2019 Position Preview: Linebackers

West Virginia's football team has some questions at almost every position about the depth available to fill those roles. That does not appear to be the case in the linebacker room. Despite losing all-time great David Long, Jr., there are some key returners, an injection of high-level talent and a change in formation that will make linebacker a major position of strength for the 2019 Mountaineers.

The Mountaineers return just one consistent starter in Dylan Tonkery, but have three other players with starting experience that played meaningful snaps during the 2018 season. Add in some seasoned special teams players looking to make the jump into to the two-deep and linebacker is one of the Mountaineer defense's strongest positions in the upcoming season.

You cannot discuss anything having to do with the WVU defense for the upcoming season without bringing up the shift away from the familiar 3-3-5 stack formation. Instead, new defensive coordinator Vic Koenning will be implementing a modified 4-2-5 setup that was rather successful against Sun Belt opponents at Troy. A key component of the new formation is the addition of the "bandit" position. While under 3-3-5 terminology, the bandit was a safety, it takes on the role of a pass-rushing linebacker/defensive end hybrid in Koenning's defense. In addition, the SPEAR position is new to WVU and is a safety/linebacker hybrid that will be covered in DubVNation’s safeties preview.

Starters: Bandit Vandarius Cowan (6'4", 235 lbs) redshirt sophomore

Photo credit: WVU Athletic Communications

Photo courtesy of WVU Athletics Communications

Bandit is an extremely deep spot for WVU with several players returning that will line up there and several experienced special teamers. However, it is very likely that none of them will be the starter against James Madison. That is because Vandarius Cowan is finally eligible. A sophomore, Cowan has been somewhat of an enigma since he arrived in Morgantown. He had off-the-field issues going back to high school and they continued into college which led to his transfer from Alabama.

Cowan may have had some discipline issues early in his tenure at WVU but by the end of the spring, he had turned into one of the most talked about players on the roster and for good reason. As a high school athlete, he ranged between a four and five-star prospect depending on the service you read. Cowan dominated the practice fields in his transfer season and now is set to hit the turf at Milan Puskar Stadium in 2019. It is entirely possible Cowan could turn out to be all hype, but he has the natural ability to be a consensus All-Big 12 performer.

Middle Linebacker (MIKE) Dylan Tonkery (6'0", 228 lbs) redshirt junior

Photo credit: 247 Sports

One of the key parts of every defense is the middle linebacker. Junior Dylan Tonkery is the single-most experienced player in this linebacker corps and he will be relied upon to guide a defense with the potential to do serious damage in the front seven. Tonkery was banged up throughout the 2018 season, only appearing in six games and starting five of them. "Tonk" made 22 total tackles with 10 being solo and 6 coming for loss. However, his redshirt freshman season in 2017 showed what he was truly capable of as he tallied 43 total tackles and 6.5 for loss across 8 starts while appearing in every game.

Tonkery struggled to stay healthy in 2018, but looks to be a steadying presence in what may be an up-and -down year. He will have to make a serious leap in the upcoming season if the Mountaineer defense is to be a cohesive unit in 2019. A healthy Tonk is certainly a breakout candidate as we head toward the season, with the Bridgeport native testing out as one of the best athletes on the team.

Weak-side Linebacker (WILL) Josh Chandler (5'11", 224 lbs) sophomore

Photo credit: WV Sports

The final position group in the linebacker room is the weak-side or "WILL" linebacker. The weak-side spot has been occupied by David Long, Jr. for the last few years and obviously it is unlikely that anyone will replace his production right away. The man who will have the first chance to do that is sophomore Josh Chandler. The Ohio native was the primary backup behind Long in 2018 and had a very productive spring and came away as one of the players touted the most by the new defensive staff.

Chandler was one of the Mountaineers' most productive backups during the 2018 season, making 14 total tackles and emerging as a special teams ace, leading the team with 7.5 tackles on the punt and kickoff units. The WILL spot vacated by David Long is going to have a huge hole to fill in the 2019 season. If there is any player with the combination of ability and early production to fill that hole, it is Josh Chandler.

