Rich Rodriguez Praises DJ Epps, TaRon Francis as WVU Opener Nears

A year ago, West Virginia's passing game was, well, let's just say hard to watch. Pass protection wasn't great, a revolving door at QB, and very few playmakers at wide receiver all played a part in what was a lackluster passing game.

This year, WVU is poised to take a significant step in that phase of the game with a revamped offensive line, a dynamic quarterback, and a deep wide receiving corps.

Jaden Bray and Prince Strachan are the two names you've probably heard most about, but DJ Epps could end up being the Mountaineers' leading receiver when it's all said and done. The things he can do after the catch are special and something that has been missing in Morgantown at the position for years.

“He has been good," WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez said about Epps. "We wanted an experienced guy there (at slot), and he’s kind of earned his way up. Walked on, nobody wanted him, became the leading receiver at Troy. Very, very productive and has made most of the highlight catches in camp and not trying to show off or anything, just got great ball skills.”

Because he had just one year of high-level production at Troy, Epps sort of flew under the radar in the transfer portal. By Week 3, I have a feeling he will have a lot of coaches around the country regretting that they didn't pursue him this offseason.

He has the chance to be the go-to guy right now for the Mountaineers, but LSU transfer TaRon Francis could be the future featured threat on the perimeter. The former four-star didn't see much action last season, but has the speed and certainly the build (6'1", 216 lbs) to play at a high level and, if all goes right, turn himself into an NFL draft pick down the line.

"Initially, it took him a little while to kind of adapt to our tempo & pace," Rodriguez said about Francis. "But in the last week or so, he's really made some strides and shown some good things. He's got good speed, but he's a big, strong guy. 210 lbs, very physical, and great ball skills."

And trust me, Rodriguez was way more excited about Francis than the quote reads. It doesn't do it justice. The way he said it sounded as if he'd made tremendous progress and was ready to make an impact now. Francis is listed as the No. 2 option at the X receiver spot behind Jaden Bray.

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