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Kennedy McKoy is now in his third year with the football program but it’s been marked by changes.

Three different position coaches in three seasons, with the latest being assistant Marquel Blackwell. And as part of that different positions to grasp depending on the year ranging from slot wide receiver to even wildcat quarterback.

There's even been adjustments to the offense itself with new play caller offensive coordinator Jake Spavital taking control of the unit last year.

Even this past-offseason there were some changes when McKoy traded in his jersey number for a new one as he now will don the No. 6 this fall.

“I just liked the way it looked on our jerseys,” he said.

But through all the shifting of the past, this season is shaping up to be the closest to a normal one throughout the entirety of his career.

That’s because for the first time, McKoy isn’t being asked to learn a different position. He isn’t being asked to fill in somewhere else, no it’s been full running back all the time.

“My job is just to play running back. I think it will be good for me. This is my natural position and it’s what I love to play so I’m excited to be a fulltime running back,” he said.

Now he isn’t ruling out the possibility of stepping in as the wildcat quarterback if called upon again, but for the most part McKoy is focused on one thing heading into the year.

The leading returning rusher for the Mountaineers after falling just short of 600 yards with seven touchdowns, McKoy will attempt to help fill the void left behind when back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher Justin Crawford graduated. It could easily end up being a four-person committee, and McKoy is O.K. with that, but he believes that he has an opportunity for a big 2018.

“I’m looking for myself to have a good year,” he said. “There’s a lot of competition in our room and right now there is no starting spot. We’re just trying to push each other and make people better.”

Last season the West Virginia offense struggled at times with running the football particularly in an efficient manner and one of the focuses in the off-season has been putting more trust in that department. McKoy, who’s added about five pounds to his frame, believes there are areas that he can improve in order to help accomplish just that.

“I need to go out there and do it all. Catch the ball, protect the quarterback and just running hard to get those three yards when you need them,” he said.

From a mental standpoint, McKoy believes that he is prepared to take that next step in his game in large part because of his total understanding of not only what he needs to do but what the defense is doing on each snap. That often comes with experience and he’s been able to see first-hand what it takes.

Some of that is in the film room, where he has placed an emphasis on making defenders miss at the second level whether by looking at when he’s making moves or the hand the ball is in so he can stiff arm or create separation. That is an important aspect when it comes to ripping off bigger runs.

“You can always watch it,” he said.

There’s been a lot of change for McKoy during his time at West Virginia but even with three other talented running backs battling for playing time this could be his biggest opportunity to date.

He understands that and his teammates do as well.

“Kennedy is a great football player, he has a knack for it,” quarterback Will Grier said.

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