Fall camp is here for West Virginia, and with Wednesday marking the start of a month that should reveal plenty about the Mountaineers, the offense is the first place to sort through the roster puzzle.
With camp about to open, here’s one more crack at the offensive depth chart projection before the real competition begins. The defense will follow Tuesday morning, but for now the focus stays on the offense and where things stand entering August.
At quarterback, the list starts with Mike Hawkins, followed by Scotty Fox Jr., Max Brown, Jyron Hughley, Max Anderson, Wyatt Walker Brown, and John Johnson III.
Running back projects with Cam Cook at the top, then Amari Latimer, Martavious Boswell, Chris Talley, Darius Morant, Andre Devine, and Lawrence Autry.
At receiver, the X spot opens with Prince Strachan, TaRon Francis, Malachi Thompson, and Landon Drumm. The slot group features DJ Epps, Armoni Weaver-Bomar, Kedrick Triplett, Cyrus Traugh, and Greg Wilfred. On the Z side, Jaden Bray leads a group that also includes John Neider, Keon Hutchins, Robert Oliver, Charlie Hanafin, and Brad Mossor.
Tight end is listed with Josh Sapp first, then Ryan Ward, Cam Ball, Kade Bush, Sam Hamilton, Carter Zuliani, and Xavier Anderson.
The offensive line projection has Carsten Casady at left tackle, with Deshawn Woods, Jonas Muya, and Aidan Woods behind him. Left guard is Nick Krahe, followed by Cam Griffin, Rhett Morris, and Raymond Kovalesky.
At center, Wes King is first, with Landen Livingston, Trevor Bigelow, and Lamarcus Dillard next. Right guard begins with Amare Grayson, then Devin Vass, Josh Aisosa, and Camden Goforth.
The left guard spot looked like it might belong to Wes King when he first arrived in Morgantown, but that changed once Rick Trickett moved Nick Krahe inside after Krahe spent last season at left tackle. Landen Livingston held up well last season given the situation, and there wasn’t anything in spring that clearly knocked him out of the picture. Still, the job belongs to just one player, and King brings more experience and production, which puts him in position to win it.
Tight end is another spot where the picture could shift, but Josh Sapp gets the nod here. He is the most dangerous pass-catching option among the top three in that room, and even though Ryan Ward may have the most seniority in the offense - or the only seniority, as noted - Sapp has more seasoning and more production.
Ward could easily open the season as TE1, but for now Sapp is the pick. Even so, Sapp, Ward, and Ball are all expected to see major snaps.
The receiver spot with Keon Hutchins isn’t quite as dramatic a call, since he still sits as the No. 3 option at the position listed and is expected to work both inside and outside. Even so, there’s a feeling he may end up spending more time at Z, where he can help stretch the field vertically.
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WVUs Quarterback Future Suddenly Includes A True Freshman To Watch
West Virginias quarterback room already has some moving parts, and the picture only gets more interesting when you add the youngest names in the group. Transfer Mike Hawkins Jr. and sophomore Scotty Fox Jr. sit atop the current discussion, but the staff is also working with three true freshmen in Jyron Hughley, Wyatt Walker Brown and John Johnson III, which gives the position a longer runway than it might have seemed to have a few weeks ago.
Among that trio, Hughley has created the most quiet optimism inside the building because of how he is progressing in the read and RPO game. The staff believes there is a real chance he can spend this season pushing for backup duties, which matters in a room where the depth chart could keep shifting depending on how each quarterback develops and how the transfer market looks down the road. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Fall Camp Centers On One Position Battle Fans Need To Watch
Fall camp opens Wednesday for West Virginia, and with Rich Rodriguez entering his second year back in charge, there is already a familiar summer storyline hanging over the program: how the staff sorts out the tight end room. Ryan Ward, Josh Sapp and Cam Ball are all in the mix for playing time, and the group has enough intrigue to make it one of the early camp battles worth tracking as the Mountaineers begin the next phase of prep.
There is also some roster uncertainty beyond the position chart itself, with the possibility of a few members of the 2022 class returning to the program still in the conversation. Nothing official has been announced, and this remains more about projection than confirmation, but it adds another layer to a camp that already figures to be watched closely as West Virginia tries to settle key roles early. [Read more 🡒]