Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Motivated Grier Striving for Even More this Spring
March 11, 2018 10:48 AM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Fresh, clean jerseys hang from every locker. New shoes, gloves and accessories are all waiting to be used for the first time. Bright, unmarked helmets sit in a row above each locker. It's all in preparation for a new season of West Virginia football.
Redshirt senior quarterback Will Grier has begun his preparations, too.
Grier, the 2017 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, is back on the field for the Mountaineers for spring practice, once again leading an offense that has all the makings of being one of the most potent in the country.
The Davidson, North Carolina, native is back to full health and sits in a great frame of mind as he and his teammates enter the next step in getting set for next fall.
"More than anything, I'm just eager to get back out there," Grier said during WVU player availability on Thursday afternoon. "I'm just looking to continue to build and get better."
Grier threw for 3,490 yards and 34 touchdowns in 10-plus games in 2017. His absence was certainly felt after a hand injury against Texas in late November ended his campaign. Still, Grier's numbers were enough to post the fourth-most passing yards and the second-most passing touchdowns in a single season in Mountaineer history.
But for all of the things the All-Big 12 Second Team selection was able to do right last season, he's more interested in what he can still improve upon heading into 2018.
"There's a lot of talk on efficiency right now and just trying to get the most efficient play that we can," Grier said. "We're having a lot of good talks, and we're working through it, and spring is a good time to work on it."
Grier and the Mountaineers are stressing more efficient plays that can help keep the offense moving. While the group knows it still occupies the ability to create big plays, it's hoping to avoid any periodic lulls during offensive possessions.
In fact, attempting to find new ways to become a more efficient offense has been at the front of many minds during this productive spring camp thus far. While challenging, the Mountaineers are confident their quarterback can continue to thrive in the process of examining complex situations that'll he and the offense will face.
"I think that he is enjoying spring because it's actually very challenging for him," offensive coordinator Jake Spavital said of Grier. "We'll go out there and say, 'This is first-and-10 mentality,' or, 'This is third-and-short mentality.' He's got to find a way to get the first down. So, it's been pretty efficient so far."
Luckily, West Virginia is in the middle of the perfect time of year to be examining the overall effectiveness of the offense. Grier says the self-scouts the offense has recently studied have gone a long way in better understanding where improvement is needed. It's also been helpful that the group has had plenty of time to digest the film and plan for improvements going forward.
For Grier, using the precious time that spring practice provides hasn't been a problem. While every on-field rep has had its way of sharpening his body, the extra time to study his past performances is going a long way in molding his mind to focus on what he wants improved.
He says this time of year is perfect for that, especially since the pressures of game-week preparation, like what the Mountaineers face during the season, aren't a factor right now.
"With more time, you're able to knit-pick a little more and work on certain things," Grier said. "Being efficient is just something that's on my mind because that's what we've been harping about. It's something you can really work on during spring ball and really focus on it before we move on to the next thing. We have a lot of time."
As far as personnel goes, Grier is confident in that regard, too. There's no question new faces will have a role in WVU's immediate future, which is why Grier has enjoyed getting to work with potential contributors. So far, he's been excited to see new faces in the huddle, as well as familiar ones in different areas of the field.
But Grier hasn't lost sight on the always-evolving relationships he has already built with proven commodities on the Mountaineer offense. West Virginia returns three receivers in seniors David Sills V and Gary Jennings Jr. and junior Marcus Simms, who finished with at least 600 receiving yards last season, as well as a pair of game-ready tailbacks and plenty of experience along the offensive line.
Still, Grier has preached improvement to all. That's a goal he's determined to accomplish with the young and old inside the Mountaineer program this spring.
"We're comfortable, but we're trying to get better," Grier said of his fellow offensive mates. "We're trying to be perfect and trying to tweak some things to be more efficient and be better. With those guys that are older, it's not as much about getting to know plays. It's about how can we make a play better. It's been good so far, we just have to keep going."
Redshirt senior quarterback Will Grier has begun his preparations, too.
Grier, the 2017 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, is back on the field for the Mountaineers for spring practice, once again leading an offense that has all the makings of being one of the most potent in the country.
The Davidson, North Carolina, native is back to full health and sits in a great frame of mind as he and his teammates enter the next step in getting set for next fall.
"More than anything, I'm just eager to get back out there," Grier said during WVU player availability on Thursday afternoon. "I'm just looking to continue to build and get better."
Grier threw for 3,490 yards and 34 touchdowns in 10-plus games in 2017. His absence was certainly felt after a hand injury against Texas in late November ended his campaign. Still, Grier's numbers were enough to post the fourth-most passing yards and the second-most passing touchdowns in a single season in Mountaineer history.
But for all of the things the All-Big 12 Second Team selection was able to do right last season, he's more interested in what he can still improve upon heading into 2018.
"There's a lot of talk on efficiency right now and just trying to get the most efficient play that we can," Grier said. "We're having a lot of good talks, and we're working through it, and spring is a good time to work on it."
Grier and the Mountaineers are stressing more efficient plays that can help keep the offense moving. While the group knows it still occupies the ability to create big plays, it's hoping to avoid any periodic lulls during offensive possessions.
In fact, attempting to find new ways to become a more efficient offense has been at the front of many minds during this productive spring camp thus far. While challenging, the Mountaineers are confident their quarterback can continue to thrive in the process of examining complex situations that'll he and the offense will face.
"I think that he is enjoying spring because it's actually very challenging for him," offensive coordinator Jake Spavital said of Grier. "We'll go out there and say, 'This is first-and-10 mentality,' or, 'This is third-and-short mentality.' He's got to find a way to get the first down. So, it's been pretty efficient so far."
Luckily, West Virginia is in the middle of the perfect time of year to be examining the overall effectiveness of the offense. Grier says the self-scouts the offense has recently studied have gone a long way in better understanding where improvement is needed. It's also been helpful that the group has had plenty of time to digest the film and plan for improvements going forward.
For Grier, using the precious time that spring practice provides hasn't been a problem. While every on-field rep has had its way of sharpening his body, the extra time to study his past performances is going a long way in molding his mind to focus on what he wants improved.
He says this time of year is perfect for that, especially since the pressures of game-week preparation, like what the Mountaineers face during the season, aren't a factor right now.
"With more time, you're able to knit-pick a little more and work on certain things," Grier said. "Being efficient is just something that's on my mind because that's what we've been harping about. It's something you can really work on during spring ball and really focus on it before we move on to the next thing. We have a lot of time."
As far as personnel goes, Grier is confident in that regard, too. There's no question new faces will have a role in WVU's immediate future, which is why Grier has enjoyed getting to work with potential contributors. So far, he's been excited to see new faces in the huddle, as well as familiar ones in different areas of the field.
But Grier hasn't lost sight on the always-evolving relationships he has already built with proven commodities on the Mountaineer offense. West Virginia returns three receivers in seniors David Sills V and Gary Jennings Jr. and junior Marcus Simms, who finished with at least 600 receiving yards last season, as well as a pair of game-ready tailbacks and plenty of experience along the offensive line.
Still, Grier has preached improvement to all. That's a goal he's determined to accomplish with the young and old inside the Mountaineer program this spring.
"We're comfortable, but we're trying to get better," Grier said of his fellow offensive mates. "We're trying to be perfect and trying to tweak some things to be more efficient and be better. With those guys that are older, it's not as much about getting to know plays. It's about how can we make a play better. It's been good so far, we just have to keep going."
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