It's a 'Critical' Spring for WVU's WR Room; Who Steps Up?

WVU has a lot of questions that need answered at receiver.

179 receptions 2,126 yards, and 17 touchdowns. That's the production that West Virginia has to replace at the wide receiver position in 2023. 

The Mountaineers lost each of their top four receivers from last season as Bryce Ford-Wheaton and Sam James are off to the NFL and Kaden Prather (Maryland) and Reese Smith (Liberty) transferred out of the program. Those four plus tight end Brian Polendey made up for 73% of the team's catches, 79% of the receiving yards, and 85% of receiving touchdowns.

Anytime you have that much production walking out the door, there is a great deal of concern. WVU head coach Neal Brown talked about how important this spring will be and who he is counting on to step up.

"We lost, just talking about Bryce [Ford-Wheaton] and Sam [James], a lot of production," said Brown. "We brought Devin [Carter] in because we thought he could be a frontline guy and be a one and through three practices, it's only been the truth so far. He's delivered. He's made some big-time plays.

"There's pressure on Cortez [Braham] and Jeremiah [Aaron]. I think both of those guys this spring got to make a move. We talk about pressure being a privilege because we need 'em. There's been some flashes. They've got to be more consistent. This spring is critical for that room."

Braham and Aaron finished fifth and sixth in receiving on the team a year ago, combining for 26 receptions, 271 yards, and one touchdown. 

Braham has really strong hands and can win a lot of contested battles over the middle of the field. However, his best strength is getting vertical and stretching the field. In his final year at Hutchinson C.C., he averaged over 22 yards per reception. He'll be a good deep ball threat for whoever wins the starting QB job. 

As for Aaron, he does more of his work after the catch. He's quick, elusive, and creates separation early in his routes. He will do a lot of damage over the middle of the field and in the quick passing game, meaning he could turn into a heavily targeted option on third down.

More help is on the way, though. Coveted recruit Rodney Gallagher III will arrive in the summer and will compete for playing time right away. 

"Ultimately, everybody's role is going to be determined by what they do in the fall. The best guys will play ultimately. But he's a guy that's going to be twitchy," receivers coach Bilal Marshall said about Gallagher. "He's got ball skills and he's going to know how to get open. At the end of the day, how fast can he pick up the playbook? That's what's going to determine can he play or not and it's my job to make sure that he can."

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