Fall Camp Opens Saturday
August 07, 2009 04:27 PM | General
August 7, 2009
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia opens fall training camp on Saturday afternoon with 105 players in Morgantown to begin preparation for the 2009 home opener against Liberty on Saturday, Sept. 5.
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| Reed Williams is expected to lead a talented and experienced defense in 2008.
WVU Sports Communications photo |
Second-year coach Bill Stewart welcomes the return of 35 lettermen skewed heavily toward a defense that will bring back eight starters from the ’08 team that won nine games and defeated North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
“I had to establish some ground work last year and put in what I felt was our plan and our system,” said Stewart. “I know where we’re going - I was very confident in our plan and our coaches did a great job of implementing that plan. Most importantly, our players did a great job, too.”
Senior linebacker Reed Williams (6-1, 232), the defensive MVP of the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, is healthy and primed to lead a stingy defensive unit that finished 11th in the nation in points allowed giving up just 16.2 points per game.
“I expect Reed to be one of the leaders of our defense,” said Stewart.
There are several quality players surrounding Williams that will also looked upon to be leaders. Junior nose tackle Chris Neild (6-2, 298) had a strong sophomore campaign in 2008 and is expected to give the Mountaineers a stout run stopper in the middle. Junior defensive tackle Scooter Berry (6-1, 294) and sophomore defensive end Julian Miller (6-4, 251) came out of the spring at the top of the depth chart at their positions, giving West Virginia a pretty formidable front three.
Pressing those three for playing time will be junior Larry Ford (6-3, 252), sophomore Josh Taylor (6-1, 272), and redshirt freshmen Jorge Wright (6-2, 270) and J.B. Lageman (6-3, 261).
Joining Williams in a fast and athletic linebacker corps are juniors Pat Lazear (6-0, 231) and J.T. Thomas (6-2, 225). Lazear preserved the bowl victory over North Carolina with a late interception, while Thomas is one of the team’s fastest linebackers.
Bolstering that group are senior Zac Cooper (6-3, 222), junior Anthony Leonard (part-time starter in 2008 at middle linebacker), senior Ovid Goulbourne (6-0, 229) and sophomore Najae Goode (6-1, 234).
All five DBs at the top of the depth chart coming out the spring have started at least one game. Junior Brandon Hogan (5-10, 191) and sophomore Keith Tandy (5-10, 195) head into camp as the team’s top two corners, while the three safety spots will be manned by junior Sidney Glover (5-11, 204), senior Boogie Allen (6-0, 205) and sophomore Robert Sands (6-5, 215).
Hogan made noticeable improvement during the season after making the switch from wide receiver, finishing the year with 60 tackles, three interceptions and seven pass breakups.
Glover is expected to one of the big-play guys on this year’s defense after logging 61 tackles, 4 ½ tackles for losses, six pass breakups and an interception last year as a sophomore strong safety. Sands and Allen both give the Mountaineers impressive size and athletic ability in the back end of the defense.
Providing secondary depth are seniors Kent Richardson (5-11, 194), Nate Sowers (6-0, 211) and Guesly Dervil (5-11, 190), juniors Trippe Hale (5-10, 204) and Courtney Stuart (6-2, 211), and sophomores Brantwon Bowser (5-11, 192), Eain Smith (5-11, 202) and Benji Powers (5-11, 181).
The offense will revolve around the play of senior quarterback Jarrett Brown (6-4, 223), who spent the previous three years backing up Pat White.
Brown saw action in nine games last year as a junior, including one start against Syracuse. The West Palm Beach, Fla., resident completed 22 of 30 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. For his career, Brown shows 81 completions in 125 attempts for 839 yards and five touchdowns.
Stewart is hopeful that Brown can step up and lead the offense in 2009.
“Leaders are made and they are made through perseverance and patience,” said Stewart. “Patrick White was the greatest leader we ever had and Jarrett Brown is not Patrick, but Jarrett brings a lot to the table that a lot of other quarterbacks haven’t brought to the table at West Virginia.
“He needs to be our offensive leader - there is no doubt about that.”
Brown will have a multi-purpose backup in sophomore Bradley Starks (6-3, 185), who will also get a lot of work at Z receiver. Redshirt freshman Coley White (6-0, 173) will also be in the mix at quarterback.
Junior Noel Devine (5-8, 176) is the team’s top returning offensive player. The Ft. Myers, Fla., resident ran for 1,289 yards and scored four touchdowns as a sophomore in 2008. He also caught 35 passes for an additional 185 yards.
Mark Rodgers (5-8, 175) carried 15 times for 80 yards as a freshman and heads into camp No. 2 on the depth chart.
