JUCO TE Genross fills a need for West Virginia

West Virginia was looking for a big-bodied pass catcher that can be used down the field and the Mountaineers found that in Dodge City C.C. (Kan.) tight end Gregory Genross.

Genross, 6-foot-7, 230-pounds, has the look of a big wide receiver with long arms and a huge stride. His ability to go up and in a crowd and catch the ball with a massive wingspan makes him an intriguing fit in a West Virginia offense that utilizes the tight end position in a multitude of ways.

The athletic tight end displays the ability to stretch the field down the seams and also can serve as an effective option after the catch turning short gains into a chunk of yards. He also has two years at the junior college level where he has developed.

The Rivals.com three-star prospect was rated as the nation’s top junior college tight end prospect and his offer list reflected that with Arkansas, Mississippi State, Colorado, Houston, South Florida and many others.

West Virginia jumped into the mix with a scholarship offer in October, but he initially committed to Arkansas in November before backing off that pledge prior to the early signing period.

Genross would remain uncommitted from that point despite taking an official visit to Mississippi State before tight ends coach Blaine Stewart was able to get him on campus in Morgantown during the first weekend in May. That was enough to secure his commitment to the Big 12 Conference program.

“The visit went great,” he said.

Genross is coming off a season where he earned a first-team all-Jayhawk Conference selection after posting 16 catches for 173 yards and a pair of touchdowns in an offense that struggled with consistency throwing the ball with four different quarterbacks seeing time on the field.

The New York native has an impressive frame and will need to continue to add strength to be effective in the run game, but he is a willing blocker at the tight end position. Still, the Mountaineers have found a versatile weapon that can be used in the passing game to complement what is already on the roster with Kole Taylor.

Genross also has two years of eligibility remaining which means that he can benefit for the program beyond just this upcoming season as Taylor will exhaust his eligibility at the end of this year.

West Virginia has wanted to find versatile pieces to fill out the roster and Genross definitely fits that bill.