Progress is critical in the off-season, and West Virginia's running backs are making strides in the summer heat.
With the season opener against Virginia Tech less than two months away, West Virginia’s offensive backfield is embracing the summer grind and looking poised for another big year after an impressive campaign last season.
“We are working hard for the upcoming season and putting the work in and grinding,” redshirt senior fullback Elijah Wellman said. “It’s not going to be a good time if you are dreading the work. It makes everything better when you are coming in, getting the work done and enjoying it with your teammates”
The summer workouts aren’t Wellman’s first rodeo when it comes to the off-season, but they are for the team’s top three halfbacks, who will all look to build upon the team’s 2,969 rushing yards last season that ranked fifth in the Big 12.
One of those halfbacks is Senior Justin Crawford who will be looked upon to carry the majority of the load in West Virginia’s ground game.
Crawford, a junior college transfer, burst on to the scene last season, taking over the starting role for the injured Rushel Shell in the season opener against Missouri. The Georgia native never looked back, rushing for 1,184 total yards along with four touchdowns, averaging 7.3 yards a carry.
After an impressive spring which included a 51-yard touchdown run in the spring game, Crawford is on pace for another prominent year.
“I feel like I’ve progressed tremendously, not only with my playing ability but being able to recognize the defense,” Crawford said. “I feel myself getting stronger, faster, quicker. I am bettering myself for the upcoming season, that’s all I can do.”
Alongside Crawford are two more talented running backs in sophomores Kennedy McKoy and Martell Pettaway who proved their worth last season when it came to the depth at the running back position.
McKoy and Pettaway each rushed for over 100 yards in at least one game last season which became critical down the stretch when the offensive backfield was marred by injuries. McKoy himself suffered a shoulder injury which held him out of the Gold-Blue game.
Now in their second year, a now healthy McKoy along with Pettaway, who rushed for 38 yards and a touchdown in the spring game, are showing both progress and promise for West Virginia’s running game.
“They are really progressing,” Wellman said. They have been in it for a full year. They are pushing heavier weight and sticking in there on their runs. They are doing well, a lot better than they were last year. That’s a good sign for the running game too.”
The running back position is arguably the most experienced position group returning for the Mountaineers.
This tenacious running game paired with the promise in the passing attack shown by redshirt junior transfer quarterback Will Grier along with talented and improved wide receivers in juniors Gary Jennings, David Sills and Jovon Durante, West Virginia’s offenses will be a force to be reckoned with.
The Mountaineers also have plenty of talented and versatile options when it comes to personnel and depth such as freshman Tevin Bush and Wellman. With that being said, it’s more than likely that some players will be used in different positions and formations in Jake Spavital’s offense which can potentially pave the way for more success on the ground for the Mountaineers.
While progress is being made during summer workouts, more emphasis is being placed on building team chemistry and comradery which is arguably the centerpiece for success not only in the backfield, but on both sides of the ball as well, which can help bring a team to victory.
“That’s something that we strive for,” Wellman said. “That brings a team together to win games when you are counting on that dude next to you and trusting that guy. It’s very important.”
