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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Ƶ News) Ƶ Reason No. 1,315,268 why "The Backyard Brawl" should be an annual event:
ESPN's College GameDay Ƶ sometimes known as "The Wonderful, Wacky World of Lee Corso" Ƶ is opening its 2022 season with a special mid-week stop in Pittsburgh for the revival of the Brawl after an 11-year hibernation.
That's a lot of time for this rivalry to sit sizzling on the back burner, with not much to remind us what it once was.
Certainly, it's two hungry teams, with ƵU trying to regain its place back among the Top 25 in the nation and Pitt just hungering for a win over ƵU. The Panthers have been effectively declawed by ƵU in each of the last three games, and it has been 14 years since they last beat the Mountaineers.
That 2008 four-point victory came a year after another four-point triumph over the Mountaineers, but ƵU fans don't want to hear that any more than they want to hear Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline."
Rumor has it, if you somehow are traveling south down I-79 and are listening to "Sweet Caroline" on your car's onboard entertainment system, as you cross the Pennsylvania/West Virginia border it automatically flips over to John Denver singing "Country Roads (Take Me Home)."
Its kind of too bad that the rivalry renews in Pittsburgh, seeing as there's nothing more hospitable as the tailgate scene in the parking lot outside Milan Puskar Stadium.
Instead, the GameDay crew are just going to have to put up with the yinzers up there in 'Burgh at Whatchamacallit Stadium ... you know, the one with no ketchup.
They say that this will be the 422nd edition of College GameDay. West Virginia has been on five of them, hosting it against LSU and 2011 and TCU in 2014 while being the road team at the 2012 Orange Bowl and at TCU in 2017.
If things go the way Neal Brown expects them to, the pregame show at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 1, could be the start of awakening the nation to a Mountaineer football revival. Certainly, there is an aura around this team that feels like it's catching on.
In fact, it will be interesting to see how the show's hosts Ƶ Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, David Pollack and Corso Ƶ predict the game.
You talk about being set up for the upset (notice how we turned that word around, which is just what the Mountaineers will be trying to do with the odds when they take the field).
Pitt is the defending ACC champion. ƵU was the runner up in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl game.
That would seem to back up all claims to Pitt being a heavy favorite for the game.
But Pitt lost a first-round pick at quarterback. ƵU lost Jarret Doege at quarterback.
And they replaced him with JT Daniels, who came into college football as a 5-star recruit at USC and who brought his NCAA championship ring from Georgia with him when he transferred to Morgantown this summer.
He has yet to start and lose a college game.
And now he is reunited with his first offensive coordinator in Graham Harrell and all indications are that Harrell is putting together a "take-no-prisoners" big play offense that is going to turn every game into a track meet.
ƵU wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton let the cat out of the bag what was brewing after this year's spring game when the ƵU passing game was put on display.
"I feel like the offense last year was a little more conservative. We took our time. Coach Graham Harrell, he likes to take a lot of shots. It's going to be more exciting. It won't be a boring game with a whole bunch of runs and things like that," he said.
And with it being a renewal of the Backyard Brawl, you can expect they might throw a few "special wrinkles" put in by Harrell, the first and maybe the most prolific of the long line of great Texas Tech quarterbacks.
And home field advantage? Forget it.
The Mountaineer allotment of tickets are already gone and Pitt has yet to put its tickets on sale. West Virginians are hyped for this year to get started in six weeks, and after COVID and a sick offense over the past few years, they will head up to Pittsburgh on Sept. 1 and make I-79 look like the Indianapolis Speedway.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Ƶ News) Ƶ It's the schedule, stupid. It's always the schedule.
That's the way of college football today and it's why it's so important that when all this realignment is over and done with West Virginia ends up in a conference that will give it a number of top 25 matchups as well attractive TV games.
It's not unlike when the Big East came apart and ƵU found a home in the Big 12. Ƶ Oliver Luck desired when he pushed the deal through, the strength of ƵU's schedule made a huge jump and, while the success they were having in the Big East became a thing of the past, they remained to be looked upon as a top-tier program.
Ƶk Connecticut what happens when you wind up in football purgatory.
Over the last 10 years in the Big East, ƵU played 28 games, including bowls, against Top 25 teams. Over the first 10 years in the Big 12, they played 40 such games.
In most years since joining the Big 12, they were playing four games against ranked teams.
One year, 2017, they played six ranked teams on the schedule Ƶ winning two and losing four Ƶ while still getting away with a winning record of 7-6.
That's the most ranked teams they have faced in the 21st century. By contrast, in 2008 while in the Big East, they went the entire season without facing a ranked opponent.
The Mountaineers finished that 2008 season with a 9-4 record and two of those four losses were crushing Ƶ a three-point defeat at Colorado and a four-point loss at Pitt.
The toughest schedule ƵU has faced in the last 20 years probably wasn't that 2017 year but the 2014 team. It played one fewer ranked team than the 2017 team did but it not only played three of those games against ranked teams in a row but opened with No. 3 Alabama and faced three Top 10 teams and also the No. 12 team in the nation.
This year's schedule is something like the perfect schedule for the Mountaineers.
To begin with it's a season that includes both regional rivals Pitt and Virginia Tech, but to add to the value of that, both games are to be played on a Thursday night, giving them a prime-time spot to show the nation what they have.
In fact, there are three prime-time games, as they also play conference favorite Baylor at home on Thursday night.
"In all truth, I'd rather not play both those games, especially on the road, within one season, but that is what it is," ƵU coach Neal Brown has said. "I do think it's been a benefit to us opening the season with the Backyard Brawl, because when we came back after the bowl game, it was a carrot for the players."
The Pitt game as the opener makes it more interesting and, while it's at Pittsburgh at whatever-the-heck they call the stadium once known as Heinz Field ["It's still going to be Heinz Field to me," Neal Brown said at media day.] you hear no complaints. It's a happening throughout the state ... and includes in the ƵU locker room.
ƵU wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton is someone who knows something about the Backyard Brawl, his grandfather, Garrett Ford Jr., having personally destroyed Pitt, 63-48, in 1965, and his uncle having also played in the Brawl.
"Ƶ soon as the bowl game ended, and we reported back to campus, we were already locked in on Pitt," he recently recalled. "We have a clock that doesn't stop ticking. Coach Brown says this clock stops for nobody, so you go to get right. You got to get better every day."
In other words, Brown was telling his team to take the game as seriously as their fans do. With the teams not having played for 11 years, Ford-Wheaton has never played in it.
"We've never played in it before, but the history is still there ... we know what it means to this state and this team. We've got to go out there and be ready," Ford-Wheaton said.
