West Virginia has an idea for what they want at the WILL linebacker spot this season and one candidate for the job has been making his case known in recent weeks.
The Mountaineers are set at the MIKE spot with Lee Kpogba returning as not only the most experienced option at the position but the vocal leader on the defense. Kpogba started all 12-games last season after arriving from the junior college level and led the team with 92 tackles along with 3.5 sacks.
The senior has placed a focus on his flexibility in order to take even a bigger step this coming season but the question of who will line up beside him has been one of the biggest question marks this fall. The position is open due to graduation which has made it a true position battle this fall.
That’s where redshirt freshman Tray Lathan could come into play.
Lathan has added 11-pounds to his frame since last season while adding speed to his game. He only appeared in four contests last year, playing a total of just 35 snaps, but the experience was invaluable.
“Played some meaningful snaps in those games. He’s a product of our development program. You can see the progress coming,” inside linebackers coach Jeff Koonz said.
One of the more intriguing options in the 2022 class, Lathan was a standout at Gulliver Prep in Miami on both sides of the ball. He took an official visit to Morgantown in June prior to his senior year and by August he had committed to the football program over offers from Florida, Nebraska, Michigan, Michigan State, Florida State, Miami (Fla.), Oregon, Tennessee, Georgia, Pittsburgh and more.
As a senior he finished with 53 tackles, 3 sacks and a pair of interceptions and the plan was to get him some experience on the field last year but preserve his redshirt. A two-way athlete in high school, Latham possesses the traits that the program is looking for but had to refine his skill set on defense.
That’s where the developmental program was essential in bringing him along.
“He’s doing more and more and more every day,” Koonz said.
In practice, Lathan has been getting more comfortable with pulling the pin and causing disruption in the backfield while he has the athleticism to handle what is being asked there. In the first scrimmage Lathan took what head coach Neal Brown described as a “big step.” He followed that up with a strong practice this past week where he had a pick six in a team drill and a nice run stop in a fourth down period.
“He’s athletic. That’s what we’re looking for,” Brown said. “…From a size, speed, length – he’s got those things he just needs repetitions,” Brown said.
Whether that will come in time for the season opener at Penn State remains to be seen but the coaches certainly have confidence that he can handle what is being asked of him physically.
Now, it’s about putting it all together on the field to give Lathan an opportunity to truly win the job against competition such as Jairo Faverus and a number of others.
“Pleased with his progress. He can do it, we’ve just got to get him ready to go fast,” Brown said.
----------
• Talk about it with West Virginia fans on The Blue Lot.
• SUBSCRIBE today to stay up on the latest on Mountaineer sports and recruiting.
• Get all of our WVU videos on YouTube by subscribing to the WVSports.com Channel
• Follow us on Twitter: @WVSportsDotCom, @rivalskeenan
•Like us on Facebook
