West Virginia getting more out of tight end spot
West Virginia has invested in the tight end position.
Both in recruiting and the transfer portal and the position has made a considerable impact on the field. The Mountaineers have used both LSU transfer Kole Taylor and redshirt sophomore Treylan Davis on the field at the same time and had success running the football by doing it.
Against Pittsburgh, the Mountaineers used both tight ends in motion situations which was able to open up some holes in the run game and give the offense some favorable situations.
Over the course of the season, Taylor has played 211 snaps with 114 of those in run blocking situations, while Davis has netted 122 snaps and is primarily used as a run blocker with 92 snaps in those situations.
“I thought our tight ends Kole and Treylan both played well in the run and pass game,” head coach Neal Brown said following the 20-13 win over Texas Tech.
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Those two along with the offensive line were some of the only bright spots for West Virginia on that side of the ball as the unit struggled considerably at wide receiver and running back.
The Mountaineers are also using the position well in the passing game, as Taylor has already hauled in 11 passes for 146 yards and a pair of touchdowns this season. The coaching staff tried to make sure they secured a pass catching tight end in the transfer portal and Taylor has filled that role admirably.
Over the past two games, Taylor has hauled in 6 catches for 60 yards and a pair of touchdowns as by far the most consistent receiving option on the roster.
To date, Taylor has almost surpassed the entire production of the tight end position last season as it resulted in just 15 catches for 153 yards with zero touchdowns.
While Davis is capable of catching the ball, he has been limited to just two grabs for two yards. His work has been more noticeable in the run game. Both are critical parts of the offense, and their roles should only continue to increase as the offense looks to find its stride.
“I thought Treylan had some really impactful point of attack blocks and Kole did a nice job he’s learning to play better pad level. That position they’re out there every snap, sometimes play both of them at the same time, they’re getting a lot of playing time and helping us on offense for sure,” Brown said.
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