Spring Football Work Begins Today

Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks

February 27, 2018 07:42 AM | Football

By: John Antonik

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Work for the 2018 West Virginia University football season starts later this afternoon when coach Dana Holgorsen begins his eighth spring practice overall, and his seventh leading the Mountaineers.

Holgorsen, who now has the fourth-longest coaching tenure at WVU behind Don Nehlen (21 years), Art Lewis (10 years) and Ira Errett Rodgers (nine years), has broken up practices into three different segments this spring.

The first chunk includes six practices before spring break, the second a six-practice block leading into Easter recess and finally, three more workouts before the Gold-Blue Spring Game on Saturday, April 7 at Milan Puskar Stadium.

This schedule allows the team to get in continuous practices while working around normal springtime University breaks.

"I like this schedule Dana came up with this year because we're going to get six good practices before the break going Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday," Tony Gibson, associate head coach and defensive coordinator, said Monday. "We've got six before, six right after and then we've got three right after our little Easter break. It works out well, and I think our kids will like this."

Gibson said he's going to concentrate a lot on tackling this spring with a defensive unit that returns six starters from last year's team.

The defense is one returning starter light following Adam Shuler's decision to leave school and pursue other opportunities in track and field. That leaves Gibson with low numbers at defensive line this spring with Lamonte McDougle and Jaleel Fields out while recovering from offseason surgeries.

"We've only got five scholarship linemen available this spring," Gibson noted.

The guys he does have there are a little bigger than when we last saw them playing in the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl.

Gibson said Reese Donahue is now close to 275, Ezekiel Rose is up to 265, Jeffery Pooler Jr. weighs in the 270s and Darius Stills is in the 285, 290-range. McDougle's weight has remained steady at 300 and Gibson has got three big defensive line prospects ready to join the ranks in the summertime.

"We're putting some beef on them," he said.

Overall, Gibson said this is probably the most experienced group of returners he's had since his first year coordinating the Mountaineer defense in 2014. That year, he had experienced players such as Karl Joseph, KJ Dillon and Nick Kwiatkoski back that spring.

There are plenty of capable players returning in the secondary, headlined by senior Dravon Askew-Henry, sophomore Kenny Robinson and senior Toyous Avery.

Guys working with them include Jovanni Stewart, Ricky Johns and Deamonte Lindsay at spur, Josh Norwood and Osman Kamara at free and Eugene Brown, Dante Bonamico and Rashon Lusane at bandit.

The Mountaineers have seven different players competing at the two corner positions: Hakeem Bailey, Jake Long and Kevin Williams on one side, and Derrek Pitts Jr., who moved from safety, Keith Washington, Sean Mahone and Fontez Davis at the other.

Linebacker is going to take on a little different look this spring with Al-Rasheed Benton gone in the middle. Gibson said he's moving Dylan Tonkery from Will to Benton's Mike spot with Brendan Ferns, Zach Sandwisch and Henry Cook working there.

Quondarius Qualls, Exree Loe, Charlie Benton and Luke Williams will work at Sam linebacker while Adam Hensley, Josh Chandler, Shea Campbell and Jake Abbott will be available at Will with David Long Jr. being held out.

Gibson said Tonkery, up to 228 pounds, has more than enough size to handle the middle.

"He's fine," Gibson said. "He can take on anything in there. This kid is going to end up starting three different linebacker positions. I think Dylan and David could end up being as good a tandem of linebackers that we've had here," Gibson said.

The guys veteran defensive line coach Bruce Tall has to work with up front this spring include defensive ends Rose, Pooler and Sam Cookman on one side with Donahue, Stone Wolfley and Daniel Buchanan on the other side. Darius Stills, Brenon Thrift and Connor Barwis are available at nose.

Keep in mind, the defensive line is going to add three valuable newcomers when four-star recruit Dante Stills, Pennsylvania prep standout James Gmiter and Kentucky standout Tyrese Allen enroll in school later this summer.

