The West Virginia wide receiver group was “O.K.” according to head coach Neal Brown following the team’s first padded scrimmage with officials.

And while that might not seem encouraging, even those remarks are O.K. in itself considering how far the unit has come in a short period of time.

“It’s a lot better than we were at any point in the spring,” Brown said.

On a roster that has been hit hard with turnover from a season ago, the wide receiver position has been hit perhaps the hardest with all three of the top pass catchers gone. Between the three the Mountaineers lost a total of 161 catches, 2,512 yards and 30 touchdowns leaving only 44 catches, 586 yards and 3 scores returning from all of the wide receiver position last year.

For that reason alone, the coaching staff was active looking to fill out that spot by adding pieces in the offseason such as Florida State graduate transfer George Campbell and Temple transfer Sean Ryan. The former will be eligible to play this fall, while officials are still awaiting word on what happens with Ryan and his quest to seek immediate eligibility at the position.

Those two provide length on the outside that wasn’t necessarily there in the spring and showcased that in the scrimmage by making plays on the ball down the field.

T.J. Simmons, a redshirt junior, is the only player with significant returning experience which is going to force West Virginia to play several other youngsters ahead of schedule. Before the addition of Campbell in the summer, the wide receiver group didn’t possess a single senior on the roster.

“It’s not your perfect situation but that’s where we’re at,” Brown said.

It’s a unique situation for a first year head coach, but it’s part of the game of football and the coaching staff is tasked with getting the most out of what they have on their roster.

Two of those players that will be counted on to raise their level of play despite that youth are Bryce Wheaton and Sam James. The two redshirt freshmen saw limited action a season ago and maintained their redshirt years but are going to have to play beyond their years, particularly if Ryan isn’t granted the waiver to see the field immediately this fall.

James was one of the positives that Brown highlighted from the scrimmage and believes that his ceiling is high if he continues to work hard and develop his skill set. He is fast on the outside and has great ball skills that he can combine with his explosion.

“He’s a guy that isn’t allowed to have bad days,” Brown said. “He has to compete at a high level everyday if he wants to be the guy he can be.”

James has added strength to his frame taking the same approach mentally which has pushed Wheaton to become one of the most improved players since the end of the spring. Still, the real challenge is whether he and the rest of the young players at that spot can hold up consistently in the fall.

“Just the fact of us coming together as one unit and being able to help each other out is big,” James said.

It’s still just O.K. for now, but it’s getting better. That is what Brown wants to see.

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