Forecasting the Future
June 16, 2010 05:03 PM | General
June 16, 2010
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - One question has dogged the West Virginia University football team since the last second ticked off the 2010 Gator Bowl play clock. The same inquiry lingered over the squad throughout spring practice and continues to creep into each new published prospectus.
How will the WVU offense respond with sophomore quarterback Geno Smith as the Mountaineers’ starting signal caller?
Without addressing the concerns specifically, offensive line coach Dave Johnson has openly assured Mountaineer fans that Smith has at least one big plus in his corner – a powerful, experienced line of strong bodies prepped and ready to protect its novice leader.
“I’m not a crystal ball reader, but (the offensive linemen) work hard, and if that’s any indication, I think we have a chance of being pretty good as long as we continue to progress,” Johnson recently mused.
Progression was the key to the line’s success in 2009. A quintet comprised of one freshman, two sophomores, one junior and one senior, the collectively raw group quickly became in sync and paved the way for quarterback Jarrett Brown to throw for more than 2,000 yards and running back Noel Devine to run for more than 1,400 yards.
Despite the loss of NFL-bound right tackle Selvish Capers, the line returns for the 2010 season with nine wins as a group and as one of the most proven and trusted groups wearing the Gold and Blue uniform.
Sophomore center Joe Madsen, a 2009 BIG EAST all-freshman team honoree, anchors the line and is flanked by senior Eric Jobe to his right and all-BIG EAST junior Josh Jenkins to his left. Jenkins’ classmate, Don Barclay, returns to his outside and sophomore Jeff Braun owns the early edge as Capers’ replacement on the right.
Playing a limited role at guard last season, Braun, a Westminster, Md., native, showed Johnson this spring that he deserves the inside track for the starting job come September.
“I thought he did well. He had never been at the tackle position, so that was the emphasis for him this spring,” Johnson explained. “I’m still anxious to see how he develops this summer and how he does during fall training camp. Right now, coming out of spring, he’s the right tackle, and we’ll see where it goes from there.
“I think he’s progressing and he’s right where he needs to be. That tackle position is so different from those three interior spots, but I think he did a nice job.”
Though Johnson, by NCAA rule, is not allowed to oversee the line’s development throughout the summer months on the field, he is assured by the strength and conditioning staff that the group is building toward success.
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| Offensive tackle Don Barclay is one of the guys Dave Johnson will be relying on this fall.
Pete Emerson photo |
Johnson emphasized that strength and conditioning coach Mike Joseph is key to the line’s constant advancement in the off-season.
“Mike and I are on a good communication level right now,” said Johnson. “I think Mike does a great job and I’m a big fan of his. As far as training linemen, he understands. He watches my practices and drills. He’ll sit in meetings at times and he knows my vocabulary. He does a great job with them.”
Due to the complexity of a lineman’s job, and the constant need to be ready and on guard, Johnson says Joseph can’t just focus on one training aspect with his student-athletes. He stresses the need for a combination of strength, explosion and conditioning.
“It’s hard to be good when you’re sucking air,” Johnson laughed. “We want them to be in great shape. From there, it’s strength and athleticism, particularly because what we ask our linemen to do, they have to be athletic. It’s a combination – you can’t really signal one thing. You have to be good at so many different things, and that’s why it’s such a great position to play.”
And if his linemen only heed one piece of advice this summer, Johnson reiterates it should be to listen to everything Joseph says.
“Bottom line – listen to the strength staff, be the first ones in the weight room, and be the last ones crawling out,” Johnson said.
Though many fans eagerly anticipate the debut of the 2010 Mountaineer offense when the Sept. 4 season opens against Coastal Carolina, there are a few that worry about the line’s strength, leadership and familiarity. As Johnson calmly projects, his unit is well on its way to building on its experiences from one year ago and maturing into the strong, supportive shoulders for the rest of WVU playmakers.
