Stellar, Standard & Subpar: Dylan Tonkery in 2020

Taking a look at what type of season Dylan Tonkery could have this fall

As we inch closer and closer to the start of the 2020 season, we take an in-depth look at each player on the Mountaineer roster. In these breakdowns, we discuss what a stellar, standard, and subpar season would look like for them. We are going in numerical order, so today we turn to linebacker Dylan Tonkery.

The Mountaineers have been banged up at the linebacker position over the last few years and that includes Bridgeport, WV native Dylan Tonkery. In 2018, Tonkery missed six of the last seven games due to an undisclosed injury, but bounced back nicely in 2019.

During his first three seasons in the old gold and blue, Tonkery has been used all across the second level. He has started games at SAM, WILL, MIKE, SPUR, and BANDIT. His versatility has been valuable to the Mountaineers as it lessens the importance of another's injury. 

In Vic Koenning's defense it seems as if he best fits in at SPUR or MIKE, but with more bodies being added to the roster, that could all change. Regardless, heading into the 2020 season the redshirt senior will be viewed as one of the defensive leaders for West Virginia.

Stellar

A stellar season for Tonkery would be finally becoming a difference maker on defense. He has always played with a level of consistency, but has never reached stardom. Tonkery doesn't need to become a star, he just needs to make a bigger impact, which he is capable of doing.

Standard

A normal year for Tonkery would be playing at a similar level to what we have seen over the course of the last three seasons. Not outstanding play, but not poor either. He'll play with consistency and will be someone that Vic Koenning doesn't have to worry about being in the wrong place.

Subpar

For Tonkery, a subpar season would likely see him fall off the rails and have several missed tackles and a potential loss in playing time. This seems very unlikely, but that would be the case for a below average sesaon.

Previous Players

No. 1 - T.J. Simmons

No. 2 - Jarret Doege

No. 3 - Trent Jackson

No. 4 - Leddie Brown

No. 5 - Dreshun Miller

What kind of season are you expecting for Dylan Tonkery in 2020? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

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