Initial Reactions to WVU Spring Game

The Gold Team edged out the Blue Team in West Virginia's annual Gold-Blue Spring Game on Saturday by a 39-38 score. Throughout the game, I jotted down some thoughts on how the Mountaineers looked.

Winston Wright looks like he could be "the guy"

Coming into the spring it felt like Bryce Ford-Wheaton and Winston Wright Jr. would be the team's top two receivers. Following today's spring game, it's hard to imagine it being any other way. Both had some really good plays but Wright in particular looked like the receiver WVU has been missing for quite a few years - a dangerous, shifty playmaker that can do a lot of damage with the ball in his hands after the catch. He finished the game with 4 receptions for 43 yards and also had one carry for six yards. He has shown flashes of his potential in each of the last two seasons but this could be the year where he puts it all together and has a breakout season.

New year, same good defense

It's hard to really critique the defense in a spring game setting mainly because it's essentially two-hand touch which favors the offense. With that said, the defensive backs did a really good job of flying all over the field, especially on downfield throws. This comes as no surprise as West Virginia's secondary returns a bunch of pieces despite the loss of Tykee Smith and Dreshun Miller to the transfer portal. Sophomore Daryl Porter Jr. and true freshman Andrew Wilson-Lamp had really productive days and could provide some depth for WVU.

The linebacking corps performed about as well as I expected. Guys who have been in the program for a while like Josh Chandler-Semedo, Exree Loe, Jared Bartlett, and VanDarius Cowan played well while the younger guys showed some good and some bad.

As far as the defensive line is concerned, it felt like they were getting a good solid push throughout much of the game. Akheem Mesidor, Jordan Jefferson, and Sean Martin all had a very productive day. The three combined for 8 tackles, 4 sacks, and 4 tackles for loss. Taijh Alston and Jalen Thornton also came through with a couple of tackles and put pressure on the quarterback.

Again, it's hard to decipher all the good and the bad in a spring game but I would expect the Mountaineer defense to be solid once again in 2021.

Greene has potential, not quite ready

The freshman quarterback is always the most popular quarterback among the fan base. Why? Because it's always exciting to think about the future and what they can do as a starter. I understand the excitement around Garrett Greene but there is still a lot of things that he needs to work on before he is ready to take over the starting job. Although Doege is nowhere near as mobile as Greene, he has a better feel for the offense, takes care of the football, and is just more advanced as a quarterback which he should be as a redshirt senior.

Greene has to get past the early game jitters and not get down on himself when he makes a bad throw or read. As Neal Brown said earlier this offseason, it's a very fragile situation when handling a young quarterback. You don't want to throw them into the fire and ruin their confidence because it can really derail a quarterback's future.

Time is what Greene needs right now. The talent is there, he just needs to continue to develop and become a sponge in that quarterback room learning from not only coach Sean Reagen but Jarret Doege as well. Remember, this is only one day and it should not be a major factor in judging the progress that he has made as a quarterback.

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