West Virginia signed 20 new recruits between the December and February signing periods last year.

A total of five of those enrolled at the mid-term and have already started their college careers with the Mountaineers albeit in a different climate due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of wrapping up 15 spring practices, those players were only able to get in two before things were shut down.

Things are certainly different.

Now, those players have been participating in team and positional meetings while voluntarily working out waiting for when college football can return to the individual campuses.

But how about the remaining 15 that have signed but have yet to enroll?

Well, the NCAA has answered some of those remaining questions by allowing a one-time waiver of standardized test scores for those prospects set to enroll for the 2020-21 academic year. Those opportunities to take the test had been canceled so it was the logical decision.

West Virginia head coach Neal Brown informed WVSports.com that almost, if not all, of the players that inked with the Mountaineers had already met their eligibility, but that piece is indeed a relief for college coaches and players alike. It’s just one less thing to worry about in the current climate.

As for what they can do during this time?

Well, NCAA rules prevent those players from participating in those team or positional meetings as well as not allowing the coaches to monitor their workouts either. But what they can do is provide them a workout after they sign a letter of intent.

That is no different than what coaches can provide recruits during a typical year and the strength staff has been charged with that aspect while looking at other things.

“Moving forward with the summer school piece,” head coach Neal Brown told WVSports.com.

Those players are also afforded check-ins with the nutrition staff, while their position coaches and or the ones that recruited them have been in steady contact with each.

Part of that concern has been alleviated with the NCAA now permitting those players to participate in team meetings as long as they show proof of graduation.

"I think the guys mentally may be a little further ahead because we're going to be able to spend more time teaching those guys and they'll be in more meetings than they normally would," Brown said.

But that can't be said for the physical aspect of things as players will be forced to catch up working out on their own.

Still for the time being there is no clear date for when players can arrive on campus so the Mountaineers are proceeding with caution in these uncertain times.

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