Now eligible, what does Bryce Brand bring to WVU’s defense?

Brand, a redshirt junior, transferred to WVU earlier this summer after three years at the University of Maryland. Saturday’s game against Texas Tech is the first that Brand will be eligible to suit up for the Mountaineers.

There’s no question that West Virginia’s defense has been firing on all cylinders through the season’s first four games, and Brand adds another piece to the puzzle in the linebacker room. Specifically, Brand will likely line up at the Bandit linebacker position, which has been manned by teammates Jared Bartlett, Dylan Tonkery and VanDarius Cowan at various points this season.

Brand’s playing style is most comparable to Bartlett according to co-defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley, who also says that Brand is a strong fit for what the Mountaineers are looking for at the position.

“They’re very similar as far as having a knack for playing on the ball and off the ball,” Lesley said. “We’ve just got to continually try to get him in the game shape that these other guys have — four games up on him — to be able to play for the number of plays we’d like to but, schematically, he kind of has a knack for what we like to do with that guy. He’s definitely going to be depended upon at some point.”

At Maryland last season, Brand played primarily a reserve role in the Terrapins’ 12 games, averaging a tackle a game. His best performance came against Rutgers, when he had four total tackles including three for loss.

However, according to Pro Football Focus grades from the 2019 season, Brand received a lackluster tackling grade of 26.6 — the lowest on the team among people to play in three or more games.

Brand’s most successful grade came in the pass rush, as he ranked third on the team by grading out with a 71.2. For comparison to this year’s West Virginia team, Brand’s 71.2 would place him third on the team behind only VanDarius Cowan, who has only played in two games due to injury issues, and true freshman Akheem Mesidor.

Heading into this week’s matchup, West Virginia’s defense is ranked first in the country. It is clear that the Mountaineers are hoping that Brand’s skillset, as well as the added depth he brings, will keep the unit among the best in the nation.

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