Offense? Defense? Both? Rich Rod Details What to Expect for Star Freshman Matt Sieg

One of the biggest reasons four-star recruit Matt Sieg picked West Virginia at the last minute was because of the ability to play on both sides of the ball.

Of course, a strong NIL package helped, but it wasn't just a financial decision. He wanted that chance to play on both sides and felt wanted with how strongly the WVU staff pushed in the final days leading up to signing day.

We are officially two practices into spring ball, and Sieg, as expected, has spent the majority of his time on the defensive side of the ball at safety. WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez was asked about the possibility of him taking snaps on offense this spring during his press conference on Monday evening.

“We had one day in our skill development where we had him running some routes or something out of the backfield. We’ll continue to do that," Rodriguez stated. "He’s figuring to play such a big role for us on defense, so he’s concentrated on that. But probably toward the end of spring, we’ll take a day or two and have him play some offense because he’s a good enough athlete to help us in a lot of ways. Probably running back or slot.”

Sieg, A day one gamechanger

When you flip on the tape, it doesn't take you long to figure out why the WVU staff is so high on him or why he was such a coveted recruit coming out of high school.

He's extremely athletic and is one of those players who just does everything well. There will naturally be some areas that he has to fine-tune at the start of his college career, but there is no glaring hole in his game. He tackles well, plays with physicality, can run, play the ball in flight, and bait quarterbacks into throwing into a dangerous window. I'm not exactly sure which safety spot they'll have him playing, but he'll be seeing significant snaps and possibly starting in Week 1.

Offensively, if there is a role, it won't be much. That's not because Sieg can't handle it, but because you want to protect him. He's a valuable piece of the defense's present and future, and having him play 80-some snaps a game as Travis Hunter did at Colorado is just too risky. Year one could be exclusively on defense, and that may be what's best for his development. You don't want to put too much on his plate and overwhelm him. Once he masters his role on defense, the staff will start to tack on some offensive responsibilities.