If there is any problem it's that playing two rivalry games adds a large degree of difficulty to what already is a difficult, challenging schedule, but that was the choice they made a decade ago when they celebrated jumping to the Big 12.
"We play a tough schedule," Brown said. "It's been well-documented. Two non-conference game games, two rivalry games on the road, 11 Power 5 opponents and the Big 12 schedule."
How many ranked teams will they face this year? Could they reach six again?
Coud be, and if they can find a way to win eight or nine games in the season, it could get them into the rankings themselves.
That's why they play the games ... and, when you consider revenue, it becomes the tougher the better.
The better the team, normally, the better the TV ratings, especially in prime time when you are alone or almost alone on Thursday night.
And as for home games, since joining the Big 12, playing either longtime rivals or highly ranked teams, ƵU normally pushes 60,000.
ARLINGTON, Texas Ƶ It seems simple. Find the ball, go up and catch it. But thereƵs more to winning those contested downfield passes, those 50-50 balls, even if you are taller and bigger than many of your opponents.
Thus it is for Bryce Ford-Wheaton, West VirginiaƵs 6-foot-3, 224-pound receiver. Ƶ it is for many high school stars who simply outclassed foes due to superior talent, learning the ins and outs of some of the finer points of the game has presented challenges.
ƵThe easiest part is going up for the ball. Being 6-3, going up and grabbing it, getting it in your hands is kind of easy,Ƶ began the ƵU redshirt junior receiver. ƵBut the (defensive back) isnƵt going to just let you come down with the ball. The grip strength you have to have, the technique you have to use to tuck it away, that is really hard. ItƵs something that people donƵt understand, how hard it is. But itƵs a skill, and you can definitely learn and get better at it. Ƶ
Ford-Wheaton has seen progress in that area come along during his career to date, but he wants to win more of those battles Ƶ to turn that 50-50 into a 70-30 or more in his favor. ItƵs one of the things he is working on again this summer as his team prepares for the 2022 campaign.
ƵCoach Mike Joseph does a lot with us to help get me right,Ƶ said the ƵU legacy, who looks every inch the part of a standout receiver. ƵHe works a lot with me on grip strength, and then drilling on the jugs (gun). You just drill that Ƶ itƵs repetition.
ƵIƵm trying to fine tune a few things, and IƵm working on injury prevention so i can stay healthy through a 12-game season. IƵm not changing anything Ƶ IƵm giving it everything I have.Ƶ
Ford-Wheaton also emphasizes the continuing improvement of Big 12 defenses, which continue to be stereotyped as underperforming, despite better and better showings over the past few years, as obstacles in completing those catches.
ƵThere are physical, long and fast corners, and IƵve had trouble with some of them,Ƶ he admitted. ƵThey are technique-sound. It gets harder and harder.Ƶ
The Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, native is also seeing progression in other areas in the Mountaineer program, one of which is his mentoring younger players. Along with Sam James, Ford-Wheaton comprises most of ƵUƵs returning productivity in the receiver room, so getting youngsters into the mix will be vital in West VirginiaƵs effort to get back above the .500 mark.
ƵLeadership is a hard thing,Ƶ he said frankly. ƵYou canƵt take days off. Everybody does what they see you do, so you have to set the standard every day. You canƵt come in in a bad mood, or pouting. If you make a mistake, you have to own it, and then carry on. You have to be a man about it.
ƵI definitely tell them all the time,Ƶ he said of the lessons he tries to impart to those with limited experience. ƵThere are games that IƵve been in that are treacherous, almost Ƶ itƵs like a 12-round fight. IƵll tell them, ƵThis is why itƵs so hard right now in conditioning. Because when itƵs the fourth quarter, your legs are shot, your hamstrings are about to cramp, thatƵs why you work now.Ƶ I tell them about my experiences.Ƶ
Among those Ford-Wheaton sees as holding the potential for more productivity this year are true freshman Jarel Williams, sophomore Kaden Prather and former walk-on Preston Fox.
ƵJarel Williams came in and definitely made some strides during the spring. Kaden Prather is doing well. HeƵs thinner than me, but his skill set is more advanced than I was at his age. His potential is through the roof. I wouldnƵt tell him to his face, but heƵs probably going to end up being better than me,Ƶ the 2021 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection shared. ƵPreston and K.P. are like my little brothers. Everything I do, I try to bring them along with me. Preston has made tremendous strides through the off-season, and heƵs coming into his own. I think he will be a really good player.Ƶ
West Virginia must answer the personnel questions it has early on, as the Mountaineers resume the Backyard Brawl after an 10-year break in this yearƵs opener. Ford-Wheaton, of course, is well-familiar with the history of the game, as both his uncle, Garrett Ford, Jr., and his grandfather, Garrett Ford, Sr., routinely faced off against the Panthers for the Mountaineers, going a combined 4-2-1 against the enemies from the north during their careers.
ƵI was just talking to my uncle last week, and itƵs crazy how he and my grandfather played against Pitt. For a while, I didnƵt know if I was going to get to play them,Ƶ Ford-Wheaton noted. ƵItƵs going to be a great game, and my whole family is excited about it Ƶ three generations of my family playing against Pitt. It means a lot, and I know it means a lot to them too.Ƶ
Ford Sr. had one of the greatest ƵU days ever against the Panthers, rushing for 192 yards on just 18 carries and adding 76 yards on four catches in ƵUƵs 63-48 win in 1965. He found the end zone three times on the day, leading to a good bit of conversation about this yearƵs game as soon as it was scheduled.
ƵMy grandpa, I know he had one game against Pitt where he went crazy,Ƶ Ford-Wheaton said with a smile. ƵIn those old highlights, it looks like heƵs moving in slow motion, but he claims he was fast. He said the film is slowed down. I know my grandfather was a great player, but I canƵt give him too much gas.Ƶ
Of course, a lot of that is in-family fun, as Ford-Wheaton is clearly proud of what his family has achieved in gold and blue. (In addition to his grandfather and uncle, his mother, Tracie Ford, was a ƵU track standout.) ThereƵs probably no Mountaineer more tuned into his ƵU legacy and heritage than Ford-Wheaton. ThatƵs part of the reason he didnƵt transfer out when some teammates did.
ƵItƵs been a cool experience. IƵve been coming to (West Virginia) games since I was a little kid, so being able to put on that jersey, run out of the tunnel and play for my dream school, itƵs been a dream. I know my uncle is proud, and my grandfather too. IƵm keeping it in the family, and hoping there will be another generation coming here too.Ƶ
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Ƶ News) Ƶ Perhaps the emphasis we've had throughout this off-season that has seen the transfer portal explode upon the public consciousness in tandem with the creation of Name, Image, Likeness regulations that have changed the image Ƶ if not the reality Ƶ of college sports from being a game to a business has been all wrong.
