7 Players to Watch for WVU vs Oklahoma State
West Virginia (1-0) will be heading to Stillwater this weekend to take on the No. 15 Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-0) to kickoff Big 12 Conference play. The Cowboys struggled with Tulsa in their season opener last week, but much of that was due to starting quarterback Spencer Sanders being injured. There's no doubt about it, they will be hungry to bounce back in week two vs the Mountaineers.
With that said, we look at which players must play big for West Virginia to pull off the upset over Pokes.
Note: This list excludes Jarret Doege.
OFFENSE
RB Alec Sinkfield
We all know Leddie Brown is RB1, but the key to this Mountaineer offense truly having a balanced attack is having Sinkfield play at a high level. Brown likes to pound the rock in between the tackles, but doesn't have the wiggle or speed that Sinkfield does. Sinkfield is West Virginia's home run hitter and can pop off a big gain if he gets just a slither of space
WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton
West Virginia's passing game essentially ran through Sam James last year. As good as he is, he too, needs a counterpart and Ford-Wheaton appears to be that guy. He's a big, physical receiver that seeks contact and does extremely well over the middle of the field. Look for him to be a focal point in the offense.
LT Junior Uzebu
Neal Brown suspended 11 players in the season opener for a violation of team rules and Uzebu was one of them. He won the starting left tackle job over Brandon Yates, but with his first action being against a stingy Oklahoma State defense, it may be a long day for him. Both Uzebu and right tackle John Hughes have to keep QB Jarret Doege clean in the pocket.
DEFENSE
LB Tony Fields II
The Arizona transfer led the Mountaineers in tackles in week one with ten as he was flying all over the field making plays. Linebacker was a bit of a weakness heading into the season, but Fields II seems to have solved that problem. You'll hear his name called a lot on Saturday.
Dante and Darius Stills
These two were basically shutout in week one vs Eastern Kentucky and after the year they had in 2019, it was quite disappointing to say the least. Neal Brown expects a lot more out of these guys and will need to play big for West Virginia to have a chance vs Oklahoma State.
Alonzo Addae
If you watched SportsCenter last Sunday, you likely saw Alonzo Addae checking at No. 4 on the SC Top 10 with his diving interception. He played well in both coverage and special teams, so he's going to be on the field a bunch due to his athleticism. Is he an impact player? I think it's still a little too early to determine, but he needs to have a repeat performance from week one to give that secondary a boost.
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the page's top righthand corner. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter:
Facebook - @WVUonSI
Twitter - @SI_WVU and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_.