Young West Virginia OL will be counted on this spring
One look at the offensive line spot for West Virginia and it’s abundantly clear that the Mountaineers are going to need some of the young players on the roster to rise up.
After major struggles almost across the board in year one, finding some consistency at the position is going to be the biggest focus on offensively and essentially the football program as a whole. Simply put, if West Virginia is going to get better in 2020, that starts with the offensive line.
Gone are both senior offensive tackles from last year’s team, players that saw the most snaps of any on the entire Mountaineers offense in Colton McKivitz and Kelby Wickline.
While most of the interior returns, that collection of players is going to have to show they’re ready for the next step in their development and if they can handle the challenges of playing those spots.
The Mountaineers will enter the spring with both redshirt freshmen Brandon Yates and Parker Moorer playing the left and right tackle spots respectively. Yates will work with redshirt sophomore Junior Uzebu on the left while Moorer is in tandem with junior John Hughes on the right.
“We’re going to maintain that throughout the spring,” head coach Neal Brown said.
Perhaps no players will have the microscope on them more than the two redshirt freshmen just because the Mountaineers need to either start or play a good bit on the ends of the line. The two didn’t see the field last season as they continued to develop and are now in a better position to make an impact.
“How they progress will be a huge factor for us offensively. Heard me talk about them last year and I think how we handled them last year was the right way but they’re much stronger than they were when they got here,” Brown said.
The other two tackles in Hughes and Uzebu have limited on-the-field experience at West Virginia but both have put together strong off-seasons and seem primed to make that step. It’s hard to judge how they’re performing without pads, but the tackle spots are more natural for each and the Mountaineers need to see them be consistent to help stabilize those spots.
“We need them to come on. They have the capability they just need to do it,” he said.
Redshirt sophomore James Gmiter saw a lot of action last season but continues to develop after making the switch from the defensive line and also put together a strong off-season. Redshirt sophomore Briason Mays has undergone a transformation himself and changed his body to get stronger.
Both are going to be in the mix to handle those interior spots, along with redshirt senior Chase Behrndt who will be limited to non-contact after undergoing surgery on his shoulder in the off-season.
Of course, the program can always make additions after spring ball but for now the focus is on seeing what they have throughout the position group.
Regardless who gets the call, the focus for the group will be to get away from some of the gadget stuff that the coaches had to do in the run game late last season and focus on simplifying things. That means learning three run schemes and attempting to master those instead of bouncing around.
The plan is in place now it’s about getting the most out of those on the roster.
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