4/22/2023 football Edit

WR Poke looks to propel return game for West Virginia

Poke is competing at several different positions for the West Virginia Mountaineers football team.

Keenan Cummings • WVSports

Managing Editor

West Virginia was intentional when it came to finding a player that not only could fill a need at a position on the field but brought the element of the return game on special teams.

That search eventually led them to Kent State inside wide receiver Ja’Shaun Poke.

And the film told the story.

“He’s exactly what you want. He has legit raw speed. He’s returned in ruckus environments. I’m excited to see how he sees it,” special teams coordinator Jeff Koonz said.

The Mountaineers have struggled in the department of kick returns in the past several seasons and while it hasn’t necessarily been an issue of speed instead the ability to see and hit the hole.

“There is a knack to it and he’s shown on tape he has that knack,” Koonz said.

But it hasn’t just been tape. Because Poke has returned from injury to showcase his abilities not only as a returner but as a pass catcher for the Mountaineers. The senior transfer missed the first half of last season due to an injury, but made an impact for the Golden Flashes over the second half in several ways.

The coaching staff was able to find ways to get him the football on top of his return abilities. He was able to return 15 kickoffs for 411 yards, averaging 27.4 yards per return, with a long of 46 yards.

And now back to full health in the spring he has shown those same traits. The Mountaineers knew that he had straight line speed, but Poke demonstrated the ability to get vertical quickly in the return game and also flashed the ability to make things happen after the catch and even break some tackles at slot.

“He looked fast. You saw some of that during the special teams drill when we were outside,” head coach Neal Brown said. “I thought he did some really natural things in the return game.”

West Virginia wants to jump start their overall speed and athleticism at several spots and Poke is a player that could serve as a spark at both by the time the fall rolls around.

“He’s here for a short time so we’ve got to get something out of him,” Brown said.

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