Views from the Sidelines: WVU Football Camp Week 1

Christopher Hall jots down some thoughts and observations from the first week of WVU football fall camp

Morgantown, WV - The West Virginia University football team kicked off the first week of fall camp on Monday.

The quarterback competition remains open, which is no surprise with Georgia transfer JT Daniels getting his first practice reps with the team last Monday. Daniels did, however, workout with the team during OTAs (Organized Team Activities) this summer. It should be obvious, but the starting job is Daniels' to lose. 

I said on Tuesday I like the progression of Garrett Greene. He's not where he needs to be, but he's made strides this offseason. Will Crowder continues to show he might be the future signal caller while Nicco Marchiol seems more comfortable with his new surroundings and its beginning to show on the field. 

West Virginia quarterbacks Will Crowder (7) and JT Daniels (18) / Julia Mellett - Sports Illustrated: FanNation - Mountaineers Now

OTAs were a big hit this week. Programs around the country were allotted 16 days of OTAs this summer in response to the NCAA Transfer Portal, and according to the WVU coaching staff that met with the media this week, the newcomers were able to hit the ground running, and newly hired offensive coordinator Graham Harrell was able to ease the AIR RAID system into fall camp. 

The early stages of fall camp are riddled with fundamentals and drills with very little contact and will not be in full pads until Sunday, which head coach Neal Brown stated will be big evaluation periods on Sunday and Monday and plan to do a lot of hitting to begin separation at the start of week two. 

What stood out to me this week though was the size of the secondary - tall and long. It's been an area of concern all offseason with new pieces scattered throughout. However, they've recruited to their preferences and this unit may surprise some fans this season, Neal Brown conveyed those sentiments on Saturday. Now, this does not mean they will be the best secondary in the Big 12 but the lack of confidence outside of the program sets the bar pretty low. This is a talented group and I suspect they will be better than perceived. 

I would be remiss not to mention middle linebacker Lee Kpogba. The young man's name will be heard every Saturday. He's big and plays big on the field and has become an immediate leader on and off the field. 

WILL linebacker Lance Dixon has taken advantage of Mike Joseph's strength and conditioning program (it could be said across the WVU roster) and is poised to also have a big season. 

West Virginia defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley giving instruction to his defense.  / Julia Mellett - Sports Illustrated: FanNation - Mountaineers Now

It was also good to hear the Mountaineers could be potentially three-deep across the defensive line - this will cause havoc for two reasons. This defense is known for dropping 3-4 defensive lineman, and with more bodies they will have the opportunity to do this more often while remaining fresh. 

I do think this defense is shaping up and I suspect they'll improve as the season goes along. I also believe they'll have a good start to the season. The brief history under Neal Brown tells us the defensive will compete at a high-level. They do not concern me as much as the offense. 

Ok, so back to the offense. Despite bringing in JT Daniels and OC Graham Harrell to reinstall the AIR RAID, the successful system used under former head coach Dana Holgorsen, I have to see something that gets me excited before I commit to believing it will be a formidable offense in the Big 12. I will say Bryce Ford-Wheaton had consecutive catches down the sideline in the spring game does give some hope, but the offense has been so bad the last few years, there's no trust without getting to see more of the offense later in the coming weeks. 

Julia Mellett - Sports Illustrated: FanNation - Mountaineers Now

Then, there's the offensive line. Yes, they return all five starters and depth behind them, but this is a group that struggled last year. The staff, and the o-line, have high expectations for the room but we will not know how good they are until September 1. I will say they look bigger and move better but I cannot emphasize it enough, we will not know until the opener versus Pitt. If the o-line made big strides from last season, then the offense has a chance. 

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