MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - There are going to be a lot of new quarterbacks in the Big 12 this year.
 
Baker Mayfield is gone at Oklahoma. 
 
Mason Rudolph is no longer at Oklahoma State, nor is Kenny Hill at TCU. 
 
Nik Shimonek's eligibility has expired at Texas Tech.
 
But here at West Virginia, that's not the case with Will Grier returning for his senior season. That alone should automatically put the Mountaineers in the catbird's seat.
 
On Tuesday, during the Big 12's spring coaches' teleconference, veteran WVU coach Dana Holgorsen was asked what advantages a returning quarterback of Grier's caliber offers his team.
 
"You feel real good about a fifth-year guy because they act like a fifth-year guy, and everything is slower for him and makes everyone else around him better," Holgorsen explained.
 
During the spring, Grier showed no ill effects from the broken finger that prematurely ended his season in the first quarter of the Texas game.
 
At the time of his injury, Grier had West Virginia 7-3 and ranked in the Top 25. He ranked among the nation's leaders in touchdown passes, yardage, completion percentage, passing efficiency and total offense.
 
Then, Grier got hurt and WVU lost to Texas, dropped the next one at Oklahoma and also fell in its bowl game against Utah.
 
"We all know the qualities of a starting quarterback, but our challenge is the next guy and potentially the next guy (after the backup)," Holgorsen said. "You've got to get those guys ready to go.
 
"You saw what happened to us last year when our No. 1 guy went down," he added. "You've got to have the next guy go in and play at a high level and nobody wants to hear excuses about not winning games based on your quarterback getting hurt."
 
West Virginia should be in a much better place there with Miami transfer Jack Allison getting a lot of reps this spring, and touted true freshman Trey Lowe III speeding up his graduation to enroll in school a semester early to go through spring drills.
 
The 6-foot-6 Allison is known as a pocket passer while Lowe can do a little bit of everything. Holgorsen believes having those guys in the same meeting room with Grier will speed up their development.
 
"I like how he's making everyone else around him better," Holgorsen said. "(Will is) coaching people on the field. He knows where all 10 other guys are supposed to be on the field and actually knows what they did on the play. 
 
"He's a student of the game. He's a coach's kid. He's got great experience, and it helps us from a coaching perspective because he's doing some of the coaching out there."
 
Holgorsen also likes the weapons they have assembled around Grier, including a couple of key pass catchers in Alabama transfer T.J. Simmons and Miami import Jovani Haskins.
 
Both performed well this spring, according to Holgorsen.
 
"Simmons had a good spring, and Haskins is going to give us a different element to our offense and he's going to help us," he said. "(Redshirt freshman) Alec Sinkfield at running back has twitch that I haven't seen since I've been here, and we're going to add another 10 or so guys this summer so we'll see what happens."
 
Holgorsen also likes the continuity and experience he has returning on the coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Jake Spavital is back for his second year, and he has more players suited to the way he wants to operate his offense.
 
Offensive line coach Joe Wickline and receivers coach Tyron Carrier have also been together now for a second straight spring working in Spavital's system.
 
"I think we're a confident group," Holgorsen mentioned. "Anytime you've got as many starters coming back it should give you confidence and you should be a year better. You should be in a much better place with timing and schemes and all that good stuff."
 
Holgorsen continued.
 
"We had a new quarterback coach last year with Jake calling the plays, and he's doing a great job, and it's just going to be another year better," he said. "The same thing with Wickline, who has been here now for a few years, and the O-line, but there is nothing that replaces just another year with the same guys."
 
As for those other starting Big 12 quarterbacks this fall, we are going to see a lot of new faces. It might be Sam Ehlinger or it could be Shane Buechele or touted newcomers Cam Rising or Casey Thompson at Texas.
 
Kyler Murray takes over at Oklahoma.
 
Shawn Robinson is the new guy at TCU. 
 
Taylor Cornelius, touted newcomer Spencer Sanders or Hawaii graduate transfer Dru Brown could be the guy at Oklahoma State.
 
It's going to make for some interesting times in the Big 12 this fall.
 
"It feels good to be on this side of it," Holgorsen said. "I think we had six or seven of those guys (returning quarterbacks) at other schools, so that side of it feels good, but the challenge is to get the other guys ready."
 
That challenge began in the spring and will continue this fall when the staff begins preparing for the 2018 opener against Tennessee in Charlotte.