It has left the sports fans of America, be they football or basketball, caught up in a whirlwind of uncertainty ... coaches jumping from job to job, players from team to team, college players selling everything but the family heirlooms in the name of NIL.
Never before has it been so true as the cliche that you can't tell the players without a scorecard, but what if the concentration was not on those who have given in to the lure of the grass being greener elsewhere and instead had concentrated those players who showed loyalty and appreciation and, rather than dancing down the gold brick road, stayed with the school that signed them, developed them and had faith in them.
What if we made as much out of West Virginia's Bryce Ford-Wheaton as we do Josh Chandler-Semedo or Tykee Smith or Nicktroy Fortune, players who placed themselves above school and team, above teammates and citizens of the state that worshipped them simply because they were willing to represent West Virginia.
Bryce Ford-Wheaton is a special case, a legacy of ƵU who is proud of what it represents and someone who celebrates following in footsteps laid out before him by his ƵU Hall of Fame grandfather, running back and longtime administrator Garrett Ford Sr. and his uncle, Garrett Ford Jr., also a running back.
Before coming to ƵU out of North Carolina, he had a talk with Garrett, Sr. and got some advice.
"It's about loyalty, honestly. I kind of knew what I was signing up for when I came here with my family history. I knew what some other people do that I couldn't do. I have kind of a different standard, especially to honor my family and keep our legacy alive," Ford-Wheaton said during a Tuesday interview.
It's all about self-image and character.
"I believe you have to hold yourself to a high standard," he said.
Certainly, he could have come up with any of a dozen reasons to leave. There's been coaching changes, both at the top and at his wide receiver position, where he is working with his fourth position coach.
There have been ups and downs, disappointments in the productivity and in the wins and losses, all the while as those transfer portal and NIL moves changed everything about a college athlete's life and opportunities.
It's been like a receiver running a pattern when the quarterback begins to scramble, forcing him to improvise.
"For sure," he said. "You never know what's next, but make it work."
He opted to stay with path he had laid down coming out of high school.
"It kind of reminds of a saying that's outside (strength) coach Mike (Joseph)'s office ... 'Adapt or Perish,'" he said. "If you don't adapt, you don't need to be here anymore, honestly. There's been a lot of changes since I've been here. I feel like I kept my promise, my commitment and rolled with the punches."
He has rolled with them on the field and in the classroom.
"Just getting by never was a thing for me," Ford-Wheaton said. "My mom, my whole family, is involved in academics, which is why I decided to try and get my masters in sports management, while I'm still here. Everybody in my family who came here got two degrees. I'm trying to keep it going."
Fittingly, he has been a member of the Garrett Ford Sr. Athletic Honor Roll.
He has developed gradually on the field, betting better each year until now, as a redshirt junior, he is expecting his best season, although he is adapting to a new offensive coordinator and new quarterback.
Whichever of the three on hand Ƶ Garrett Greene, Will "Goose" Crowder or freshman Nicco Marchiol, or a transfer such as the experienced J.T. Daniels, who recently visited Ƶ he will serve as a prime target and has shown big steps forward this spring.
"A lot of work in the off-season, in the winter, Saturdays throwing with the quarterbacks to develop chemistry and stuff like. That we put in a lot of work, so it's only right we are starting to see the results from it," he said..
A year ago he was tied for second on the team with 42 catches for 575 yards and three touchdowns.
He's concentrating on doing better on the 50-50 balls that ƵU receivers had so much trouble with a year ago,
"I want to make the 50-50 balls 80-20," he said. "The best way you can simulate is just doing it. If I can have a fellow receiver going up with me, fight for the ball with me, you just keep repping that. We are doing a lot of tracking the ball downfield with our new machine
"It's something I've aimed for, especially with my frame and my size. I feel it should be more of an 80-20 ball instead of 50-50."
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. Ƶ If things had worked out a bit differently, Tony Washington would be designing buildings right now rather than coaching receivers.
Michael Anthony Washington graduated from Appalachian State in 2012 with a 3.83 GPA while majoring in architectural design. His classroom excellence earned him recognition as a National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
ƵI thought I wanted to build buidings and design houses,Ƶ noted Washington, Ƶbut then I had an opportunity to play in the NFL for a few years. I realized then that the game was in me and I didnƵt want to sit behind a desk and crunch numbers for the rest of my life, so I decided to get into coaching.Ƶ
Washington had an outstanding playing career at App State (2009-13), just prior to the MountaineersƵ move up to the FBS level when they joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2014.
An FCS program during his time, WashingtonƵs Mountaineers were a power in the Southern Conference, and the 5-foot-11, 200-pound receiver was a big reason why.
A leader off the field, playing in 49 games and starting 35 of them in his time in Boone, he also was a big part of App StateƵs on-field success.
A native of High Point, North Carolina, Washington caught 139 passes for 1,837 yards in his ASU career.
He remains eighth in school history in career receptions and 11th in yardage. HeƵs also seventh in career kickoff return yardage (1,289 total yards for an average of 23.4 yards per return). He earned all-Southern Conference honors as both a junior and senior.
His abilities attracted the attention of NFL clubs, and while he wasnƵt drafted, he did sign with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2014. In all he spent four years in the NFL, splitting his time between Indianapolis, Jacksonville and finally New England. His time in the pros changed his career path.
ƵWhen I was at Appalachian State, it was an FCS school, so that dream of going to the NFL was out there but I didnƵt know if it was obtainable,Ƶ remembered Washington. ƵI was filling out grad school applications, because I was going to go to grad school for architecture. I had kind of given up on the NFL dream. I was focusing on what was next.
ƵBut then I got a chance to play with the Colts as a priority free agent, and it kind of took off from there. I got hurt in back-to-back years, and my wide receiver coach at the time told me I should get into coaching. ƵYouƵre a smart guy. You love the game.Ƶ He was the first person who told me I should coach. When I finished playing, I called a few people and got an opportunity to coach.Ƶ
One of his initial calls was to his old App State coach, Scott Satterfield, who by that point had been hired as the head coach at Louisville.
Satterfield offered Washington a position at U of L as a graduate assistant, and he spent the 2019 season learning the coaching profession with the Cardinals.
The next year he obtained a full-time job at one of the nationƵs hottest FBS programs, coaching the wide receivers at Coastal Carolina. He remained with the Chanticleers for two years before West Virginia came calling this past winter.
