West Virginia still has a few unsettled spots as the season opener draws closer, and fall camp hasn’t fully sorted them out yet. A lot is clearer now for the Mountaineers, but several battles remain live enough that they could carry into the first game.
One of the biggest questions sits in the backfield, where the running back rotation is still very much in flux. The room has also taken a hit in camp: Ward has been out, and Ball is expected to miss a couple of weeks with an undisclosed injury. That has led Rich Rod to call Ball “questionable” for the season opener.
Even with everyone healthy, this looked like the kind of competition that might stretch into the season anyway. It may not end with one player taking the bulk of the work.
Ward, when available, appears to be the most complete back of the group. Sapp brings the best receiving ability, while Ball’s 6'7" frame gives him a real edge as a red zone option.
The picture at WILL linebacker is just as unsettled. Ashton Woods, Isaiah Patterson and others could be part of the mix there, especially since several of the linebackers are being cross-trained to handle both MIKE and WILL. Still, those three are the names most likely to show up at WILL this season.
Cutter would seem to have the inside track because he already knows the system and has been around longer than most of the contenders. Even so, he could still wind up as a heavy-usage rotational piece rather than the clear-cut starter.
West Virginia is especially eager to see Cam Torbor take a step forward. He has the kind of skill set that stands out, along with the size of an NFL backer, but things are still moving a little too fast for him right now.
That’s not surprising for a player who redshirted last year and is now pushing for a starting job. If he strings together strong practices over the next two weeks, he looks like the best bet to win it.
Illinois transfer Malachi Hood belongs in the conversation too. Like Cutter, he has played plenty of football and holds up well against the run, so he should get his share of snaps no matter how the final depth chart shakes out.
The kicking job is another open race, and Rodriguez made that plain when he called it a “wide-open competition” and said that if the season started today, he would have no idea who he’d send out for a 35-yard field goal.
Jack Cassidy, Nate Flower and Peter Notaro are the candidates. Notaro, who transferred in from Alabama, has missed time with an injury but is working back into the mix.
Cassidy arrived from Western Kentucky and has shown the kind of leg that can change a game, making all three of his attempts last season from 40-plus yards, including makes from 53 and 55. Flower, a Fairmont native, has been steady throughout camp after handling kickoff duties for the Mountaineers last season.
Early in the season, it would not be a surprise to see multiple kickers get chances, or for the staff to divide the work with one handling the long-range attempts.
In Other News...
Where Ex-Mountaineers Already Stand In The NFL Race
Seventeen former Mountaineers are already on official NFL preseason rosters, a reminder that West Virginia continues to send a steady stream of talent into pro camps. The group is spread across the league, and the current snapshot offers an early look at where each player stands as teams begin sorting out jobs, roles and depth-chart order before the season gets going.
Some of those ex-Mountaineers are in more comfortable spots than others, with the breakdown showing a mix of players who are pushing for bigger roles and others simply trying to hang on through the preseason grind. For West Virginia fans, the interest is in the same familiar question every August: which names are closest to carving out real NFL roles, and which ones still have the hardest climb ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Prince Strachan Could Change Everything For West Virginias Passing Game
West Virginia got a useful update on Prince Strachan this week, and it comes at a good time as Rich Rodriguez keeps sorting out the passing game. The USC transfer had already dealt with an ankle injury last year that cut into his time with the Trojans, and then a shoulder issue in the spring game slowed him again after he arrived in Morgantown.
Rich Rodriguez said Strachan is now back in the mix as the Mountaineers continue building toward fall, and his background has the staff convinced he can be a real factor on the outside. For a team looking for more downfield production, the timing matters, because Strachan is expected to step into a major role and give West Virginia a different kind of target at receiver. [Read more 🡒]
WVU May Have A Rare Freshman Weapon In The Backfield
Amari Latimer has already turned heads in Morgantown before carrying the ball in a meaningful snap. The West Virginia freshman running back arrived with a frame that stands out even in a room built around physicality, and running backs coach Jay Boulware has been quick to note how much Latimer brings beyond just size. There is a power element to his game, but what has made the early impression stronger is the way that build pairs with real skill, giving the Mountaineers a young back who looks different from the typical first-year player.
For West Virginia, that matters because the backfield picture is already taking shape around Latimers place in it. He is expected to be part of the rotation this season, with a role that could grow as the staff looks for dependable production behind Cam Cook. Freshman backs usually spend their first months learning the speed of the college game, but Latimer sounds like someone the Mountaineers may be able to trust sooner than most, which makes his development one of the more interesting subplots of camp. [Read more 🡒]