Fall camp is about to open in Morgantown in a little over two weeks, and the first real test for West Virginia won’t come on a Saturday. It’ll come on the practice field, where the Mountaineers have a handful of starting jobs up for grabs.
Some of these spots are true battles. Others are more about sorting out how the reps will be divided. Either way, the picture is starting to come into focus.
At running back, there’s a case to be made that this isn’t really a battle at all, at least not in the traditional sense. All three players are expected to have a role, but one of them could still separate enough in camp to claim the bulk of the in-game carries.
Ward is the veteran in the system, Sapp has flashed, and Ball has been one of WVU’s more underrated pickups. No matter how the “starter” label shakes out, all three are going to be involved.
The offensive line has a more straightforward look, and the Wyoming transfer is now the favorite to win the center job. Jacksonville State transfer Cam Griffin is still very much in the mix, though, and all three options are good enough to start.
That’s a major shift from last season, when the Mountaineers had only one playable center. One offseason changed that picture fast.
Linebacker is another area where the depth chart may not give anyone a clean victory. Both players in this battle are expected to rotate, but McIntyre gets the slight early edge because he already has a year in the system. Health has slowed him early in his career, but when he’s been available, he’s looked like a quality defender.
There’s also a chance the staff mixes and matches even more than expected to get the right combination on the field. Cutter could see more time at WILL, while some of the players there may also work at MIKE.
The room is going to be cross-trained, and that flexibility could end up mattering a lot. Between these two, the gap is closer than most people think.
Stolsky is bigger and better against the run, but No. 15 is the one leaning slightly ahead.
If there’s a surprise on the Week 1 depth chart, this feels like the place to watch. Torbor is big, physical, and quick, and there was always a sense he had the look of a multi-year starter when he signed.
The timing may be earlier than expected, but the redshirt freshman has put together a strong offseason and given himself a real shot to win the job. Even so, Illinois transfer Malachi Hood is going to play a lot.
The biggest uncertainty on the roster, though, is the spot opposite Chams Diagne. Nick Taylor has moved down from safety and seems to be the favorite right now, but there’s not a ton of confidence that he’ll hold it without a fight. A rotation feels likely before the staff settles on one answer, and Taylor could still be the one who ends up there.
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Which New Mountaineer Will Set The Tone For This Defense
The conversation around West Virginias defense this preseason has centered on which newcomer can become the tone-setter, and the early projections point to a familiar kind of answer: a player whose impact shows up all over the field. Rashad Latimer is expected to be a major piece of that discussion after transferring in from Jacksonville State, where his production and role suggested he could quickly become one of the Mountaineers most active defenders.
Latimer is also projected to be the teams top playmaker in the takeaway department, which gives him a chance to shape games in more ways than one. If he settles in the way West Virginia hopes, the secondary could have the kind of steady, disruptive presence that helps define the whole unit, even as the bigger question of who finishes as the defenses true statistical leader remains part of the preseason debate. [Read more 🡒]