Quick Hits: Developmental Player Progress, Injury Update and More

West Virginia University head coach Neal Brown provides an update ahead of the Duke's Mayo Bowl

Opening Statement

I want to congratulate, because I don’t think I’ve had an opportunity. First, start with Beanie. Thirteenth consensus All-American [at WVU]. Huge, huge honor for him and he earned it. Zach Fraizer also several All-American teams and the Campbell trophy. Went out to Vegas with him the week before last and that's a huge honor and then Jahiem White, he's made a bunch of Freshmen all American team. Proud of those guys.

Developmental Players

We've been scrimmaging our young guys. Did it twice last weekend, we've done it three times we'll do a fourth time this weekend.

Defensively, these are the guys I think are making progress are Cory McIntyre, Hammond Russell, Josiah Jackson, Asani Redwood. This weekend they’ve really stuck out. I think they’ve had really nice weekends.

Offensively, DJ Oliver and Nicco. Nicco’ had a really good month in December. Tyler Evans, who's walk on it's, it's really coming on and then two young tackles, Nick Krahe and Johnny Williams. And so, we’ll scrimmage those guys tomorrow again and then on Friday, and that'll be kind of the last developmental scrimmage that we'll do during this bowl prep. But it's been really good.

I think y'all know this, but the redshirt rule, the bowl game doesn’t count for redshirts anymore. And so even these guys that have played four games like a DJ Oliver he'll be up and direct be able to compete, which really helps. It's that's one of the rules that has been passed it actually makes sense.

Our plan is in the bowl game, some of these guys have really come on. Because, think about this, these guys we made decisions on in fall camp that they were going to be redshirted, they've gone through a 14-week offseason program with our strength conditioning, and then they scrimmage once a week during every regular season week, and we did it two times. We'll have seven total during December. And so, these guys are quite a bit better than they were in fall camp. So there's going to be some guys especially on special teams. We didn't play very well on special teams toward the end of the year. So, we're going to give those guys some opportunities.

Injury updates

Zach will miss the game. I think we've already said that. CJ Donaldson will miss the game. And that's really my decision. He had surgery and I thought it affected him right at the end the game. Especially in the Baylor game. And for him. You know, as a head coach, you got to make decisions for the betterment of the entire program but also for the right reasons for each individual. And I felt like that an offseason was more important than him than not being able to play full speed in the bowl game. And so he's, he's rehabbing, but he will not be available. And then I think Preston Fox is too early, and so we'll have a better idea when we get down to Charlotte. He's practiced a little bit but what we'll know closer to the game and so on sure on that one yet. 

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