Quick Hits: True Freshmen, Redshirts, Injury Update + More

WVU head coach Neal Brown recaps Saturday's game and discusses where the Mountaineers are at heading into the bye week.

Schuyler Callihan | Sep 23, 2024

Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

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West Virginia Mountaineers

Monday afternoon, West Virginia head coach Neal Brown met with the media to recap the team's win over Kansas and a status report of sorts after the first four games of the season. Here's what the head man had to say.

Injury update

“Hopeful that we’ll have everybody back. On a couple of the upper body injuries, you just got to wait and see how the first few days go. Other than some of the head stuff, I feel confident everybody else will be back.”

Pass coverage vs. Kansas with new personnel

“Well, we did better. I don’t think we’ve arrived by any means. I think Jacolby (Spells), first significant playing time of the year made two critical errors but the ball didn’t find him a whole lot and I thought he did some good things fundamentally. (TJ) Crandall up until he got hurt…he’s got to recognize some personnel things. You got to play it a little bit different when you got tight ends compared to receivers just from their speed. But I thought he played some quality snaps. We wanted to play Ayden Garnes mostly at corner, he ended up having to play the nickel. He did some good things, but he also showed that he hadn’t played in there a whole lot. But from a schematic standpoint, I think we did a better job in the secondary.”

If Rodney Gallagher III will play on defense moving forward

“I think we’ll get back this week and start working him back on defense. He’s going to play offense too. I mean, he’s done a nice job with the ball in his hands. He had two nice runs, had a great punt return. But we’ll get him back into the defensive rotation this week and with the expectation we’ll get some of our receivers back too.”

True freshmen who could still play this season

“We’ve got to see if some guys are ready. I think this is a big week to test some guys out. Secondary-wise Key’on Washington and Israel Boyce, those are two that we need to get a long look at this week. I see them getting better and I think they can help us, so those are two from a defensive back standpoint that jump out. And then this week between Trae’von Dunbar and Diore Hubbard, we need to get those guys work because I could see us needing them as we get going. They’re both talented enough. They just got to do other things than carrying the ball. (Defensive lineman) Elijah Kinsler is a guy that we’re going to need as the days go on, so we need him to continue to improve. DayDay (Farmer) we haven’t been able to get going. He needs to practice at a little bit higher level, but he’s talented. He’s a guy that can help us.”

QB Khalil Wilkins' development

“I think that Khalil is super talented. He has some wow plays that go both ways. Wow, that’s really good or wow, that’s really bad. There’s going to have to be some patience there as far as getting him fundamentally where he needs to be and to where he understands what defenses are going to do, but he can really run and he’s going to be a problem. He’s really talented, we just got to get him honed in.

Guys that will redshirt who are impressing

“At receiver, Brandon Rehmann, he’s going to be a really good player. Dom Collins is fast just like you thought, just has to learn how to play the position. (Gregory) Genross is a guy that doesn’t have a redshirt but it’s been a big jump in level of play for him. He’s really talented and would be Kole’s backup from a pass-receiving threat. And I could see him the more he gets comfortable being able to help us later in the year. The o-linemen need some time, but I feel good about them from an athletic standpoint. I think those guys are going to be able to play here. Linebackers, Curtis Jones is playing a lot for us on special teams. Rickey (Williams) missed a lot in preseason, but Rickey is going to be a high-level player here. He gets downhill, he’s big, he’s strong. I like what he’s doing. And then the other DBs, like Keyshawn Robinson is going to help us on special teams. Zae Jennings is going to be a good player, he’s just got to learn how to play on defense. (Makai) Byerson is going to be a really good player. He’s battling through an injury right now. He’s going to redshirt, but he’s a hit in recruiting for sure.”