He arrived at ƵU in February and immediately immersed himself in learning Graham HarrellƵs offense.
ƵThe scheme here is a 180 from what we ran at Coastal Carolina,Ƶ Washington explained. ƵWe had a lot of success there, but it was mainly triple option, being a run-heavy offense and then taking our shots downfield in the pass game. Our leading receivers would have 50 or 60 catches. They didnƵt get a ton of targets, but they did get a lot of yards because we threw a lot of deeper passes.
ƵNow being in the Air Raid system, there are a lot more passes, a lot more RPOs, a lot more opportunities for receivers to get open and get targets. From that aspect, itƵs totally different. But anywhere IƵve been, weƵve had a pretty good passing game, so from that aspect, I want to keep that same consistency.Ƶ
At ƵU, Washington inherits a wide receiver corps that isnƵt especially deep in terms of numbers Ƶ he has just six scholarship WRs this spring with a couple more arriving this summer Ƶ but he does believe there is high-end talent.
ƵIƵm really enjoying my (receiver) room and the coaching staff,Ƶ he said. ƵI have a room of really good guys and good personalities. We have a staff that is very knowledgeable and very mature. IƵm looking forward to learning from these great minds like Graham Harrell and coach (Neal) Brown. ItƵs been a blessing so far.
ƵEverybody runs things a little different, but at the end of the day, itƵs always football. Ƶ a receiver, you have to find holes in the defense, you have to catch the ball, you have to block. No matter what the package is called, youƵve got to go make plays. I try to keep it simple, teach fundamentals and techniques.Ƶ
West VirginiaƵs top four returning receivers Ƶ junior Bryce Ford-Wheaton, junior Sam James, sophomore Reese Smith and sophomore Kaden Prather Ƶ combined for 108 receptions for 1,381 yards last year.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Ford-Wheaton has hauled in 81 catches for 1,192 yards and eight touchdowns so far in his Mountaineer career, while the 6-foot, 176-pound James has 144 receptions for 1,486 yards and nine TDs in his time at ƵU.
ƵI see a ton of talent, a ton potential,Ƶ Washington said of the receiver position. ƵI see guys who can be some of the better receivers in this league. The biggest thing is hammering down the details and hammering down the fundamentals of the position.
ƵI have guys who can do amazing things, but consistency is the key. The consistency comes with the fundamentals and technique, and as soon as they can hone in on that part, theyƵll be phenomenal.Ƶ
A native of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, Ford-WheatonƵs grandfather (Garrett Ford, Sr.) and uncle (Garrett Ford, Jr.) each were running backs at ƵU.
The latest generation of Mountaineer had 42 catches for 575 yards last season.
Only Winston Wright, who has since transferred to Florida State, had more with 63 receptions for 688 yards.
ƵWhen I look at Bryce, I see one of the most physical specimens IƵve ever worked with. IƵve been to a lot of places and worked with some really good players, but the size he has is really good,Ƶ noted Washington. ƵI think he can be a phenomenal player. For him, itƵs just going to be being consistent, and that takes concentration and understanding heƵs a big body. He has the finesse part of the game, and he needs to be powerful, physical.
ƵSam James is an elite twitch player with a lot of quickness, a lot of speed. HeƵs been really good so far throughout spring ball. I like the direction heƵs going.
ƵKaden Prather is a young kid who still doesnƵt know how good he really is,Ƶ continued the receiver coach. ƵI think he can be phenomenal, one of the best IƵve worked with. He has a ton of potential. With him, itƵs just a matter of understanding he has to be locked in every day. Ƶ a young guy, he can slip out of focus sometimes. But he needs to stay locked in and be who you are every play.Ƶ
Smith has been sidelined much of the spring with a leg injury, but his absences has allowed Preston Fox the chance to get a lot of practice reps. The 5-foot-10, 184-pound sophomore walk-on from Morgantown High is taking advantage of the opportunities.
ƵHe catches the ball,Ƶ said Washington of Fox, who had one reception for eight yards last season as a redshirt freshman. ƵAt the end of the day, the wide receiver position is about catching the ball. You want production. You can grade a million different things, but production is the key, and so far, PrestonƵs production has been through the roof, especially for a walk-on kid.Ƶ
The returning receivers are/will be joined by a group of newcomers. Jarel Williams (6-2, 185 lbs.) is a true freshman who enrolled at ƵU in January and is already turning heads in spring practice.
A pair of junior college receivers Ƶ Jeremiah Aaron (6-0, 185 lbs.) of Navarro (Texas) College and Cortez Braham (6-2, 200 lbs.) of Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College Ƶ have signed with the Mountaineers and are slated to arrive in Morgantown this summer.
ƵJarel is looking good,Ƶ said Washington. ƵFrom a physicality standpoint, he has to develop a little bit. He has to get in the weight room and do some things there, but he has a lot of natural traits. He is slippery and has the ability to get open. He does some things I really like from a route running standpoint.
ƵFor him, this spring has been tremendous. I think heƵs going to continue to develop and come back in the fall with a good mind-set, knowing whatƵs going on and heƵll have a chance to help us a little bit this year.
ƵWe recruited both (Aaron and Braham) at Coastal, so I had prior relationships with them and theyƵre not new to me,Ƶ added Washington. ƵBoth of them are really good players. I think they can help us. ItƵs good to have a slot receiver (Aaron) and an outside guy (Braham) coming in, because that will allow us to fill some depth issues.
ƵI think those guys are going to have to be ready to play. When they get here this summer, there wonƵt be time for a lot of handholding. They are going to have to learn the offense and get out there and get their feet wet, get dirty, make mistakes and learn.Ƶ
Washington noted that he doesnƵt need a large quantity of receivers Ƶ his ideal game-day number is six to eight Ƶ but those he has he wants to develop into consistent performers.
ƵItƵs a mindset. The best players arenƵt necessarily playing in the NFL; itƵs the most consistent guys,Ƶ the 31-year-old coach noted. ƵYou can make an amazing one-handed catch one out of 10 times, but that doesnƵt make you an NFL player. ItƵs the guy who can go out there, and if he has 10 attempts, heƵll have 10 catches, nine catches. ItƵs the production that allows players to last in the NFL.Ƶ
WashingtonƵs App State education in architecture isnƵt going completely to waste. HeƵll have a chance to put his own design touches on a house heƵs building in Morgantown for himself, his wife Tiffany and their two children, T.J. and Langston.
ƵI have a rental right now, but IƵll get us into a full-time house soon. WeƵre going to build a house, so that should be fun,Ƶ the would-be architect said with a smile.
