Tight ends play key role for West Virginia offense
West Virginia has invested in the tight end position.
Both in recruiting and the transfer portal and the position has made a considerable impact on the field.
The Mountaineers have used both LSU transfer Kole Taylor and redshirt sophomore Treylan Davis on the field at the same time and had success running the football by doing it.
Against Pittsburgh, the Mountaineers used both tight ends in motion situations which was able to open up some holes in the run game and give the offense some favorable situations.
Over the course of the season, Taylor has played 500 snaps with 253 of those in run blocking situations, while Davis has netted 280 snaps and is primarily used as a run blocker with 206 snaps in those situations.
Those two along with the offensive line were some of the only bright spots for West Virginia on that side of the ball as the unit struggled considerably at wide receiver and running back.
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The Mountaineers are also using the position well in the passing game, as Taylor has already hauled in 25 passes for 305 yards and three touchdowns this season. The coaching staff tried to make sure they secured a pass-catching tight end in the transfer portal and Taylor has filled that role admirably as he leads the team in catches.
Over the past six games, Taylor has hauled in 16 catches for 213 yards and three touchdowns as by far the most consistent receiving option on the roster. The 43-yard touchdown grab by Taylor against BYU was the longest at the position since Trevon Wesco hauled in one from the same distance in the 2018 season.
And the coaching staff is keeping true to their word of using him down the field.
"It's a good multitude of everything," Taylor said.
To date, Taylor has far surpassed the entire production of the tight end position last season as it resulted in just 15 catches for 153 yards with zero touchdowns.
While Davis is capable of catching the ball, he has been limited to just two grabs for two yards. His work has been more noticeable in the run game.
Both are critical parts of the offense, and their roles should only continue to increase as the offense looks to find its stride.
And it’s a role he embraces without hesitation.
“I don’t have a preference. I like winning games, whatever that takes,” Davis said.
And now the plan is for them to continue to blossom with this team and move ahead.
“I thought Treylan had some really impactful points of attack blocks and Kole did a nice job. He's learning to play at a better pad level. That position they’re out there every snap, sometimes play both of them at the same time, they’re getting a lot of playing time and helping us on offense for sure,” Brown said.
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