Neal Brown: 'We're Not All Doom & Gloom, We're Really, Really Close'

Another season is in the books for Neal Brown at West Virginia and three years in, he owns a 17-18 record. The Mountaineers had a rough outing in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl losing to the Minnesota Golden Gophers, 18-6. Defensively, WVU held their own despite going up against a gigantic offensive line. But once again, it was the offense that held this team back from ever having a chance to win the game and bring a trophy back to Morgantown.

Following the game, Brown spoke with the media and took the glass half full approach in regards to the future and where the program is headed.

"We've got most of our football team coming back and I think that's a big deal. I would say we have as much coming back on our football team as anybody in the country," said Brown. "So, we're not all doom and gloom. Are we disappointed we didn't win? You bet your ass we are. Is Minnesota a good football team? Yes, they're a really, really good football team. Did our guys compete? Yes, it's not an effort issue. There's certain aspects of the program that we've got to get better. This is what I told our team in the locker room, we are close in a lot of ways. We are really, really close but we've got to do things to get better to get back to where we want to be."

The way college football is today, I'm not sure how accurate his statement will be in the coming months about having most of the team back in 2022. Wide receivers Winston Wright Jr., Sean Ryan, and Bryce Ford-Wheaton posted some cryptic tweets on Wednesday which could foreshadow a potential transfer.

It’s been a pleasure… Love y’all boys 💙💛
— Winston “Champ” Wright Jr.🙏🏾 (@showtimejet) December 29, 2021

I love y’all mountaineer nation 4 life 🤞🏽thank y’all for making my dreams come true 💛💙
— 10 Comandments📝 (@ryan1_sean) December 29, 2021

😶‍🌫️
— Bryce Ford-Wheaton (@Brycewheat3) December 29, 2021

The reality of it is, more transfers will happen between now and the start of next season. Who it will be is anyone's guess, but you can't assume that any percentage or amount of your team will be back.

But more importantly, I have a hard time understanding how Brown comes to the conclusion that they are "really, really close". The offense hasn't improved in three years, the depth hasn't improved, and the quarterback spot is in a very tough spot. Sure, Doege could return for a sixth year but is it going to benefit the Mountaineers? I don't know about that. Garrett Greene has been in the system for nearly two full years yet Brown has made several mentions of him still having issues reading the defense in the passing game. I don't mean to come off as I'm bashing the coaching staff but isn't that on the coaching staff for his development orw21 lack thereof?

It would be one thing if the Mountaineers went 7-5 or 8-4 and lost most of their games by one score and it was just a matter of getting over the hump but that's not where this program is. Lest we forget the pounding that Big 12 champion, Baylor, unleashed on WVU? To be "close" you have to be play the class of your league tightly, not get blown out by 25 to Baylor and 21 to Oklahoma State. You could tab the current state of the program as a lot of things but "close" isn't one of them.

Can Neal Brown still turn this program around? Absolutely. He did hit on a very talented quarterback in the 2022 recruiting class in Nicco Marchiol to go along with one of the highest-rated classes in program history. He could get this team in the top four of the Big 12 in two years, but I think it sends the wrong message to fanbase stating that they're close. Fans will more than likely take that as "we're ready to win in 2022".

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