Quick Hits: Outsiders Impacting Transfer Decisions, QBs, Replacing Mesidor

Quarterbacks

"Garrett [Greene] had a nice day. He threw the deep ball well today, that's the thing that really stuck out. Nicco [Marchiol] was feast and famine. You always got to think about it like, he's a high school senior. He went out there and got reps with the ones in Power Five and no offense to Hamilton High School, where he played last year, they're really good but there's a little bit of a difference between that and going and playing against our first group of defenders. So, the game is happening fast. I was really proud of him because he threw an interception and he bounced back really well from that. Goose [Crowder] had a long touchdown run today on a draw play and I thought he did a good job of moving up in the pocket and hitting some plays down the field."

Ja'Quay Hubbard running with the first team at right tackle

"Brandon [Yates] was out today. He wasn't dressed. Nothing serious, he'll be back hopefully on Tuesday. But Ja'Quay [Hubbard] got in there and we've talked about this - Ja'Quay has really changed his body over the last, really since he joined us coming from UVA. I think he's really growing at that position. He was a guy that was really playing interior o-line when he was heavier. Now that he's kind of leaned up, we think his best opportunity to help us is at tackle. He can play both sides, but he played right tackle today and I thought he did pretty well. He's still got some room to grow. He gets himself in some bad body positions sometimes but he and Jordan White are guys we need to continue to come on. To this point through six practices, I'm pleased with how they're developing, both he and J. White."

If there are plans to add to d-line following Mesidor's departure

"I think it's too early to tell. I'll be able to tell you after 15 practices and what I mean by that is Zeiqui Lawton, he's going to get a ton of reps. So, we'll see. Eddie Vesterinen isn't out there right now during the spring and we're hoping he can get back and do some drills toward the end of it. But Jalen Thornton is a guy that you all have heard me mention. I think this is going to be a huge spring for him. Jordan Jefferson was established from about the midpoint last year on and we feel good about the direction he's trending. Dante [Stills] gives us flexibility. Sean Martin, I think this is going to be a huge spring for him and he flashed today. So, I think we've got bodies there but I think a lot of it is going to depend on these guys raising their game. I don't think it's a must where we have to go and get an interior d-lineman. I think it's a wait and see on it."

If there is a problem in the program amid slew of transfers

"I can tell you confidently and you can ask the kids this, we don't have a culture problem here. You all have been at practice and I think you can notice. I think if there was something really sticking out, you all would notice it. You don't hide it. Those things really don't stick out. If you look at the sidelines and you see how the kids interact and you look at the staff and the player interactions, those are really clear to me. These kids are making decisions and they're not thinking about the program as a whole. They're thinking about themselves individually. I think they're all different. There's a lot of outside influence and some of them get to them better than others. I think you have to look at it from each situation. The way we've gone about it is, I'm very conscious that these are young people and most of them have different reasons behind it and what I try to do is really shelter them because there's been some instances where it's clearly the best interest for that individual and for the program to separate. There have been some where there role was not exactly what they wanted and hey, I get it. I understand. There's also been a few, very few, that have left and I'm like, I really wish they weren't. I really think they had a better opportunity here."

Outsiders getting involved in transfer decisions

"I'm not against the portal. But I think there has to be boundaries, right? We have free agency and it's 365, 24/7. Well, there is no other enterprise that has free agency 365, 24/7. So, we've got to have some time frames arranged in the free agency. There's things that go around the portal that I don't agree with and I don't think are right. I don't think this is necessarily the platform to talk about that. I think there's other means to kind of clean some of that up. My job is, here is what we're dealing with right now, here are the rules, how do we respond to it and play it into our advantage. We've got to figure that out."

You can follow us for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us Twitter:

Facebook - @WVUonSI

Twitter - @SI_WVU and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_.

Add us as a preferred source on Google