West Virginia football DL Stills gaining attention on and off the field

Tabbed as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in the pre-season, Stills has been adjusting to the accolades and expectations that come with that. On the field, the attention that he has been getting from the opposition hasn’t been as welcoming.

“During the whole season I’m going to have a lot more attention than I did last year. I’m going to get double and triple teams,” he said. “I always expect myself to make a lot of plays and it won’t change.”

Stills has only recorded 3 tackles, including one for loss, in the first two games but some of that is a product of the attention that he is receiving on snap-by-snap basis. It didn’t necessarily come as a surprise to Stills considering he finished last season with 7 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss from his nose guard spot, but it has taken some getting used to.

During his first two seasons, Stills received little attention on the field but by the end of his junior year he was getting a preview at what could come this fall.

“They’re really keying off me and my brother, scheming off of us,” Stills said. “So definitely get a lot of double and triple teams.”

It’s something that defensive line coach Jordan Lesley has noticed as well and that is up to those around him to take the pressure off. Teams are aware where No. 56 lines up on every snap and despite the lack of production in the box score, Stills has played well especially in those instances he gets one-on-one opportunities against the opposition.

“Darius had a good game Saturday,” Lesley said.

Stills is routinely getting chipped or blocked after engaging the first offensive lineman and it’s forced him to focus on his technique. That means keeping a low pad level and keeping his feet moving.

“If you stop moving your feet, you’re going to get knocked over and if you have too high of a pad level you’re going to get knocked over,” he said.

Stills now plays the team that served as his coming out party a year ago in the Baylor Bears. In that game, Stills collected 10 tackles and 3 sacks while completely controlling the game from his interior defensive line spot. Granted this is a different Baylor team, but the senior is excited for the opportunity to compete against anybody that lines up in front of him.

At the heart of Stills development is his confidence. Even as an overlooked recruit, Stills always had confidence in himself and that hasn’t waned.

“I’m never satisfied with my own play,” he said.

Combine that confidence with the preparation that he has done and it’s a combination that has drawn a lot of attention in a variety of ways.

“If you watch film all week and prepare like you’re supposed to you should be confident going into the game,” he said. “So honestly confidence is a big factor.”

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