Kevin Brown is already the kind of freshman who changes the conversation up front for West Virginia.
The true freshman offensive lineman is expected to make a real impact on the Mountaineers, even if offensive line coach Rick Trickett has made it clear he doesn’t want the “great” label attached to him yet. Trickett said Brown can be a “good” football player right now, with the chance to become one of the best players in the Big 12 down the road.
That kind of upside is exactly why Brown has drawn attention before ever taking a snap that counts. A high-end four-star lineman choosing West Virginia doesn’t happen every day, and expectations come with that. During a preseason kickoff special on The Walk Thru Game Day Show, former Mountaineer running back Eugene Napoleon offered a big comparison for Brown.
“Do you know who Kevin Brown reminds me of? Mark Stepnoski.
Mark Stepnoski and myself were in the same freshman class at Pitt back in 1985. Mark Stepnoski started as a true freshman.
That’s how dominant he was. Technique, strength…nasty.
He was everything that you thought he would be. Four-year starter, wound up going to the Cowboys, won some rings with the Cowboys, All-Pro.
One of the best pure offensive linemen that I ever played with and seen in my entire life. This is the ceiling for Mr.
Brown. He has that type of ceiling.
He is really good, and again, he’s only going to get better because he’s a freshman.”
There are obvious differences in the comparison. Stepnoski was an interior lineman and much lighter than Brown, who is working at left tackle. But the point of the comp is about the player’s makeup and the kind of career path Brown could eventually follow.
Stepnoski went on to become a five-time Pro Bowl selection and played on the Cowboys’ Super Bowl teams in 1993 and 1994.
For West Virginia, the immediate issue is less about the long view and more about managing the risk of starting a true freshman on the offensive line. Brown is projected to be the starter at left tackle next Saturday against Coastal Carolina, and that comes with the usual nerves for a coaching staff. Still, the first two games should give him a manageable runway, with a Group of Six opponent and then an FCS foe before the Mountaineers face Virginia.
Those early snaps - roughly 100 or so - should matter. They’ll help Brown settle in, get comfortable, and start to feel at home in the offense.
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For Rodriguez, though, the bigger question is whether this rebuilt offense can take the pressure off a schedule that will demand immediate answers in Big 12 play. West Virginia needs more than a fresh face under center and a few portal additions if it wants to improve on last season and get back to bowl eligibility, and the first few weeks should tell a lot about how quickly the pieces are coming together. [Read more 🡒]