West Virginia Defensive Players to Watch vs. Bears in Week 6
While the West Virginia Mountaineers struggled on the offensive side of the ball last season, on the defensive side of the ball they were one of the better units in the Big 12.
However, despite having one of the better defenses, the Baylor Bears had little to no issue absolutely shredding the Mountaineer defense. In the Bears' 45-20 victory last season they would rack up 525 yards of total offense, with 354 coming through the air.
Not only does the Mountaineer defense have to attempt to keep the Baylor offense in check, they will be doing so while replacing nine defensive starters. If the Mountaineers aren't careful, this one could get ugly in a hurry.
This week at InsidetheBears, we are offering an in-depth look at Baylor's Week 6 opponent, the West Virginia Mountaineers, as a continuation of our season preview series.
Yesterday we took a look at the offensive side of the ball for the Mountaineers to offer a closer look at players that could cause trouble for the Bears' defense.
Now, we take a look at defensive players to watch for West Virginia when Baylor hits the road to Morgantown in Week 6.
DT Dante Stills
Dante Stills has been wreaking havoc in Big 12 backfields his entire career and he returns hoping to continue doing so in 2022. In 2021 he would rack up 36 total tackles, including an impressive seven sacks. If Stills can make life difficult for Baylor's interior offensive lineman then this game could get interesting.
LB Lee Kponga
Former Syracuse Orange and now transfer from East Mississippi CC, Lee Kponga will be an instrumental member of the Mountaineers defense this season. He fills an area of need and is likely to start right away for West Virginia.
He earned an All-Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference First Team selection and if he translates his success to the FBS level, then the West Virginia defense might not miss a beat in 2022.
DE Taijh Alston
Alston returns to West Virginia in 2022 looking to solidify himself as one of the best pass rushers in college football. Last season he tormented teams off the edge, finishing his season with 36 total tackles, including 11 tackles for loss and five sacks. If he can duplicate his success from 2021, Alston will be a major force off the edge that can put up a battle against Baylor's offensive tackles.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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