Backups: Bandit Zach Sandwisch (6'2" 231 lbs) redshirt junior

Junior Zach Sandwisch was forced into action late in 2018 due to injuries at middle linebacker and was able to hold his own in his first real action. He appeared in 10 games, making one start while registering 13 tackles and a fumble recovery. Sandwisch moved over to Bandit during the spring and got reps with the first team while Vandarius Cowan was hobbled by a hamstring injury.

Middle Linebacker (MIKE) Shea Campbell (6'0" 232 lbs) redshirt senior OR Jake Abbott (6'0" 224 lbs) redshirt sophomore

The man who stepped in when Tonkery went down and proved to be a quality run stopper was senior Shea Campbell. Campbell is a former walk-on safety and Morgantown native who earned a scholarship last spring and split time replacing Charlie Benton after his injury in the Tennessee game. When Tonkery hit the injury report, Campbell shifted to the "MIKE" spot full time and made six starts before getting banged up himself and rotating with Zach Sandwisch down the stretch. Overall, he played in 11 games and made 6 starts while tallying 40 tackles (25 solo) with a sack, an interception, and a pass breakup.

The third man at middle linebacker is sophomore walk-on Jake Abbott. A high school teammate of the Stills brothers and son of former Fairmont Senior High School head coach J.L. Abbott, the younger Abbott was named as one of the most improved players during spring practice and earned the Tommy Nickolich Award which is given each year to the walk-on who best exemplifies courage, determination, and spirit. Neal Brown definitively stated that Abbott would be a factor on defense this year. The middle linebacker spot is very deep for WVU this year and what may be a shaky defense can find some stability at this position.

Weak-side Linebacker (WILL) Deamonte Lindsey (6'1" 208 lbs) redshirt senior OR redshirt sophomore Exree Loe (6'0" 210 lbs)

Photo credit: WVU Athletics Communications (Exree Loe pictured)

An unknown factor in this equation is converted safety Deamonte Lindsay. Lindsay was a star at West Virginia powerhouse Martinsburg but struggled to contribute outside special teams and moved to linebacker in the spring as a senior. Lindsay is not guaranteed to be the backup here but his experience and special teams ability will likely help him crack the two-deep as the season comes closer. A star tailback in high school, Lindsay brings an injection of speed that is not found anywhere else in the linebacker group and there is a good chance he gets a shot to rotate in, especially in passing situations.

Sophomore Exree Loe, came to WVU as a cornerback before moving to safety and eventually bulking up to linebacker and contributing as a redshirt freshman last year. Loe is one of the most athletic linebackers on the roster and his ability to drop into coverage may get him on the field on passing downs. Loe was highly coveted for his natural ability out of high school and his frame and athleticism make him a name to watch in 2019.

Others To Watch: Bandit Charlie Benton (6'1" 224 lbs) redshirt junior and Adam Hensley (6'2" 232 lbs) senior

Photo credit: WV MetroNews (Charlie Benton pictured)

Also at bandit is junior Charlie Benton who started at strong-side linebacker against Tennessee before suffering a season-ending knee injury during the game. Benton proved to be a playmaker in the short time he was on the field in 2018 and if he is fully healthy, he will have a good chance to push for a rotational spot in the upcoming season.

He will be joined by senior Adam Hensley who has also seen time on special teams and appeared to be ready to crack the two-deep before the injury bug struck. Hensley has seen the field since he was a true freshman and has the ability to play all three linebacker positions but will line up at Bandit to start the year.

Weak-side Linebacker (WILL) Jared Bartlett (6'2" 210 lbs) freshman

Photo credit: WVU Athletics Communications

The "WILL" linebacker spot may be a very young one in 2019 with the sophomore Chandler as the starter and freshman Jared Bartlett looking to pick up snaps right away. Bartlett is the brother of Steelers defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt and also played tailback in high school where he showed great speed and burst. Lindsay and Loe will battle for the backup spot in the two-deep but if Bartlett can pick up the ins and outs of Vic Koenning's defense, the true freshman may have the opportunity to emerge as a breakout candidate in 2019.

WVU's linebacking corps battled injuries throughout the 2018 season. As a result, quite a few players saw meaningful snaps and that will likely wind up being a benefit in 2019. If Vic Koenning can implement his defensive scheme quickly, the linebacker position will be one of the strongest on that side of the ball during the upcoming season.

Stay tuned to DubVNation.com for updates on WVU football and much more.