive end Ezekiel Rose said. “When something is going wrong, the d-line, we come together and talk and it’s like we have to go out on the field and make plays, we have to bring everybody else up.”
Like Haskins, Simmons had to sit last season due to NCAA rules after transferring from Alabama, but the 6-foot-2, 198-pound wideout earned Scout Team Player of the Year honors with the Mountaineers this past season and is yet another weapon Will Grier and company can use in the team’s already loaded passing game with receivers David Sills and Gary Jennings returning as well.
While with the Crimson Tide, Simmons saw very little time in the passing game and was used more on special teams, but that definitely will not be the case this upcoming season.
With the departure of Ka’Raun White, Simmons offers a mature, energetic and versatile option for the team’s receiving corps and can move around different positions as needed.
“He does bring a lot of energy. He’s made some plays, too," head coach Dana Holgorsen said. "He’s a sophomore; the kid has three years of eligibility. He looks like a pro, and he acts like one, too. I hope he plays like that. That would be nice as well."
Coming from Butler Community College in Kansas, Benton looks to be the frontrunner to start at SAM linebacker after an impressive spring and with fellow linebacker Quondarius Qualls out with an ACL injury.
Benton is a unique player given the fact that he used to play safety in high school, but transformed his body by bulking up and elevated his play to that of a true linebacker.
He’s not only athletic and explosive, but has also shown his ability to fight off blockers and lay down some hits in the backfield. His previous experience covering receivers will also be key as he’ll counted on to do the same at SAM.
“We need to find one more guy at Sam and then we need to start building our depth," defensive coordinator Tony Gibson said earlier during the spring. “(Charlie) Benton is getting a lot more reps now with (Quondarius) Qualls out.”
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