The Mountaineers hope itƵs a matter of quality over quantity when it comes to the wide receiver position this coming season.
While ƵU lost four receivers to the transfer portal, who between them combined for 264 career catches for 2,974 yards and 12 touchdowns, it returns a core group at that position who combined for 262 career receptions for 3,143 yards and 18 TDs.
Despite its losses, West Virginia still has experience at receiver, but to get the necessary depth, it is going to require some youngsters to step up.
Wide receivers returning Ƶ C.J. Cole (Soph.), Bryce Ford-Wheaton (Sr.), Preston Fox (Soph.), Sam James (Sr.), Nick Maher (RFr.), Graeson Malashevich (Jr.), Kaden Prather (Soph.), Todd Simons (RFr.), Reese Smith (Soph.), Joseph Udoh (RFr.), Mike Evans (RFr.)
Departing Ƶ Sam Brown (RFr.), Isaiah Esdale (Jr.), Sean Ryan (Sr.), Winston Wright (Jr.)
Newcomers Ƶ Jeremiah Aaron (Soph.), Cortez Braham (Jr.). C.J. Donaldson (Fr.), Jarel Williams (Fr.)
LetƵs start with those who have departed the Mountaineer football program.
Slot receiver Winston Wright, who has transferred to Florida State, was ƵUƵs leading pass catcher in each of the past two seasons. He hauled in 47 receptions for 553 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games in 2020, and then added 63 more catches for 686 yards and five TDs in 2021. His catch total last year tied him for 17th in ƵU history for a single season, and his 129 career receptions for 1,336 career receiving yards are 14th and 30th on West VirginiaƵs all-time list respectively.
Sean Ryan, a native of Brooklyn, New York, who is transferring to Rutgers to be closer to home for his final year in college, had the fifth-most receptions among the Mountaineers last season with 25 for 399 yards and three TDs. In his career, the one-time transfer from Temple totaled 69 catches for 882 yards and three touchdowns.
Isaiah Esdale spent four years at ƵU after one in junior college. Due to the Covid-inspired eligibility-free 2020 season, though, he still has one year of college eligibility remaining, and heƵs going to spend that at Rice. A part-timer for most of his first three seasons with the Mountaineers, Esdale became a regular in the ƵU receiver rotation this past year. Though he started just one game in Ƶ21, he finished with the fourth-most receptions on the team, snagging 29 passes for 362 yards. In his career, he pulled down 56 receptions for 648 yards and two touchdowns.
A native of Savannah, Georgia, Sam Brown leaves West Virginia with only a few tangible accomplishments (10 catches for 108 yards in the past two years) but a feeling of unresolved potential. After entering the transfer portal in early November, Brown declared he is moving to the University of Houston.
Between them, the four former Mountaineer receivers played in 96 games at ƵU and started 36 of those, the most coming from Ryan (20 starts in 28 games played) and Wright (14 starts in 31 games played).
While West VirginiaƵs receiving cupboard isnƵt as well stocked as last year, it is far from empty, especially in terms of high-ticket items.
Between them, Sam James and Bryce Ford-Wheaton have played in a combined 72 games at ƵU, starting 43 of them. With 21 and 22 starts respectively, each could become among the most experienced receivers ever at West Virginia, as only David Saunders (35 career starts from 1995-98) and Khori Ivy (33 career starts from 1997-2000) have more than 32 starts in ƵU history. Because of the eligibility-free year in 2020, both actually could play collegiately in not only 2022 but also 2023, so they could eclipse many records by the time their down Ƶ if they want to stick around that long Ƶ including Mike Collins school-best for most career starts regardless of position (the safety started 45 games from 1990-93).
A 6-foot, 183-pound native of Richmond Hill, Georgia, James has been a huge part of West VirginiaƵs pass game since his redshirt freshman season in 2019. He even caught a couple passes the year before but was limited to two games of action in 2018, thus preserving his redshirt. He followed that with the best receiving season ever for a Mountaineer true or redshirt freshman, catching a team-best 69 passes for 677 yards. His top performance that year was against Texas Tech when he had 14 receptions (tied for second-most ever by a Mountaineer no matter what the class) for 223 yards (fourth-most). Ƶ a sophomore in 2020, Brown had what he readily admits was a disappointing year, finishing the 10-game season (he played in nine, missing the season finale at Iowa State) with 31 receptions for 300 yards and two touchdowns. He bounced back with a strong effort in 2021, though, catching 42 passes (tied for second on the team) for 507 yards (third) and five touchdowns (tied for first). He caught at least two passes in 12 of ƵUƵs 13 games, and had five receptions in a game five times last season. For his career, James already is tied for 10th on West VirginiaƵs career reception list with 144, and seemingly has a great shot to finish 2022 in the top five, as Daikiel Shorts (2013-16) currently sits fifth with 177, while David Saunders is fourth with 191. JamesƵ 1,486 career receiving yards are the 23rd most in school history, but heƵs within range with a good season of a spot in the top 10 (Rich Hollins had 1,981 yards from 1980-83 is currently 10th).
Ford-Wheaton also arrived at ƵU as part of the class of 2018, and while he played in one game as a true freshman, he ultimately redshirted that season. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound receiver didnƵt make the same splash as James did as a redshirt freshman in 2019 (12 catches for 201 yards and two TDs), but his 50-yard catch-and-run on a pass from Jarret Doege for a fourth-quarter touchdown at Kansas State lifted West Virginia to a 24-20 upset of the Wildcats. The Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, native showed improvement as a sophomore, finishing 2020 with 27 catches for 416 yards and three TDs, despite missing two of the 10 games. Then last season he displayed his high-end potential by catching 42 passes (tied with James for the second-most on the team) for 575 yards (second) and three touchdowns. His best statistical performance came at Oklahoma, where he had eight catches for 93 yards, and he also was instrumental in West VirginiaƵs 38-31 upset of No. 22 Iowa State by hauling in two huge touchdowns as part of a six-catch, 106-yard day.
Bryce is the latest in a line of Mountaineer athletic royalty. His grandfather, Garrett Ford Sr., was one of the greatest running backs ever at ƵU, rushing for 2,165 yards from 1965-67, and he also spent more than four decades working at his alma mater, first as an assistant football coach and then as an academic counselor and ultimately an assistant athletic director before retiring in 2011. BryceƵs uncle, Garrett Ford Jr., also was an excellent running back for West Virginia (1,554 yards from 1989-92), and his mother, Tracie Ford, was a member of the Mountaineer track team.
Having obtained his bachelors degree in sports management from ƵU this past December, the Big 12 CommissionerƵs honoree for his academic work already has 81 receptions for 1,192 yards in his college career, and figures to move into the top 25 in each category before the 2022 season is very old.
