MAILBAG: Jaylen Henderson Time? O-Line Changes, Gallagher's Usage + More

Good Monday morning, Mountaineer fans! It's time to crack open this week's West Virginia On SI mailbag.

From @coalcountrywvu:

Q: How bad do Malik Agbo and Josh Aisosa have to be to not be getting playing time over Kimo and Crawford

A: I don't know if it's a lack of talent, but it could be consistency. Throughout the week, Kimo and Crawford have to be the most consistent or else they wouldn't be starting, which, to your point, is scary. There has to be a point in time where changes are made, regardless, because this can't continue for much longer.

From @harriman21159:

Q: So our O-line is a liability, and bad pass protection won’t help the QBs. However, after a lot of three-and-outs, you see RR upset at Nicco as he exits the field (I’ve seen this interaction in person (Ohio) and on TV). Are there actually open WRs that aren’t being seen by the QB?

A: Receivers were open a bunch in the Ohio game. I'm rewatching the tape later today, so not confident enough to comment on it other than I did notice a few times he hesitated, which either allowed something to get covered up or resulted in a sack. He has to get the ball out much faster.

From @MVPhilly_:

Q: Why do you think Rich kept Nicco in so long after only moving the ball 1 time? Also, Nicco hasn’t moved the ball consistently in the first half, excluding Robert Morris, so why keep trotting him out there?!

A: Great meeting you at the Bane tailgate! You're not going to like the answer, but he's been the most consistent at throwing the ball and has a better grasp of the offense than the rest in that room. Protection is bad, and if he can't get average o-line play, he stands no chance. It's really a pick-your-poison type of situation. I do believe we'll see more of Henderson against Utah, and if he plays well, that could spark a change.

From @Engelhard2:

Q: It would be helpful to know the offensive line performance stats by player. Can you provide this and the overall ranking for the effort? They seem lost on assignments, particularly in pass protection.

A: The PFF grades for the starters are as follows: Nick Krahe (54.1), Walter Young Bear (55.2), Landen Livingston (62.3), Kimo Makane'ole (45.1), Ty'Kieast Crawford (41.3). The grades truly do support what we saw on Saturday. The right side of that line is a huge issue. I don't think the effort is a problem; there's just a lot of confusion for whatever reason.

From @wvufan2023:

Q: Are there going to be changes made on the staff? If not, I’m not gonna feel very confident in this team.

A: In-season? No. In the winter? More than likely. Rodriguez typically likes his assistants to be on one-year deals. I think there are some spots where you'll see change, but maybe not where you think. That being said, it's too early to tell.

From @JDFunky:

Q: Can (we) you (HC/OC) adjust this offense? The offense has been offensive.

A: Haha, you're not kidding. It has been an eyesore for sure. Getting Tye Edwards back should help tremendously, but it all spills back to the offensive line. That group has to improve — no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

From @hawkbacca:

Q: Is it just me, or did Rodney Gallagher feel underutilized? Felt like he didn't make it into the offense until near the end of the first half, when he's been shown to be a security blanket in the slot.

A: It definitely feels that way. I thought we would have seen his workload continue to be what it was against Pitt, but that wasn't the case. We saw more of ManMan Singleton than usual, and I get it, he's someone you want to get involved, but Gallagher has to become more of a fixture in this offense. You're absolutely spot on.

From @MrEd315:

Q: In your opinion, what, if anything, good came out of the Kansas blowout?

A: The fact that it's over. Haha. Offensive line play was horrible, run game was just as bad, defense was okay, and special teams was a mess. Maybe the play of the cornerbacks and Jaylen Henderson's spark? Honestly, that's probably about it. Perhaps we'll see more of Henderson moving forward after leading that scoring drive.

From @RussellWoodrum:

Q: Can we move QB Jaylen Henderson to RB? Can we try different players on the offensive line?

A: Haha, if only it were that easy. I think Henderson will get more time this week against Utah, and they'll certainly use his legs. The offensive line, well, it just is what it is at this point. Unfortunately, you can't go pick someone up off the streets and insert them right away like you can in the NFL. It's going to be something that gets addressed in the offseason.

From @dylansemones03:

Q: Who’s replacing Kimo?

A: If anyone does, it would be Josh Aisosa. As much as I believe it needs to happen, I'm not sure that change will be made this week or next, for that matter. It could be something they look at during the bye week. Makane'ole has put some really bad tape out there.

From @pcoe51:

Q: Frustrated on the play calling in certain situations. Is someone else having a say in the calls? Because we can’t establish the run and continue to go back to it then we’re running 10+ yard routes on 4th and 2. Just head scratching, and I know our o-line is atrocious, but still…

A: It's Coach Rod. He'll discuss with the staff throughout the week to get their opinion on what they should put in it, but on gameday, it's all his. As I stated on Between The Eers on Sunday, I usually don't criticize the play-calling because it's the easiest thing to go after, and more often than not, it's not justified. But that 4th and 2 call? Yikes. And a few others had me scratching my head as well.

To participate in next week's mailbag, send me a DM on X (@Callihan_) reply to my tweet asking for submissions on Saturday, or place your question in the comments section under my poston Facebook.