DALLAS - The best players in Dana Holgorsen's 2018 signing class weren't revealed on Wednesday, the first day prospects could sign during the newly instituted early signing period for college football.
 
They were divulged in piecemeal fashion, beginning last week with quarterback Will Grier and continuing with the recent affirmations made by All-America wide receiver David Sills V and outstanding left tackle Yodny Cajuste, despite all receiving some positive feedback from pro scouts.
 
Even junior wide receiver Gary Jennings Jr. admitted that he considered his options, although he didn't feel the need to make a public announcement like the other three.
 
Naturally, Grier, the nation's seventh-ranked passer and one of the early Heisman Trophy frontrunners in 2018, is the key piece to the puzzle.
 
His decision to return for his senior season was the domino that caused the others to fall. Soon after, Sills made up his mind to return and then Cajuste made his decision public yesterday as the team was departing for Dallas.
 
"At the end of the day, I just thought it was the best decision for me and for the team next year," Sills said. "Me and Will kind of talked about it, and me and Gary talked about how good we can be next year so we're really motivated. We're looking to get a year better and have that chemistry. We obviously had some good chemistry this year so it's pretty exciting what we can do next year."
 
"You have (to talk about it) to get on the same page," Jennings added. "We feel like we can do a lot next year."
 
Holgorsen, the man holding the straw stirring the drink, couldn't be happier.
 
"(Grier's return) was the most important recruit of the day," Holgorsen said Wednesday. "Alex (Hammond), who is our NFL liaison, did a really good job. I'm happy with our administration on supporting us as well to recruit him and get him to come back for his senior year. That was step one. Then some of the other chips fell into place after that. Getting those juniors back is important."
 
Sills is the national leader in touchdown catches with 18, while Jennings was one of the most productive possession receivers in the country this year with 94 catches for 1,030 yards.
 
And back to protect Grier's backside in 2018 is an athletic, 6-foot-5-inch, 308-pound left tackle with tremendous upside in Cajuste.
 
The way West Virginia plays offense, those three guys will give the Mountaineers a leg up heading into next year's season opener against Tennessee in Charlotte, North Carolina.
 
"I'm confident in what we can do next year," Sills said. "I'm very excited to see what this team can accomplish so we'll be ready for next year."
 
That was Holgorsen's message to all of the juniors considering their options.
 
"I think it's unfinished business more than anything," he said. "(Grier) came here to win the Big 12 and be the best that he can be. I don't think we are there yet."
 
In Grier's case, he also had to consider the young family he has to support and getting on with his life's work, which is what every student does when he or she goes to college.
 
The bottom line is he felt it was in his best interest to return for another season.
 
"He has his degree. He has a wife and a child," Holgorsen said. "The natural progression in life is to go be a professional, but there is just unfinished business here."
 
With Sills, a lot of his decision was based on being relatively new to the wide receiver position. He came to West Virginia as a quarterback, switched to receiver before leaving for junior college still wanting to be a quarterback and then returned to WVU when Holgorsen offered him a chance to continue his college career as a receiver.
 
Nine months later, he has blossomed into one of the most recognizable names in college football.
 
"I had to re-recruit Sills for the third time. Who recruits a kid three times?" Holgorsen joked. "That to me is kind of funny. It's a different set of circumstances for the same reason. It's unfinished business with them. This coaching staff and this program mean a lot to them as well as this University. This state means a lot to them."
 
Sills also looked at things logically. His body of work as a wide receiver is not that extensive compared to other top receivers available for this year's draft. He needs more time with West Virginia's coaching staff to develop like some of the other outstanding receivers Holgorsen has worked with through the years such as Wes Welker, Michael Crabtree, Justin Blackmon, Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin.
 
These guys were good, athletic players who became great wide receivers under Holgorsen.
 
Sills is aware of this.
 
"Yeah, that had a little bit of play into it, but at the end of the day I thought the best decision was to come back and get a year better," he said. "I haven't been playing the position that long, obviously. But it was a really good year for me and I think a year of getting bigger, stronger and faster it can only raise what people think about me."
 
That begins with next Tuesday's Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl against Utah, which will possess a very stiff challenge for a Mountaineer offense playing without some of its key components.
 
Sophomore Chris Chugunov, who made his first start in place of Grier in the regular season finale against Oklahoma, is expected to make his second start in the bowl game.
 
Sills admits he sees a different quarterback than the one forced to come into the game in fire-drill fashion late in the first quarter against Texas when Grier dislocated the middle finger on his throwing hand.
 
"His confidence is at an all-time high," Sills said. "We've had our best timing with him right now. I also think we can get a week better (here in Dallas). I feel comfortable with the game plan with him back there so we've just got to make a play when the ball is in the air."
 
Naturally, it's easy to take a peek into the future with what West Virginia has coming back, plus an early signing class ranked 21^st in the country by Rivals, not to mention three outstanding four-star offensive weapons sitting out this year - Miami transfers quarterback Jack Allison and tight end Jovani Haskins and Alabama transfer wide receiver T.J. Simmons, but Sills said there is still plenty of unfinished business left before the calendar turns to January.
 
"We're focused on the bowl game right now, but after the bowl game we will spring forward into the offseason," he said. "No matter what bowl game it is, going out with a win always springboards the team next season. We definitely want to get this win for our seniors, but we also want to springboard ourselves into the offseason with some good, positive energy."
 


Bowl Bits: The team worked out today at the The Star, the Dallas Cowboys' practice facility in Frisco, Texas … It was similar to a regular Tuesday practice during a normal Saturday game week … Today's practice began with a brief period of cone drills in the middle of the field ... Afterward, the players, coaches and staff joined Utah players, coaches and staff at the official Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl welcome reception at Eddie Dean's Ranch in downtown Dallas … Mountaineer coaches are expecting a very physical football game against the Utes on Tuesday ... When West Virginia faced Texas back on Saturday, Nov. 18, Holgorsen talked about Texas punter Michael Dickson like he was the second coming of Ray Guy … Well, Utah punter Mitch Wishnowsky is just as good … "I don't know how many times we have to face an Australian punter that is just out of sight, but here is another one," he said … Holgorsen said Wishnowsky is a little bit different than Dickson in that he doesn't outkick his coverage quite as much as Dickson, which has translated into the sixth-best net punting average in the country … "It's unreal," Holgorsen sighed … Offensive coordinator Jake Spavital conceded that the plan he used against Oklahoma with Grier out of the lineup has been heavily studied by Utah, so he is going to have to come up with a few additional wrinkles … Will that mean some sort of variation of the Wildcat formation he used with sophomore running back Kennedy McKoy, or something else entirely? … Spavital said when he faced Utah last year as Cal's offensive coordinator, a 28-23 Bear victory, all four touchdowns came on long pass plays … He believes downfield passing will have to be successful again on Tuesday against the Utes' defense simply because of the way they play … That means Chris Chugunov is going to have to connect on some of those long passes that he wasn't able to hit in losses to Texas and Oklahoma.