Rivals.com has teamed with Pro Football Focus and as part of that, we can provide incredibly detailed statistics on the West Virginia football team.
Today, we take a look at how the true freshmen graded out against Albany. We will be tracking this all season and updating after each game.
In this article, we use the PFF grades to show you how the true freshmen performed to date as well as statistics.
But first, an explanation from PFF on how the grading scale works:
PFF grades each player on every play from -2 to +2 based on their performance, with 0 representing an 'expected' play. Catastrophic mistakes, like a game-ending interception, are graded at the low end, while exceptional plays, like a perfect deep throw, are at the high end.
Each game is graded by two analysts, with a Senior Analyst resolving any discrepancies. Grades are verified by the Pro Coach Network, a group of experienced NFL coaches.
Afterward, the grades are adjusted based on game context (e.g., player position, quarterback's dropback depth) and converted to a 0-100 scale. Season grades are not just averages; they account for consistency—performing well over multiple games is rated higher than a single standout performance.
Grades may fluctuate throughout the week as the review process continues, with final grades locking once all reviews are complete.
Game 1: Penn State: Total Snaps 4 | Grade of 51.8
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 5 | Grade of 57.9
Farmer hauled in one pass for 10 yards against Albany and narrowly missed a touchdown opportunity when he took his eyes off the ball before he caught it. The dynamic true freshman should continue to see his role grow and is going to be in the plans for the Mountaineers this season at the wide receiver position.
Game 1: Penn State: Total Snaps 5 | Grade of 59.5
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 8 | Grade of 78.7
Sammarco made a move during fall camp after arriving in the spring and was able to make his way onto the field for five plays in the season opener and then in the Albany game. After being used as a blocker in the first game, Sammarco caught a pass for four yards in the second and has the size to continue to see snaps.
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 14 | Grade of 65.8
Jennings saw action in the season opener on special teams but saw that role increase significantly as he was on the field for 14 plays at the spear position. One of only a handful of freshmen with a proven role at this point, Jennings should continue to see time on the field between defense and especially special teams.
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 25 | Grade of 58.2
Gabriel played a healthy complement of snaps in the second game of the season and recorded a total of two tackles to go along with it. He played the most of any freshman in this game and should be in the mix for rotational snaps moving forward as well.
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 18 | Grade of 56.3
Kinsler also played a good total of snaps in this one and finished with a tackle while grading out solid for his first action at the college level. West Virginia wants to try to squeeze some quality depth out of their young defensive linemen and Kinsler should continue to factor into that picture as well.
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 3 | Grade of 60.0
Dunbar came in for three plays in this game and essentially served as the third running back for the Mountaineers. It remains to be seen if he'll see any more action this season on offense but the flow of the game prevented this opportunity from being bigger.
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 3 | Grade of 62.2
Byerson saw action in this game toward the end and was at least able to get on the field and experience some defensive snaps at this early stage of his career. The defensive end could be tasked for a bigger role if injuries occur, but he seems to be down the totem pole compared to some of the other freshmen linemen for now.
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