Reviewing some key questions from West Virginia's fall camp
Fall camp is in the books so what did we think about some of the things we were able to observe during that time? Here are several questions and my thoughts on what unfolded in the West Virginia fall camp and what's next.
The biggest positive development?
The trust that the coaching staff has with the depth on this roster. I’ve joked about this a lot, but depth has almost become a dirty word around these parts, but this seems to be the first year in quite a while that there is trust to throw some of those pieces into the game almost across the board. On paper, that seemed like it was going to be the case but that has only continued on the field in practice. Granted, this won’t truly show itself until the bullets start flying and the coaches have to rely on some of this depth in a game setting, but it is something that has been the biggest positive development for me at this point.
Surprise player?
This might not be the answer that many expected to hear but to me, it’s wide receiver Preston Fox. The redshirt junior spent the off-season getting stronger and has arguably been the most consistent player on the entire offense throughout the course of fall camp. Offensive coordinator Chad Scott basically outlined it when he said that if you’re in trouble, find P-Fox. He proved to be reliable in that role last season, but some of that you wondered if it was tied to the shape of the wide receiver room as a whole for portions of the season. But Fox has continued to make plays and while he might not lead this team in catches, he is a key part of the offense.
Biggest concern?
To me, it’s the safety position. West Virginia feels good about some pieces there such as Anthony Wilson and Aubrey Burks between the three spots, but others need to step up and be more consistent. That includes transfers such as Kekoura Tarnue and Jaheem Joseph, as well as players that were already on the roster like Josiah Jackson at those positions. The Mountaineers want to use Burks between various positions but are only going to be able to do that if others prove capable of handling their roles. The good news is tying into my first point in this, there is depth there, but this is the one question mark as to how effective it will be.
How does this team rank in comparison to other recent teams in terms overall outlook at this point in camp?
This one is truly hard to answer just given the fact that we’ve been limited to only a handful of team reps throughout the course of fall camp and some of those weren’t even in full pads. What I can say is this team physically looks both bigger and stronger than any I’ve covered in recent years and that is especially noticeable when you look at the lines of scrimmage, the secondary and the wide receivers. I also think there is a confidence about this team, and they believe they are going to be better than those on the outside do. West Virginia has a lot of veterans on this team, and they’ve said and done all the right things. How that translates against a difficult schedule is really hard to say but I like the approach from this group overall.
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