James and Ford-Wheaton both have had significant moments as Mountaineers, but each admit that consistency has been their undoing at times. Their drop rate was relatively high in 2020, and while that improved last season, it can still get even better. If it does, West Virginia has a pair of elite receivers to build around, at least for 2022 and maybe 2023 as well.
The pair isnƵt the only ƵU receivers with talent and game experience, though.
Reese Smith (5-10, 186 lbs., Jr.) has played in all 23 games since arriving at West Virginia from Danville, Kentucky, two years ago, starting three of those. Also a valuable special teams player, Smith recorded 11 catches for 128 yards as a true freshman in 2020 and 12 for 124 yards in 2021. He rotated in at slot receiver the past two seasons, and now with Wright gone from that position, Smith figures to be one of the top contenders for either that starting job or at least greatly increased playing time at that spot.
Graeson Malashevich (5-9, 180 lbs., Jr.) also will be in the mix for more opportunities at the slot receiver. ƵUƵs holder the past two seasons for placekicks, the Spring Valley (W.Va.) High grad has had limited opportunities on offense (one career catch for 30 yards) in that time. The exercise physiology major was the 2021 Tommy Nickolich Award winner, which is presented each spring to the teamƵs top walk-on. Malashevich wonƵt qualify for the award in the future, though, because he was placed on scholarship in the fall, and he very well could start seeing increased playing time at the slot. Preston Fox (5-10, 180 lbs., Jr.) is another possible contributor at the slot. The Morgantown (W.Va.) High product has seen a good bit of action on special teams during his time at ƵU, but he also has one career reception, hauling in a pass and taking it for an eight-yard gain against Long Island last season.
While Smith, Malashevich and Fox jockey for time at slot receiver, Kaden Prather (6-4, 210 lbs., Soph.) is almost certainly going to be a major component of ƵUƵs 2022 receiving corps, likely at one of the outside receiver spots.
The four-star receiving prospect from Montgomery Village, Maryland, enrolled at ƵU in January of 2021 and benefited from the opportunity of going through spring practice and the offseason strength and conditioning program last year. Still, it took him a little while to get adjusted to the college level, as a combination of inexperience and injury limited him in the first half of the season. The blue-chip recruit played in every regular-season game, but other than two catches for 33 yards against FCS foe Long Island, he didnƵt have any other receptions in West VirginiaƵs first seven contests. After that, though, it was a different story, as his opportunities increased significantly. Though he missed the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against Minnesota, he did record 10 receptions for 142 yards in ƵUƵs final five regular-season games, including four catches for 60 yards at Kansas State and four more for 48 yards against Texas.
Covid caused PratherƵs Northwest High School to cancel its entire 2020 football season, which would have been the receiverƵs senior campaign, but he was so good as a junior (42 catches for 895 yards and nine touchdowns while earning all-Metro honors from the Washington Post) that he received scholarship offers from a whoƵs who list that included Alabama, Baylor, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State and others. He signed with West Virginia, though, and now is expected to be a huge part of the MountaineersƵ aerial attack this year and for several to come. This receiving corps figures to rely mainly on James, Ford-Wheaton and Prather this coming year.
For added depth, ƵU returns several walk-ons who also will try to work their way into the receiver rotation this spring. C.J. Cole (6-4, 204 lbs., Soph.) played in four games this past season, most of that action coming on special teams. In addition, Nick Maher (6-1, 200 lbs., RFr.), Todd Simons (6-3, 185 lbs., RFr.) and Joseph Udoh (6-9, 200 lbs., RFr.) were first-year players at West Virginia last season who did not see any game action and ultimately redshirted. Each has good size, particularly the 6-foot-9 Udoh, who is a graduate of Nitro (W.Va.) High School, so any or all of them could eventually develop into productive receivers for the Mountaineers. West Virginia added another walk-on at the wide receiver position this January, when Michael Evans (6-0, 185 lbs., RFr.) transferred from Robert Morris to ƵU.
West Virginia also has secured four newcomers for its wide receiver room. One is already enrolled at ƵU Ƶ Jarel Williams (6-2, 185 lbs., Fr.) from Saraland, Alabama Ƶ and the other three are slated to arrive in the summer Ƶ Jeremiah Aaron (5-11, 190 lbs., Soph.) from Navarro (Texas) College, Cortez Braham (6-2, 193 lbs., Jr.) from Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College and C.J. Donaldson (6-2, 220 lbs., Fr.) of Miami, Florida.
Williams graduated from high school a semester early to get a jump start on his college career. A class 6A all-state honoree in Alabama, he had 132 receptions for 2,077 yards and 29 touchdowns in his three varsity seasons at Saraland. A three-star prospect, he received scholarship offers from Florida State, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas State, Kentucky, Tennessee and others, but picked West Virginia. With the MountaineersƵ lack of depth at receiver, Williams very well could be someone who receives immediate playing time.
The same is true for Aaron, though the fact that he wonƵt arrive at ƵU until the summer may hold him back some. Certainly, West VirginiaƵs coaches wished Aaron had been able to enroll in time to participate in spring drills, but still he does have two seasons of junior college experience under his belt. A first-team all-Southwest Junior College Football Conference selection in 2021, Aaron led the nationƵs J.C.s in all-purpose yards (1,775 with 911 receiving, 144 on punt returns and 720 on kickoff returns) last year. He had 49 catches in 10 games in 2021 and 28 for 419 yards as a freshman in 2020.
Even though Aaron wonƵt have the benefit of spring practice at ƵU, heƵll likely get a chance for playing time early in 2022, not just at receiver but also as a kickoff returner (24.8 ypr average in Ƶ21) and punt returner (20.6 ypr average in Ƶ21).
Donaldson, who also is scheduled to enroll at ƵU this summer, is likely going to get his initial shot at the receiver position with the Mountaineers, though he may eventually grow into a tight end/h-back.
He was mainly a tight end early in his high school career but spent most of his senior season at Gulliver Prep at receiver. He thrived in that role as a pass catcher, hauling in 81 receptions for 1,164 yards and 13 TDs last fall in helping the Raiders to a 9-2 record, which included a spot in the Florida Class 4A state regional finals where they fell, 36-33, to the eventual state champions, Cardinal Gibbons. Donaldson committed to Tulane last May, but after his monster senior season, he began to get Power 5 offers from the like of West Virginia, Florida, Florida State, Indiana and Ole Miss. He decided to follow his Gulliver teammate Trey Lathan, a linebacker, to ƵU, where heƵll likely start out at wide receiver but eventually could move to tight end.
