Football Notebook
August 21, 2008 09:55 AM | General
August 21, 2008
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| Bradley Starks |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – In college football there are luxuries and there are necessities. Having a versatile athlete like Bradley Starks being able to go from the quarterback room to the wide receivers room is a luxury.
Having Starks stick to one position is a necessity. Last spring, West Virginia’s new coaches toyed with the idea of moving Starks to wide receiver to help with the Mountaineers’ vertical passing game. The experiment was a success and all signs were pointing toward Starks playing a significant role in the passing game this fall.
Then, No. 3 quarterback Charlie Russell gave up football after spring practice meaning West Virginia had just two experienced quarterbacks in Pat White and Jarrett Brown heading into fall camp. The situation became even more of a concern when Brown was sidelined for a couple of days during camp with a tender hamstring.
A failure to prepare is preparation for failure so the coaches opted to put Starks back with the quarterbacks for the time being.
“I’m pretty comfortable at both places,” Starks said. “Now since I’m back at quarterback I’m reverting back to wide receiver things. It’s pretty interesting the way it’s kind of different from a quarterback’s perspective to a wide receiver’s point of view.”
Starks said he’s preparing as if he will play both positions this fall.
“You never know what happens,” he said. “Just in case those situations do come I have to be thrown in and I have to be prepared just like every other quarterback is.”
Most of Starks’ recent work has come at quarterback, in part to make sure he’s ready, but also to make sure White and Brown don’t have dead arms when the season rolls around.
“I took the No. 2 reps the last couple of days of practice because of JB’s situation,” Starks said. “We’re working him back in it and getting him back on the field.”
In the meantime, wide receivers coach Lonnie Galloway will steal Starks for a few plays every now and again when he gets the chance.
“Coach Galloway will throw me in there and tell me to run the play and he expects me to know it just like all the other wide receivers,” Starks said. “Just because I’m back at quarterback I still have to study my wide receiver blocking and my other techniques at wide receiver.”
Pat White, running back Noel Devine and offensive tackle Ryan Stanchek may be West Virginia’s three most critical players on offense, but Bradley Starks is perhaps the team’s most versatile. The coaches are knocking on wood and holding their breath that White and Brown can make it through the year healthy, and that Starks can play some wide receiver where he is a legitimate weapon.
Briefly:
Jock Sanders and Dorrell Jalloh are listed as the top slots while Alric Arnett and Tito Gonzales are No. 1 at wide receiver. Of course, Pat White is the No. 1 quarterback and Noel Devine is the top tailback, while Will Johnson is first on the depth chart at fullback-tight end.
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| Tyler Urban |
What is interesting is that a couple of true freshmen have worked their way into the rotation. Tyler Urban will play when West Virginia goes to its two-tight formation and freshmen Ryan Clarke and Ricky Kovatch are listed as backups to Johnson at fullback. Also, freshman Josh Jenkins has worked his way into the top eight at offensive line and is behind Jake Figner at right guard. True freshman Mark Rodgers is backing up Noel Devine and redshirt freshman Don Barclay is No. 2 to Stanchek at left tackle.
“It’s definitely the most (freshmen in the two-deep) since I’ve been here,” said White. “I guess they did a great job of recruiting and bringing guys in and getting them ready.”
On defense there are only three freshmen listed on the two-deep although two of them are at free safety, where redshirt freshman Eain Smith is ahead of true freshman Robert Sands. Redshirt freshman Julian Miller is listed behind Zac Cooper and Larry Ford at defensive end with Scooter Berry having the ability to play there as well.
Running with the first group in the secondary are Kent Richardson and Ellis Lankster at corners, with Boogie Allen, Quinton Andrews and Eain Smith at safeties. Allen is still locked in a battle with sophomore Sidney Glover for the starting spot at spur safety.
“When we come in the middle to shake hands I don’t see many seniors over there,” White said. “But they are talented with a great coach.”
“If there is more I haven’t paid any attention to it,” he said. “I’ve visited a few more places because of it. I think there is more attention on us because of what happened in the past and what is happening now more than me.”
The snaps and kick placements will be handled by Adam Hughes and Jeremy Kash. Hughes’ backup at long snapper is sophomore Cody Nutter while Carmen Connolly is Kash’s backup at holder. Pat McAfee will handle all of the kicking with Chris Glenn being his backup for placements and Scott Kozlowski the backup at punter.