West Virginia has a pair of quality fullbacks in redshirt freshman Ryan Clarke (6-0, 228) and sophomore Ricky Kovatch (6-1, 230), with senior Max Anderson (6-0, 235) also providing support.
The team’s top two tight ends heading into camp are sophomore Tyler Urban (6-5, 244) and junior Will Johnson (6-2, 232). Senior Scott Loving (6-2, 222) will also get tight end reps.
The wide receiver corps boasts size and playmaking ability with four players standing 6-feet-2 or taller. Alric Arnett (6-2, 189) had two touchdown catches in the 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl, and finished the year with 35 receptions for 466 yards and six touchdowns.
Starks also caught a touchdown pass in the bowl game, making 17 catches for 168 yards and a touchdown for the year. Six-eight senior Wes Lyons (6-8, 231) is coming off a fabulous spring and will give the Mountaineers another option at slot receiver.
“Wes Lyons had a great spring because first and foremost, he stayed injury free,” said Stewart. “This is the first year he’s been injury free and I just pray for him – and for the Mountaineers – that it continues to happen.”
Touted freshman Logan Heastie (6-2, 194) enrolled in January and was able to take part in spring drills. Once he gets the playbook down he could become a factor in the passing game as well.
West Virginia’s top returning pass catcher, Jock Sanders, has been serving a suspension for violating team rules and missed all of spring drills. In 2008, the 5-7, 178-pounder caught 53 passes for 462 yards and seven touchdowns, and also ran 48 times for 250 yards and a pair of scores as a tailback.
The offensive line will be retooled with at least three new faces starting the year at left tackle, left guard and right guard. Senior right tackle Selvish Capers (6-5, 298) started all 13 games in 2008 and will be expected to provide leadership to a young and inexperienced group that has a combined 25 career starts between them. Center Eric Jobe (6-2, 289) stepped in for injured Mike Dent and started the final five games of the year, including the bowl game.
Although young, West Virginia appears to have two good ones in guards Josh Jenkins (6-3, 290) and Jeffrey Braun (6-4, 300), while sophomore Don Barclay (6-4, 291) is expected to be the team’s top left tackle. Barclay suffered a broken foot during the spring game and has spent the summer rehabilitating it in order to be ready for fall drills.
Matt Timmerman (6-3, 291) and Levi Pardee (6-6, 294) will back up Barclay at left tackle, Chad Snodgrass (6-4, 291) will back up Jenkins at left guard, Joseph Madsen (6-4, 291) will back up Jobe at center, John Bassler (6-4, 296) will be behind Braun at right guard, and Jon Walko (6-6, 290) will back up Capers at right tackle heading into camp.
Senior Scott Kozlowski (5-11, 191) will handle the punting duties while the place kicking chores is a toss up between freshman Tyler Bitancurt (6-1, 180) and Western Washington transfer Josh Lider (6-2, 195), who made 10 of 15 field goals last year at Western Washington.
Several newcomers will also look to crack the two-deep.
Tavon Austin (5-8, 164), a two-time Baltimore player of the year, will get a close look at slot receiver, as will Mirmar, Fla., native Stedman Bailey (5-10, 193).
Once Parade All-American Eugene Smith (6-3, 195) is cleared to resume unrestricted action, he could be a strong candidate for backup QB work behind Brown.
Hampton, Va., power back Shawne Alston (5-11, 218) and Miami tailback Daquan Hargrett (5-6, 182) could make things interesting in the backfield.
Medina, Ohio, resident Chris Snook (6-3, 220) will be given a look at both tight end and fullback, while freshmen offensive linemen Cole Bowers (6-5, 294), Pat Eger (6-6, 275), Nick Kindler (6-6, 272), Ryan Spiker (6-3, 303) and Jordan Weingart (6-3, 296) could get looks in support roles.
On defense, corners Pat Miller (5-10, 181) and Broderick Jenkins (5-10, 175) boast big-time prep resumes and secondary coach Dave Lockwood has said he won’t be afraid to play freshmen if they are good enough to play.
It will be much tougher for freshman safeties Darwin Cook (5-11, 191), Terence Garvin (6-3, 212) and Jonathan Scott (6-5, 189) to crack the two-deep this year, although all three are talented.
The same goes for linebackers Branko Busick (6-0, 227) and Taige Redman (6-0, 212), and defensive linemen Will Clarke (6-6, 257), Dominik Davenport (6-1, 264) and Curtis Feight (6-6, 267).
The first of five acclimation practices in shorts and helmets begins Saturday afternoon. The first fully-padded practice is next Wednesday, and two-a-day work starts next Thursday.
All practices are closed to the general public.
