West Virginia is both stronger, and deeper at wide receiver
Wide receivers coach Bilal Marshall likes where his room is currently at heading into the 2024 season.
The second-year position coach believes that his room has some added depth over a year ago and those within it are playing with high effort which is what he wants to see.
“Doing some elite things. It’s going to be exciting this year,” he said. “I can’t wait to line up to be honest.”
The Mountaineers have a quartet of returning players who played major roles toward the end of last season and are now a year older and stronger. That group consists of Traylon Ray, Hudson Clement, Preston Fox, and Rodney Gallagher. Each of them has had productive summers both on and off the field.
“Those guys just weren’t strong enough. They had the movement skills, but they weren’t strong enough to combat but now they’ve got it,” Marshall said. “Now I’m excited to see them come press us.”
Ray has added size and strength which has translated to playing at a higher level, while Fox is a reliable pass-catching option that has been fondly nicknamed as the “Honda Accord,” of the group given his dependability. Clement has learned how to better play the position and win against man coverage, while Gallagher has put in the work to improve as a route runner and better round his game at wide receiver.
Clement has put together the strongest summer of the group from a work ethic and weight room standpoint, which is saying something considering the strides the others have made.
“He’s understanding how to run routes, how to get open against different leverages. Biggest thing for him was body control. Last year I called him crazy legs because he was so out of whack but he’s tight within his routes and understands how to create separation now,” Marshall said.
The Mountaineers also added a pair of transfers into the mix in Oklahoma State wide receiver Jaden Bray in time for spring ball and Mississippi State wide receiver Justin Robinson in the summer. Both are big, bodied options that are threats not only in the red zone but other areas of the field.
Bray is a player who goes hard every single snap and can cover up things due to his effort and energy. Robinson is the biggest in the room at 6-foot-4, 218-pounds, but the biggest area he needs to continue to fine-tune is with his strain because he checks every other box in terms of ball skills, speed and strength.
Jarel Williams is another player who is working to find a place in the rotation after spending a few years with the program and has the ability to play all three positions well and has embraced his role.
West Virginia also welcomed a pair of freshmen in DayDay Farmer and Brandon Rehmann who have both shown flashes of potential with what they’ve been able to do on the field. Rehmann comes from a high-level high school program and understood how to practice and compete from day one. However, he needs to continue to master the learning curve that comes with playing in a new offense.
“But he’s going to be a really good player in the future. I can see it in him right now, he has the skill set to do it,” Marshall said. “I like where he’s at right now. It will be interesting to see how this thing unfolds throughout the year, but he is competing every single day.”
Farmer is a dynamic athlete that as Marshall describes it can stop on a dime and leave two nickels. He has the ability to make the first person miss and is talented with the ball in his hands but needs to become a cleaner route runner and learn how to play within himself. He has the speed to do damage down the field as well but like most freshmen needs to continue to build his strength.
“I’m never going to take away his creativity because a lot of people 99-percent of the people that walk through his building don’t have the creativity he has but just have to know when to use it and when not to,” he said.
With all of the competition available, Marshall is treating every practice as if it’s a game and grades all aspects of production from catches, first downs, explosive plays, missed tackles, great blocks and everything else up and down the board. And by the time the first game rolls around, the ones that are sitting at the top with the most production points are the ones that will be the ones that play.
It’s no secret either as Marshall provides them a cumulative sheet of where they stand each week.
“That's what you want. High tide rises all boats and if you can raise the floor of the room everybody is going to get better,” Marshall said. “Everybody knows if you want to play, you’ve got to play better.”
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