Spring is a time to start fresh, and the West Virginia special teams room is eyeing improvement.

The Mountaineers’ return game was fairly lackluster during the 2020 season, finishing seventh in the Big 12 in kickoff returns and punt return average. For special teams coordinator Jeff Koonz, spring ball is the prime opportunity to try something new.

“One thing that we’re doing this year that’s a little different is — when we do for the punt returners, for those guys that are back there right now — we’re rolling three groups, so when they get into their coverage lanes, we’re actually not putting a punt return team that’s going to go full field,” Koonz said. “When that punt team protects, and then they get into their coverage, they’re working their lanes and their rubs so when that punt returner catches it he has multiple guys in his face.

“He’s going to catch it, make his stick and get vertical and he’s having to work through traffic. Now, he knows we’re not going to hit him, but he feels that pressure, he feels that presence of those guys and so he can see those cuts.”

Koonz says that the team is placing an emphasis on taking the right angles and utilizing a count system in order to get on par with other teams across the nation, hoping that the adjustments can improve the Mountaineers’ special teams group in 2021.

“What you’re seeing across college football is more of that staggered double team and then working to your numbers from the backside,” Koonz said. “Other than those back big guys coming together and holding hands like you saw for so long, they can still get a few yards apart and still have the same leverage mentality, the same angles.

“It’s really important for those kick returners to set up returns, whether it’s vertical and then bounce or inside because when we would set up blocks, we’re really trying to draw the kick team at a certain angle. It's the same on offense and defense, we want to set those blocks up and then get into the range of it. That’s kind of the mentality, and that’s universal, that’s pretty much along college football with that rule change.

The Mountaineers will be looking for a new face in the return game this fall, adding to the importance of work this sp. While kickoff returner Winston Wright returns, 2020 punt returner Alec Sinkfield announced his transfer to Boston College back in February.

With Sinkfield’s departure, West Virginia will look to replace 101 total receiving yards. A small figure sure, but Sinkfield’s departure leaves depth concerns on special teams regardless. Only two other Mountaineers currently on the roster have tallied stats in the return game: wide receivers Graeson Malashevich and Bryce Ford-Wheaton, each with only one.

“As we’re building that depth, those guys that can see the hole and then hit it and get vertical are going to be imperative,” Koonz said. “We try to simulate that the best we can, but we’re obviously not going to tee off of those guys either in spring.”

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