The latest addition to the MountaineersƵ receiving corps, Cortez Braham, signed with ƵU on Feb. 2 at the beginning of the traditional official commitment period. He comes to West Virginia after playing three seasons at Hutchinson Community College Ƶ he used an extra juco year, as the junior college level, like the NCAA, deemed the 2020 season an eligibility-free year because of Covid.
In his three years at Hutch, Braham caught 68 passes for 1,387 yards and 17 touchdowns in 26 games. The past season, in helping the Blue Dragons to a 9-2 record, he finished with 32 receptions, 723 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Braham initially committed to Buffalo last spring, but he had a change of heart in December. The second time around he narrowed his list to Colorado State, UNLV, SMU and Temple before picking ƵU.
Braham attended Westwood High School in Blytheville, South Carolina, where he had 79 career catches for 1,370 yards and 17 TDs.
With nine scholarship players and four returning walk-ons in the receiver room, West Virginia may look for more depth at that position before the 2022 season begins. Ƶ is normal, there figure to be several new walk-ons added, but the Mountaineers may also search for another scholarship-worthy high schooler, junior college prospect and/or four-year transfer. Any newcomer wonƵt be able to enroll at ƵU until the summer, but the Mountaineers could seemingly use more depth at the receiver position. West Virginia already has pretty good quality at the top of its receiver two-deep; it just needs more in terms of quantity.
ƵU also is going to need a new assistant coaching these receivers, as Gerad Parker, who had spent the past two seasons as the MountaineersƵ receiver coach, is headed to Notre Dame, where heƵs going to work with the tight ends. To fill that role at West Virginia, Tony Washington recently was hired after spending the past two years coaching receivers at Coastal Carolina.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Ƶ News) Ƶ Dante Stills and Zach Frazier topped off a big week in college football for North Central West Virginia and the Fairmont/Clarksburg area in particular by being named to the All-Big 12s first and second team respectively.
It is difficult to imagine the impact the area has had on college football over the years, but this week Nick Saban guided his Alabama football team past rival Auburn with a thrilling, come-from-behind four-overtime victory to advance to the SEC's championship game.
And Rich Rodriguez was named head coach at Jacksonville State as it moves into FBS football as a member of Conference USA.
Then, on Thursday, the Big 12 Ƶ which is awaiting its championship game Ƶ came out with awards for the 2012 season and the senior Stills was named to the defensive team at tackle while Frazier, a sophomore, was named second team all-conference.
For Stills, who was selected the pre-season Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, his all-conference play rewarded his decision to return for his senior year.
Earlier he admitted that he had considered jumping into the NFL draft pool with his brother, Darius, last year.
"My goal going into my junior year was I wanted to leave," he said in pre-season interviews. "I wanted to be that three-year dude, but during the year I wasn't performing at the level I expected to be at. I was good, but my stats weren't showing it. I just didn't do as much as I needed to go to the next level."
So while Darius went into the draft as the Big 12's Defensive Lineman of the Year for 2020, only to be bypassed in the draft, Dante came back and worked on the things he felt he needed to improve.
The result was a big season, even though offenses were scheming to double team him.
In the voting of the Big 12 coaches who were not allowed to vote for their own players, Stills left with top honors at his position.
He started all 12 games and finished with 32 tackles, including 25 solo stops, with a team-high six sacks and also a team-leading 13 tackles for losses.
He accomplished what any defensive lineman sets out to accomplish.
"Our main focus is doing our job, getting up field and making penetration," he said. "I'm just trying to cause havoc."
While he was doing that while becoming a leader on defense, sophomore Frazier was gaining league-wide respect in his first full season starting at center.
Like the Stills brothers, Frazier came out of Fairmont Senior's football program and made an immediate impression across the league as a true freshman when he was forced due to injury into starting out of position at guard.
There was none of that this year, Frazier being named the starting center from the beginning and he was a dominant player.
He played all 841 offensive snaps in 2021 and on more than 1,400 snaps in his first two years. He was a three-time ƵU Offensive Lineman of the Game (Virginia Tech, TCU, LIU) and finished with a team-high 60 knockdowns and 28 great blocks.
Frazier only surrendered two sacks for the entire season and graded out to 90% or better in 10-of-12 games on overall performance, posting 88% in the other two games.
Earning All-Big 12 honorable mention were defensive back Alonzo Addae, running back Leddie Brown, linebacker Josh Chandler-Semedo, wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton, offensive lineman James Gmiter, placekicker Casey Legg, defensive back Sean Mahone, defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor, offensive lineman Wyatt Milum, punter Tyler Sumpte and wide receiver/returner Winston Wright Jr.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Ƶ News) Ƶ The love-hate affair that West Virginia fans have had with quarterback Jarret Doege took a new and, to be quite honest, unexpected twist on Saturday as he was leading the Mountaineers to a 31-23 victory over Texas, keeping alive their chances to qualify for a post-season bowl game.
For much of two seasons, fans have been unappreciative of Doege's efforts, to try and find a polite way to put the social media postings and barroom conversations that have been taking place.
Fans were upset some last year and certainly lost whatever true affection they had for Doege in the Liberty Bowl when he had to be benched before the Mountaineers could get enough offense to defeat Army.
Many, maybe most, expected Garret Greene, the redshirt freshman who had become the anti-Doege through no doings of his own or of Neal Brown's, figured sooner or later the plug would be pulled ... but like Father Time, he kept on going out there. Failures in the passing game were pinned on him by his critics.
Successes, it seemed, were all great catches to those same people.
It was a case of Doege being unable to win, and you can take that any way you want.
But he deserved a break on Saturday. It was Senior Day and he had spent his career here either being sacked by unhappy fans or blitzing linebackers. This, however, was a day to let bygones be bygones, by golly.
But Doege had a few surprises up his ƵU jersey sleeve. The one-time Bowling Green quarterback came up with an amazing game against Texas, throwing for 290 yards and three touchdowns but, more important, making victory possible with some of the most amazing escapism since Patrick White played quarterback.
He did it not with legs, as did White, but by turning bad situations into good one, once converting a third-and-18 into a first down en route to a touchdown after a pair of sacks and another time turning a third-and-16 into another first down.
"We had some third-and-longs and were able to overcome them" Brown said. "You know, we've been kind of hot and cold on third and longs this year. I thought he did a nice job. He was accurate, didn't put the ball in jeopardy and our receivers made some contested catches as well."
On Senior Day, Jarret Doege heard cheers.
And fans heard something, too, for in the midst of the game, ESPN2's sideline reporter confided that she had spoken to Doege this week or earlier in the day and he had told her that he was planning to return to play another year, the year he gets to make up for the COVID season.
