West Virginia got a favorable update late Thursday night ahead of Saturday’s matchup with Cincinnati, and the biggest name attached to it is cornerback Nick Taylor.
Taylor, who missed last week’s game against Arizona, moved from doubtful to questionable on the Mountaineers’ latest availability report. That gives him a real shot to suit up, and it matters because West Virginia could use his presence in more ways than one.
The Mountaineers also cleared out all five players who had been listed as probable. RB Lawrence Autry, WR John Neider, EDGE Harper Holloman, LB Ashton Woods, and S Matt Sieg were all removed from the report, which means they’re good to go.
There was more movement elsewhere on the list as well. RB Andre Devine, RB Chris Talley, WR Armoni Weaver-Bomar, N/S Emory Snyder, DL Darius Wiley, S Da’Mare Williams, TE DaMari Witherspoon, OT Aiden Pastoriza, and S D’Angelo Hutchinson were all included on the update.
Taylor’s value goes beyond just coverage, especially with Cincinnati expected to lean hard on the run. He’s the kind of defender West Virginia can trust to do the dirty work on the edge, take on blocks, and free up teammates to make plays. He has no issue crashing into a blocker on the perimeter so another defensive back can get to the ball without having to fight through traffic first.
If Taylor isn’t able to play, West Virginia may have to keep experimenting at corner opposite Chams Diange. Jason Chambers has gotten plenty of work there over the last two weeks, though the results have been uneven.
Keyshawn Robinson has also been mixed in, but he’s still searching for a bigger breakthrough. The Mountaineers have also shuffled pieces around in the back end, and there’s a chance a converted safety could end up starting there if Taylor can’t go.
West Virginia and Cincinnati will release their next availability report tonight at 10 p.m. ET.
The teams are scheduled to kick off in Morgantown at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday.
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