West Virginia is going to have to play young players this season.

That is just where the program is at in the first year under head coach Neal Brown. But one of those on the defensive line has been catching some attention for his efforts.

True freshman Jordan Jefferson earned the start against North Carolina State and has seen his snaps increase each of the three weeks of the season.

After seeing only six snaps in the opener, the 17-year old freshman jumped to 28 and 29 snaps respectively in the next two weeks.

That role could grow even more moving forward as an option to spell Darius Stills at nose guard.

“Size wise he has the size and the physical strength. He’s a really strong guy, his dad did a great job getting him physically ready and he comes from a great high school program at Navarre High School,” head coach Neal Brown said. “They did a good job getting him prepared.”

That physical element is something that Jefferson won’t struggle with as he came into the program at 6-foot-2, 295-pounds and ready to contribute from that perspective. That alone gave him a head start against many of the other freshmen that are in his position.

Senior defensive end Reese Donahue played as a freshman and didn’t have the luxury of around tipping the scales at close to 300-pounds. But now, his focus has to be applying that strength to football.

“He’s just as big and as strong as anybody on this team,” Donahue said.

But Donahue has seen the improvements that he has already made and is excited to see what he will grow into later this year and especially down the road.

“He’s going to be a good player. You all need to keep an eye on him,” he said.

From a mental perspective Jefferson has made a complete 180 since arriving on campus over the summer as he has adjusted to what is being asked of him as part of a division one program.

“The improvement he’s made is really cool to see and if he continues to improve, he’s going to be a special player,” Donahue said.

The Mountaineers are going to be smart with how Jefferson is deployed by keeping him almost on a pitch count with how his reps are used throughout the year. Still even with playing a third of the snaps at nose guard, he has a chance to develop and make an impact.

“We have to be careful with his reps,” Brown said.

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