Projecting WVU's Starting Defense vs Pitt
Yesterday, we took a look at who could start for West Virginia on the offensive side of the ball when they head to Pittsburgh for the season opener. Today, we flip over to the defensive side.
DT: Dante Stills
Stills made the decision to come back and it was the right decision, in my opinion. There's a chance he could have been drafted in the later rounds but he has the opportunity to really ascend in 2022 and ensure himself of being a draft pick. In my recent three bold predictions for WVU article, I had Dante Stills tying his dad in the all-time record books.
NT: Jordan Jefferson
A number of players will rotate in here at the nose, but Jefferson is the most experienced and the coaching staff has really liked the progress he has made in the past year. If you remember, he saw a bunch of playing time as a true freshman and wasn't necessarily ready for it. He handled it fairly well and used the 2020 season to truly develop his game.
DE: Taijh Alston
Finally, Taijh Alston was able to stay healthy as he played in 12 games this past season. He racked up 36 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and five sacks. Now that he has actual Big 12 experience under his belt, the sky is the limit for him in 2022.
BANDIT: Jared Bartlett
Although I penciled in Bartlett here, expect this to be more of a platoon situation between he and Lanell Carr, who Neal Brown has repeatedly labeled as the team's best pass rusher. This is the best depth that Brown has had at bandit since coming to WVU, so you may see some looks where both Bartlett and Carr are both on the field.
WILL: Lance Dixon
The Penn State transfer is really starting to find himself as he enters year two in the program. He's got a ton of athleticism and has good sideline-to-sideline speed. Now that he doesn't have to think of what he is supposed to do on any given play, we should see him play much faster in 2022.
MIKE: Lee Kpogba
Freak of nature. I know it's just spring ball, but Lee Kpogba had rave reviews from the coaching staff and his fellow teammates. He's the biggest and arguably the fastest MIKE backer West Virginia has had in the last decade. The potential for Kpogba is through the roof. If he lives up to the expectations, he'll be an All-Big 12 performer and a future NFL draft pick.
SPEAR: Saint McLeod
I was a little wary of putting McLeod in the starting lineup because of the injury he suffered earlier this spring. That said, the sense is that he will be ready to go by fall camp and shouldn't have to miss any regular-season action.
CAT: Marcis Floyd
Floyd came to WVU as a cornerback but after moving him around in spring ball they felt like he was a good fit at cat safety. I'm sure we'll see Floyd slide down to corner from time to time given how versatile Jordan Lesley likes his secondary unit to be.
FS: Aubrey Burks
Burks was my under-the-radar guy in the 2021 recruiting class and he's already off to a decent start to his career. Mainly saw action as a backup on defense and some snaps on special teams, but this year he should emerge as a starter at safety.
CB: Charles Woods
Might be the best player on the entire team. I know many are still unfamiliar with him but he was excellent in pass coverage a year ago and is one of the top returning corners in the Big 12. A strong season could lead to him becoming a top three round pick.
CB: Rashad Ajayi
This is a pure guess on my part. At this point in time, I don't think anyone has a clue as to who will start opposite Woods. With Daryl Porter Jr. and Nicktroy Fortune transferring out, WVU had to hit the portal themselves bringing in Ajayi from Colorado State, Wesley McCormick from James Madison, and JUCO product Jaylon Shelton. I'm going to predict that experience wins out here and Ajayi is the starter Week 1.
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