Jarret Doege had plenty of time to think after he was benched in last season’s Liberty Bowl.

After two lackluster drives, two turnovers and a losing score, Doege was taken off the field in favor of backup Austin Kendall, who ultimately led West Virginia to a comeback 24-21 win over Army.

The benching was a catalyst for Doege, not only as the motivator to mend his 2020 struggles, but also to become a better quarterback overall.

It seems to have worked. Since fall practice opened in early August, coaches have raved about the leaps Doege has made in his play, making it seem like a sure thing that Doege will make up for his previous shortcomings in Saturday’s season opener against Maryland.

“When he came back (in January), we had a one-on-one meeting [and] he was in a great mindset,” quarterbacks coach Sean Reagan said. “I forget what his exact quote was, but it was along the lines of ‘I’m ready to get better.’ He had a vision, he had a plan, and he executed it and it’s really showed. He’s playing with very high confidence right now, and he’s playing at a high level.”

Changing that took a lot of looking in the mirror and focusing on what needed to alter in his skill set. He was able to break down his game and get back to the basics by learning how to extend plays in the pocket, place the ball with confidence down the field and understanding situational football.

The West Virginia quarterback completed only 18 of 60 pass attempts over 20+ yards last season and finding that more consistent and dynamic element in the passing game was one of the primary items on his check list heading into the off-season. That meant an extensive film study of the issue.

Doege prioritized three different tasks: improving his movement in the pocket, adding strength to his throws and getting lean.

So far, he’s been able to make strides in each of those areas. According to Reagan, he’s been working “all winter, through spring ball and all summer” on subtle movements in the pocket. He’s spent time with head strength and conditioning coach Mike Joseph in the weight room, which has also helped him drop to under 10% body fat.

This fall, Doege’s offseason work is apparent on the field. He’s pleased with what he’s been able to accomplish, hoping that he has addressed flaws in his game.

“I think I had a really good camp, to be honest,” Doege said. “I wanted to accomplish some things that we talked about, pocket movement and deep ball, and I think I showed that, through fall camp, I could move around in the pocket, get some yards when I needed to and that my deep ball was on point as well.”

Reagan agreed, echoing his starting quarterback.

“He’s done everything in his power to become the best quarterback that Jarret Doege can be since he came back to school in January after the bowl game,” Reagan said. “He’s taken the plan, he’s executed it and done it to a very high level, and that’s why he will be ready to play and play well on Saturday.”

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