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Grid Experts Klatt, Feldman High on Mountaineers
July 24, 2017 02:13 PM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Count college football experts Bruce Feldman and Joel Klatt among those believing the Big 12 media is selling West Virginia football a little short in its annual preseason poll, revealed 11 days ago.
West Virginia was picked to finish sixth ahead of just Kansas, Iowa State, Texas Tech and Baylor, and behind league favorites Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, plus Kansas State, Texas and TCU.
Our Dan Zangrilli caught up with Feldman and Klatt at last week’s Big 12 media days in Frisco, Texas, to get their opinion on the Mountaineers.
“I don’t put much stock in any preseason predictions,” Klatt said. “I didn’t vote in the poll, but I would have to put West Virginia higher, but it doesn’t surprise me because those are such surface-level votes about who’s coming back. They don’t always quite understand all of the nuances going on.”
“I think their starting 22 is going to be really good,” added Feldman. “When you look at it on paper, without (linebacker) David Long early in the year, they’re going to be down to two (returning) starters. Obviously, the guy who would have been their best (defensive) player last year (Dravon Askew-Henry), he’s going to help their secondary.
“I think Tony Gibson has proven he’s about as good a defensive coordinator as there is in the conference; Will Grier should have a big year in this offense, you’ve got two really good tackles (Colton McKivitz and Yodny Cajuste), so I think on paper to me that would have been my No. 3 team,” Feldman said.
Count Klatt among those in the Tony Gibson fan club. Klatt labels Gibson “the best assistant coach in the conference,” particularly now that Lincoln Riley has replaced Bob Stoops at Oklahoma.
Klatt said Gibson gets more out of his personnel than any other coach in the league.
“The creativeness he shows, the numbers his defenses have put up against some of the best offenses in the country, his mentality … whether it’s scheme wise, numbers, personalities, I just think he’s one of the best,” Klatt said.
Feldman feels that strongly about returning offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, together with head coach Dana Holgorsen and offensive line coach Joe Wickline for the first time since 2010 when the trio was running Mike Gundy’s offense at Oklahoma State.
Their unit was one of the most explosive in the country that season.
“Jake and Dana have a great relationship,” Feldman explained. “They know each other really well. Last year, Cal had issues but they weren’t on offense. Jake was a big reason why they got Davis Webb to come in there. If those guys weren’t there I think that team was lucky to win two games last year.
“You still get Dana’s game planning and his expertise and the dynamic is such where I think Jake can say anything to Dana and vice versa and not worry about it,” Feldman said. “Sometimes that’s a tricky thing. That’s part of the reason why I think West Virginia is going to be so good on offense because of that triumvirate now where you’ve got a great O-line coach who is doing his thing and you’ve got a really, really good quarterbacks guy, also.”
Klatt said the Big 12 this year is going to be more than just a two-team race between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
He believes there could be at least three other teams capable of reaching Irving, Texas, in early December to play in this year’s Big 12 championship game at AT&T Stadium, including West Virginia.
“I think West Virginia is a really good team. Dana might not want me to say all that - he wants to sneak up on people - but I think Will is going to be a really good player, and it wouldn’t shock me at all if West Virginia is right back in that nine-, 10-win mark this year again.
“I think Kansas State will certainly be in the mix,” Klatt added. “I’m probably a little higher on Texas than most people. Those three teams are going to have a great chance. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are really good teams. They’ve got great incumbent quarterbacks and they are going to be really potent on the offensive side of the football, but there are questions around both teams’ defenses - and rightly so.”
Overall, Feldman sees a stronger Big 12 in 2017.
“I think it can be better because you have Baker Mayfield back and all of the firepower Mason Rudolph has at Oklahoma State,” Feldman said. “Defensively, there are certainly question marks at both places. I think Texas was ready to step up whether Charlie Strong was there or Tom Herman was there because most of their best personnel were freshmen and sophomores. Now they’re a little older.
“I think Texas Tech is going to be a little better on defense,” Feldman said. “Now people are going to say they can’t be much worse, but I do think they are going to be noticeably better. They do lose (Pat) Mahomes, but I think the talent around their new quarterback should be a lot better.
“I look at TCU and they should be a little better. It should be a pretty good year for K-State,” Feldman said. “It might be the last year for Coach (Bill) Snyder, but I think a lot of people look at how they finished and some of the players they have coming back and I think they’re a legit top-25 team.”
Even what has traditionally been the bottom of the Big 12 the last couple of years should be vastly improved, in Feldman’s eyes.
“Kansas is a lot better than they were in the last two years. I think Iowa State is getting better, so I think the league as a whole, the bottom has gotten better and the top should be good. Those quarterbacks are great triggermen and even a guy like Will coming in … as productive as Skyler Howard was, Will Grier has a lot more tools to work with and I think physically is probably on another level from Skyler, and they can do more with the offense with him.”
Camp opens for West Virginia this Sunday in preparation for its season opener against Virginia Tech to be played at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, on Sunday, Sept. 3, at 7:30 p.m.
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