Projecting WVU's Starting Offense vs Pitt
A lot can change between now and the time West Virginia makes the 75-mile trip north to Pittsburgh for the 2022 edition of the Backyard Brawl, but for the most part, WVU's starting eleven on the offensive side of the ball is pretty much set.
Here's who we see lining up for the Mountaineers in Week 1:
QB: JT Daniels
Neal Brown will call it an "open competition", but it's really JT's job to lose. And by lose I mean as long as he's healthy, he's the guy. Injuries have followed him from USC to Georgia and prevented him from getting his starting job back. If he's healthy, Neal Brown will finally have respectable play at quarterback.
RB: Tony Mathis
Mathis finished the season strong both in the season finale at Kansas and in the bowl game against Minnesota. That success carried over into spring ball, putting him in the lead to be RB1. Clemson transfer Lyn-J Dixon will get a healthy dose of touches as well, but Mathis will see the majority of the carries.
WR (X): Bryce Ford-Wheaton
Each year, Ford-Wheaton has improved. Now, it's time for him to become that go-to guy and one of the better receivers in the Big 12 Conference. The biggest thing with Ford-Wheaton, and really all of the receivers is consistency. Should he put together a strong season in 2022, he'll be on the radar of NFL scouts.
WR (SL): Reese Smith
I really wanted to put Sam James at slot because I think he could be a matchup nightmare here, but I'll slide Reese Smith in here for now. The two are interchangeable honestly and will each see time at slot and the H. Smith has blazing speed and could give WVU similar production to what Winston Wright Jr. did in 2020.
WR (H): Sam James
Drops have been a big problem for James throughout his career and if he can solve that issue, he's going to be an intriguing NFL prospect. He's got elite speed, the ability to create separation and make plays in the open field.
WR (Z): Kaden Prather
Once Ford-Wheaton graduates, Prather will move over to the X spot, but he's too good to just be sitting on the sidelines. They'll move him around a good bit, but look for Prather to mainly play the Z. Has all the talent in the world and looks to be the future No. 1 WR for WVU.
TE: Mike O'Laughlin
O'Laughlin is one of the more experienced players on the team but has only played in 14 career games due to suffering a number of injuries. A couple of years ago, head coach Neal Brown felt like he could be one of the best tight ends the Big 12 has to offer. It will be interesting to see how much he's targeted in the passing game in Graham Harrell's offense.
LT: Wyatt Milum
Milum had an up and down freshman season, but what do you expect from an 18-year-old kid? Playing offensive line at this level is no joke and it takes time to adjust. Overall, he handled it quite well and even earned freshman All-American honors. Back in the spring, they flipped him over to the left side.
LG: James Gmiter
Talk about someone you want on your offensive line, James Gmiter is that guy. A tough, hard-nosed, physical, fierce competitor that will do anything to get the job done. Oh yeah, and he's pretty good at his job too.
C: Zach Frazier
You're not going to find many centers better than Zach Frazier. He's been rock solid since his freshman year in 2020 and is only continuing to get better. You don't hear his name a whole lot and as a lineman, that's a good thing.
RG: Doug Nester
In his first year at WVU, Nester had some growing pains but got better as the season moved along. Jordan White will be pushing him for playing time but now that he's had a full offseason in the program, I expect this to be Nester's best collegiate season yet.
RT: Brandon Yates
The potential has always been there for Yates, he just hasn't quite lived up to it yet. Moving him over to the right side might be a good move for him and it makes sense since he's right-handed and Milum is left-handed.
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