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 Iowa State. 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
Game 4: Kansas: Total Snaps 1 | Grade of 60.0
Game 5: Oklahoma State: Total Snaps 17 | Grade of 54.3
Game 6: Iowa State: Total Snaps 5 | Grade of 57.3
Farmer played a total of five snaps in this game but did not record any statistics. The freshman wide receiver is a candidate to see more time on the field moving forward.
Game 1: Penn State: Total Snaps 5 | Grade of 59.5
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 8 | Grade of 78.7
Game 3: Pitt: Total Snaps 1 | Grade of 60.0
Game 5: Oklahoma State: Total Snaps 21 | Grade of 90.1
Game 6: Iowa State: Total Snaps 7 | Grade of 54.2
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 that role increased further. After being used as a blocker in the first game, Sammarco caught a pass for four yards in the second but was limited to just one snap against Pittsburgh and no offensive snaps against Kansas. But he did see the field as a run blocker against Oklahoma State and Iowa State although he was used as a blocker.
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. However, he has not seen the field on defense the past three games. He has been a fixture on special teams. 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
Game 3: Pitt: Total Snaps 9 | Grade of 58.9
Game 4: Kansas: Total Snaps 15 | Grade of 55.8
Game 5: Oklahoma State: Total Snaps 9 | Grade of 50.8
Game 6: Iowa State: Total Snaps 9 | Grade of 45.4
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 then saw the field against Pittsburgh for 9 snaps and recorded a tackle and half a tackle for loss. And then again against Kansas with a pair of tackles and followed that up seeing the field against Oklahoma State although he didn't record any statistics. Against Iowa State, Gabriel was limited to just 9 snaps but didn't enter the box score.
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 18 | Grade of 56.3
Game 5: Oklahoma State: Total Snaps 6 | Grade of 44.8
After playing a healthy complement of snaps in the second game, Kinsler did not see the field on defense against Pitt or Kansas but did against Oklahoma State. He was back to not seeing nay snaps against Iowa State. The Mountaineers need more depth up front and it will be interesting to see how he continues to develop up front.
Game 5: Oklahoma State: Total Snaps 1 | Grade of 59.4
Hubbard impressed during the bye week and that led to the first action of his career against Oklahoma State where he carried the ball one time for a single yard. He did not see the field against Iowa State. The Mountaineers could elect to get him into the mix more, but that also will depend on the health of the running back room.
Game 5: Oklahoma State: Total Snaps 21 | Grade of 51.3
Boyce is another that impressed during the bye week and that led to him seeing opportunities on the field. He recorded a tackle in the Oklahoma State game although there were also some times where his youth was obvious. He did not see the field against Iowa State on defense.
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 3 | Grade of 60.0
Dunbar did not see the field on offense against Iowa State as West Virginia elected to use just their two lead running backs in the game.
Game 2: Albany: Total Snaps 3 | Grade of 62.2
Byerson saw action in this game toward the end against Albany and was at least able to get on the field and experience some defensive snaps at this early stage of his career. He did not see the field on defense in either of the past four games.
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