It wasn't as though we couldn't have guessed that, especially since what Neal Brown said during the week and would repeat after this game about what a strange Senior Day this was.
"I wouldn't take a whole lot credence about who walked and who didn't walk, just because they make a big deal out of it," Brown said. "If they wanted to walk, they walked. I would say that some of the guys that walked will come back. Some of the guys that didn't walk, I don't know. They may not come back."
Doege seems a likely candidate to return, which would give Brown an experienced quarterback Ƶ experienced? He surpassed the 10,000-yard passing mark between Bowling Green and ƵU during the game. With that, he could bring his young quarterbacks along slowly, use Greene as he has been, work true freshman Will "Goose" Crowder in and redshirt his prized incoming freshman quarterback out of Arizona, Nicco Marchiol.
Then there's a matter of facing the truth. Doege is not an NFL quarterback, so why not extend his career as long as he can. He'll have forever and day after its over to let the bruises heal.
And, like most athletes, he craves competition.
Say what you like about him, he is similar to former ƵU QB Skyler Howard in that he takes a licking and keeps on ticking, driven by inner fires that would burn some from the inside out but others use to spit out at adversity like a fire-breathing dragon.
Athletes like Doege don't run away from challenges. They run to them, just as a moth comes to a flame even though he knows he may be burned.
While we all know that Texas at this moment is not very good, having been eliminated from bowl consideration yesterday, he certainly sees this as a breakthrough, one he can build on next week against a weak Kansas defense and then hone through the spring and summer to set up a super senior season.
He admitted that he has a strong relationship with receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton, who helped him with his stats for the day wiht a spectacular diving catch of a perfectly thrown pass he lofted deep down field and would like to spend next year reaping benefits from it.
The one thing we don't know is whether Brown wants to have him back or whether he feels it's time to move on and see what's behind Door No. 3.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Ƶ News) Ƶ It may be Senior Day when Texas comes to Mountaineer Field to take on West Virginia at noon Saturday in a game shown on ESPN2, which ordinarily becomes a nostalgic look into the past, but this, instead, may turn into a celebration of the future within the two struggling programs.
In fact, there is reason to believe the game may be taken over by two of the best freshmen receivers in the country. That includes Texas' Xavier Worthy, who has already made his bones this year with 49 receptions for 831 yards and 11 touchdowns, and Kaden Prather of West Virginia, who had been talked about more than he had be played until last Saturday's loss to Kansas State when he began flashing the skills that previously had only been verbal promises.
Worthy certainly has been ... eh, worthy of the praise heaped upon him as his 11 TD catches top college football and his 831 yards through the air lead the Big 12.
Before this past week when Kansas stunned Texas and the college football world by upsetting the 31-point favored Longhorns, 57-56, ƵU was aware of what kinds of problems he would present them, but he put an explanation point on it when he caught 14 passes for 152 yards and three touchdowns.
The 14 catches were more than any freshman ever at Texas had caught and one short of the school's single-game mark.
ƵWorthy is playing as good as any freshman in the country and they do a good job of getting him the ball,Ƶ ƵU head coach Neal Brown said during his Tuesday press conference. ƵHeƵs fearless, he can run and he does a nice job of high-pointing the ball.Ƶ
With ƵU minus one starting cornerback in the injured Nicktroy Fortune and with having been scorched far too often by long pass completions this season, Worthy is sure to draw special attention from defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley.
ƵUsually when you do find him, they move him, so you have to find him again,Ƶ Lesley said. ƵThatƵs the chess match. TheyƵre going to get him the ball and we know that, and heƵs going to make some plays. He has against everybody. ItƵs not like heƵs going to stop that and IƵd be naive to think that.
ƵSo youƵre going to have to constantly adjust to where heƵs at and how theyƵre trying to use him, because theyƵre going to use him a lot of different ways and theyƵve been pretty open about it. TheyƵre going to get him 15, 20 touches a game. We know weƵre going to have to find him wherever heƵs at.Ƶ
Texas' attention on Prather won't be quite so acute, since he is just now starting to come out of his cocoon and has only seven catches for 106 yards, an average of 15 yards per catch. He is still looking for his first TD reception, but as noted earlier, this is about the future and the growth that is expected out Prather.
ƵHe has done it the right way,Ƶ ƵU offensive coordinator Gerad Parker said. ƵCompliments to our older guys to get him to that point. Sometimes, we as coaches make mistakes in playing a guy too early and too soon based off a lot of different things and variables that go into it. He has learned that the truth lies in the work. In order to earn the right to play in games like that and play at a high level, thereƵs a process that has to be followed to get a young player there.Ƶ
Veteran Bryce Ford-Wheaton has been Prather's mentor and guiding light.
"He did exactly what everybody expected him to do," Ford-Wheaton said after the Kansas State game. "We have a high standard for Kaden. He did literally exactly what we thought he was going to do with the opportunity."
The opportunity came when Isaiah Esdale suffered rib injuries.
"It was a good game for him. It really was his first time out there playing meaningful reps and he had a pretty good game," Ford-Wheaton said.
Ford-Wheaton has a vested interest in the freshman out of Montgomery Village, Maryland.
"We are very close," Prather admitted. "He had the job of being my big brother when I got here and not letting me make the same mistakes he made. He has done a good job of teaching me."
"They gave me the job of really just kind of mentoring him when he first came in in January, and heƵs done everything IƵve told him to do." Ford-Wheaton said. "My coach is hard on me coaching him, so he knows that there canƵt be a dropped ball when somebody comes in the game. HeƵs embraced that role, so heƵs learning everything here and now, and like I said, heƵs playing at a high level."
This is what Brown had been expecting once he felt Prather was ready to have the wraps come off.
ƵYou could see it coming. He got some balls thrown to him,Ƶ Brown said. ƵThatƵs the hard thing about playing wideout, a lot of things have to go right for you to get the ball. He has really played better. I felt like he was coming and I think he is another guy that you talk about projecting well. I think he is going to be a big-time player. You saw some of that on Saturday.Ƶ
There was a solid reason to go slowly with Prather. He missed his senior season in high school due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ƵI was very bummed out,Ƶ Prather admitted. ƵWe had big plans for my senior year. We were the runner-up in 2019 so we wanted to get that state championship for 2020. But due to COVID, we didnƵt get that done.
ƵIt didnƵt set me back at all. My wide receiver coach and trainer, Miles Gray, we worked from the pandemic until I left. So I came here ready.Ƶ
And now he's getting the chance to lay the foundation for his future.