WVU RB depth has Seider sleeping well at night

Throughout this fall camp running backs coach JaJuan Seider has slept well at night.

“That’s how well I think of these kids,” he said.

It’s hard to blame him as West Virginia is currently four-deep at the running back spot with each of them showcasing the ability to step on the field contribute by the time the Missouri game rolls around. It’s also the first group on campus that Seider played a role in recruiting each of them to campus.

“You don’t fall off depending on who’s in the game right now,” Seider said.

It’s an entirely different situation than a season ago when Seider knew he had two running backs and then a laundry list of question marks behind that pair. But it wasn’t expected. At first Seider didn’t know what he would have after junior Wendell Smallwood elected to forego his final season of eligibility.

Yes, there is redshirt senior Rushel Shell returning and true freshman Kennedy McKoy was one of the true standouts from the spring but questions remained about not only those two but the additions of junior college all-American Justin Crawford and true freshman Martell Pettaway.

For Shell this is the final go-around for the Hopewell, Pennsylvania product and to date he has put together his best camp since transferring from Pittsburgh. Shell took notice of what happened when he fell down the depth chart behind Smallwood last season and has used that as motivation.

But even then he still finished last year with almost 800 yards and eight touchdowns and has brought a physical element to the position that has been lacking.

“The kid is looking to have a great year,” Seider said. “Two years ago against Alabama he came in and ran physical and I thought that this is the guy we need to see every week. He’s doing that.”

McKoy, a mid-year enrollee, spent the spring on campus and showcased an ability similar to that of the departing Smallwood as both a rusher and a pass-catching option in the backfield. But perhaps even more importantly has been how far ahead of the curve he has been with the mental aspects of playing the position and understanding what he needs to do.

The challenge for Seider this fall is to get McKoy to play out of his comfort zone and do things on a consistent basis because for all intents and purposes his time is now.

“If we didn’t have what we have I’d have no problem starting him. I think he’s that far ahead in his career right now,” Seider said.

The third member of the quartet is Crawford, who accounted for over 2,000 all-purpose yards as the NJCAA offensive player of the year last fall. The Georgia native has been everything he was billed to date and has showcased his physical talent with his explosion as well as leadership qualities.

While new to the team Crawford hasn’t been afraid to offer constructive criticism and challenge his teammates to put better effort onto the field. As hard on himself as Seider is on him, there isn’t a lot of motivation required with Crawford because of his competitive nature.

“You don’t go in the Mississippi junior colleges and be a two-time all-American without being a really good player with the quality defensive lineman and linebackers that come out of those leagues,” Seider said.

Seider was able to watch Pettaway in person last season as a high-school prospect and while he knew what he brought to the table has been surprised at how he has adjusted since arriving in late summer. Doing and saying all of the right things, Pettaway also brings a physical element to the position and runs behind his bands while driving through contact although he did suffer a non-serious knee injury.

“I didn’t know he was this good,” Seider said.

And because the position at West Virginia isn’t as simple as just taking the ball and running with it, Seider also has been pleased with the progression each of the backs are making when it comes to route running and being effective in the passing game. That is particularly important when the offense is using tempo and there isn’t time to change personnel on the field.

But the two most important factors are taking care of the ball and the quarterback and while Shell has exceled in pass protection in the past that is the one area where Seider has been surprised by the newcomers during the daily blitz period with the linebackers.

“I don’t want to jinx myself but as far as fundamentals and willing attitude to go stick their face mask in there and block it’s been the best I’ve been around,” he said.

Still even with all the positives Seider understands that this is fall camp and game scenarios can change things quickly. But in the meantime he plans to continue sleeping easy at night.