"This is the first time since I've become defensive coordinator that we're able to be more advanced coming out of the spring, for sure," Gibson noted.

On the other side of the ball, offensive coordinator Jake Spavital will have a second spring fine-tuning his attack with Will Grier back behind center. Miami transfer Jack Allison will also get plenty of work at quarterback, as will touted true freshman Trey Lowe.

Junior Chris Chugunov is also returning, but David Isreal is not, choosing instead to pursue other opportunities.

Grier completed 250-of-388 passes for 3,490 yards and 34 touchdowns in leading the Mountaineers to a 7-3 record through 10 games before injuring the index finger on his throwing hand during the Texas loss.

Grier did not play in West Virginia's regular-season ending loss to Oklahoma or the Mountaineers' Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl game loss to Utah.

"I want better communication and continuity," Spavital, who has been busy getting new running backs coach Marquel Blackwell up to speed with the offense, said. "Those are the two things I've been preaching with them."

Protecting the quarterbacks will be an experienced group featuring five returning players with starting experience - tackles Yodny Cajuste and Colton McKivitz, guards Josh Sills and Isaiah Hardy and center Matt Jones.

Tackle depth will come from Kelby Wickline, Eric Sjostedt, Tyler Thurmond and Nate Green, while Chase Behrndt, Zach Davis and true freshman Blaine Scott will get plenty of work at the two guard spots.

Promising redshirt sophomore Jacob Buccigrossi and January freshman enrollee Briason Mays will handle the snapping chores with Jones.

The backfield features returners Kennedy McKoy and Martell Pettaway, along with promising redshirt freshman Alec Sinkfield. Lorenzo Dorr, Brady Watson and T.J. Kpan will also get some spring reps.

Explosive scat-back Tevin Bush has experience in the backfield and also at slot receiver and can do both.

Elijah Drummond and Joseph Turner are available at fullback, while converted linebacker Logan Thimons is also slotted to get some work there. The tight end position features senior Trevon Wesco, Miami transfer Jovani Haskins, Jesse Beal and Matt Bezjak.

The four wide receiver spots are well-stocked with some intriguing, top-shelf players, led by returning All-American David Sills V at H. Sills V caught 60 passes for 980 yards and a nation's-best 18 touchdowns in 2017.

Gary Jennings Jr., who snared a team-best 97 passes for 1,096 yards, returns at Y and junior speedster Marcus Simms is back at X. Simms caught 35 balls for 663 yards and five scores and was also the team's top punt and kick returner.

Two great candidates to take over Ka'Raun White's Z spot are former Alabama transfer T.J. Simmons and sophomore Reggie Roberson Jr., who got some playing time last year as a true freshman.

"The experienced guys will stay in one place but the younger guys need to prove to us they can maintain a position," Spavital said.

Receiver depth will come from Dominique Maiden, Chase Riley, Anthony DelPercio, Druw Bowen and William Crest Jr.

Spavital said the numbers on his side of the ball are getting much better.

"There are going to be some deficiencies in some areas but compared to last spring, we're light years ahead," he said. "We can put a functional second group out there. There are some freshmen involved with it, but we're getting scholarship guys snaps as backups, which is good."

He said his goal by the end of the spring is having the first 11 functioning as one unit.

"I want all 11 guys on the same page," Spavital said. "I thought our consistency and continuity was bad at times last year and just getting on the same page and the communication is a major part of it.

"I don't want any communication errors and this is normally the year (the offense) takes off is the second year because they now know what we want to accomplish and it's time to be very efficient in what we do," Spavital concluded.

Returning place kicker Evan Staley will battle it out with Western Kentucky transfer Skyler Simcox and sophomore Sam Trapuzzano, while Billy Kinney and Luke Hogan will handle the punting chores.

The snappers are Rex Sunahara and Kyle Poland.

The players mentioned above are the ones who are healthy and available this spring.

Holgorsen, Gibson and Spavital will be available to the media prior to Wednesday's practice at the Milan Puskar Center Team Room.

Media will also have availability before Saturday's practice.