West Virginia will open the season against Pittsburgh in less than a week and the coaching staff is optimistic that a key piece will be suiting up with them.

Tight end Mike O’Laughlin played in only five games last season, starting three, after being sidelined with a knee injury. That cost him the duration of the season and all of spring ball.

Even this fall, the redshirt junior was spotted wearing a green limited jersey and remained out of team drills throughout the open practice portions if practice.

But there is confidence that O’Laughlin could make his way back in time for the Backyard Brawl.

“He practiced. Didn’t do any 11-on-11 work but we feel confident he will be ready for week one,” head coach Neal Brown said.

O’Laughlin didn’t participate in the scrimmage Thursday but did ramp up his activities in practice Sunday which could be a good sign leading up the 7 p.m. kickoff against the Panthers Sept. 1. Position coach Sean Reagan believes that with the time remaining the challenge will be in his conditioning.

“He’s got plenty of time to get into the groove of it. Got cleared, but the big thing is going to be at the conditioning level how much he can do,” he said. “I anticipate him playing and playing enough.”

Reagan admits that O’Laughlin brings a different element to the mix as he is more of a balanced option at the tight end position meaning he is a threat in both run blocking and pass catching.

“He gives us a little more freedom to spread them out in the box and things like that,” he said.

Behind O’Laughlin the program has a tight end room that those within the program believe is the deepest it has been since Brown arrived in Morgantown. There is Colorado State transfer Brian Polendey, along with redshirt freshman Treylan Davis and the coaches are confident in both of those to go along with what O’Laughlin brings to the table.

The hope is that O’Laughlin continues to progress the way that he has to date and he will be on the field when the program takes on Pittsburgh inside Acrisure Stadium.

“He’s looked good. He moved around pretty good yesterday and he’s done a really good job in the training room,” Reagan said. “And then with coach Mike Joseph about staying in shape and getting in shape so I’m excited with where he’s at.”

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