West Virginia spring experimentations that will stick into 2021

Spring is about experimenting when it comes to moving pieces around the West Virginia roster to see what works. Some of it will stick, while others will fade into memory.

So which changes that were made during the course of spring ball have a chance to carry over into the fall? Head Coach Neal Brown takes a crack at it.

Akheem Mesidor moving inside

The Mountaineers needed to replace consensus all-American nose tackle Darius Stills after he departed for the NFL, which meant that there was a hole in the defensive line. Mesidor, a sophomore, is simply too talented not to crack his way onto the field after an impressive first year where he racked up 32 tackles and 5 sacks across 243 snaps on the defensive line.

So as part a way to both get him on the field and address concerns with the rotation, the Mountaineers moved him primarily to the interior of the line where he has thrived. It isn’t completely foreign as Mesidor played 55 snaps inside last season, or 23-percent of his snaps. He took an even further step this spring and seems primed to remain there.

“He’s become really comfortable over the last five practices and I think he’s got a really bright future in there,” Brown said. “He can go back out and play on the edge but he’s handling the extra weight.”

DeVell Washington to WILL

One of the most eye-catching position moves this spring came when former wide receiver Washington was slid over to the defensive side of the ball to fill a need at WILL linebacker. He already possesses the size needed to play there at 6-foot-2, 220-pounds and has experience in high school as a safety. The biggest reason this could stick is that the pathway to playing time is much more open than it would have been at wide receiver and the idea to do this was from Washington himself.

Washington was able to record some valuable reps in the spring which will put him in position to be better prepared for the role down the line. Given the fact Washington just made the transition this spring some patience will need to be displayed with his development, but he has the size, athleticism and willingness to possibly develop into a real contributor there down the line.

“It’s going to take some time there,” Brown said.

Offensive Line Versatility

West Virginia wants all of their offensive linemen to play multiple spots up front and it’s something that has been a focus this spring. Several players have been lining up at multiple spots with junior Doug Nester playing guard and tackle, junior James Gmiter playing guard and center and various other linemen filling various roles. The point is that it will develop quality depth across the board and give the Mountaineers players that can move in and out of spots if need be.

By training players as tackles that can move inside, or centers that can move around like you saw with Zach Frazier last year it gives you more reliable depth across the board. The focus is finding a starting five and then three players that can play multiple spots to fill out the line depth.

The Mountaineers started that process this spring and will continue it moving forward as keeping a stocked roster becomes more challenging with the rise of the transfer so prioritizing versatility is more important than it has ever been on the offensive line.

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