West Virginia needs to solve a problem.
A punting problem to be exact. The program is searching for a replacement for Billy Kinney after booting the ball 41 times for an average of 41-yards per kick last season.
The three-year starter leaves a hole on the roster that simply wasn’t addressed in the spring. In fact, the topic itself was one of the primary focuses of the coaching staff during the set of practices.
“Who’s going to handle the punting duties? We have some people that we feel are more than capable,” head coach Neal Brown said at the time.
It might seem like a run-of-the-mill position to replace, but the Mountaineers will need to find a player that is capable of effectively flipping the field to help the defense.
How much uncertainty? I presented the question to Brown on how punting had been going and his response was swift and to the point.
"Yeah, next question," he said. "I don't know yet."
An answer that doesn't say a lot in words but does at the same time. West Virginia listed Evan Staley as the punter on the initial depth chart but he has not been working there by his own admission. It also would be tough to use Staley in all three phases of special teams with booting field goals, kickoffs and punts with the stress it puts on a leg over the course of a season.
The two players that have been getting the most work in early fall camp have been a pair of newcomers in two-way player Kolton McGhee, a scholarship addition, and walk-on Leighton Bechdel.
McGhee was a three-way player in high school and was efficient in each area of kicking punting the ball 34 times for an average of 46.2 yards per boot. For his high school career, that number was 44.3 on 98 attempts showcasing his ability to handle it.
In viewing opportunities, both have kicked the ball well showcasing that while they're young they could be ready to emerge at that spot.
Still, a curve ball was thrown into the mix Friday.
The Mountaineers received a significant boost in that department with LSU transfer Josh Growden expected to join the team today to start the acclimation period of fall camp. That is significant news due to his experience.
He served as the pooch punter for LSU a season ago but has averaged over 40-yards per kick in 2016 with the Tigers when he was named an all-SEC freshman performer.
He would have one season of eligibility remaining this fall and should be in to compete for the post immediately given his three years of experience.
The punting job often isn’t the most glamorous but this fall a lot of eyeballs will be watching what unfolds there and which of these three possible options puts themselves in the best position to succeed.
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