West Virginia’s linebacker rotation has settled into a familiar group through seven games, with Ben Cutter, Ashton Woods, Isaiah Patterson, and Cam Torbor seeing the bulk of the action. But Rich Rodriguez hinted Monday night that the depth chart at the position could shift, and one name to watch is Villanova transfer Jason Hall Jr.
Rodriguez said Hall is trending toward a bigger role after earning snaps on special teams and then getting time late in the game on defense.
"Right now, I couldn't point out anybody right now that's playing great football on defense. But there's some potential.
Jason Hall got on some special teams (snaps) and played towards the end of the game (on defense), and he's a guy that's probably going to get more reps this week. Ashton Woods has been in there, but he's been a little banged up, and that's hurt him a little bit.
Ben Cutter has been in there. Cam Torbor is a young guy; I think he's got a great future.
But probably the guy that hasn't played as much that's probably going to get more of an opportunity this week is Jason Hall, simply from what he did on special teams and at the end of the game. He's a physical guy.
I'm sure he's been wanting an opportunity, and I always tell the guys on special teams, if you want to prove that you've got a shot, then do something on the special teams to show us, and Jason is the prime example of that."
That lines up with the way Hall has already flashed in limited chances this season. The physicality Rodriguez mentioned has shown up on special teams, where Hall has made his presence felt.
The more surprising storyline is the lack of a role for Illinois transfer Malachi Hood. He has played just one snap all season, despite logging nearly 400 snaps for Illinois a year ago and performing well there.
When asked whether Hood would get a look, Rodriguez kept it brief: "He's on the scout team, and he's working."
For now, Hall appears to be the transfer most likely to climb into the mix as West Virginia looks for more answers at linebacker. Hood, meanwhile, remains well off the field even as the season moves past the midway point, a situation that stands out given his experience and production last year.
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The matchup now carries more than the usual Big 12 weight for the Mountaineers, because Rodriguez also took a broader view of what conference championship games mean and how much they matter. For West Virginia, though, the immediate concern is simpler and more urgent: the team has to tighten up on one side of the ball before TCU exposes the same problems again. [Read more 🡒]