Stellar, Standard & Subpar: Alec Sinkfield in 2020
As we inch closer and closer to the start of the 2020 season, we take an in-depth look at each player on the Mountaineer roster. In these breakdowns, we discuss what a stellar, standard, and subpar season would look like for them. We are going in numerical order, so today we turn to running back Alec Sinkfield.
Coming to West Virginia, Sinkfield had fairly high expectations. Not to say that he was going to be the next great running back to come out of West Virginia, but there were even some comparisons to Justin Crawford from the previous coaching regime. The two have a similar running style with the ability to hit big.
After taking a redshirt year in 2017, Sinkfield was expected to be the Mountaineers' home run threat in the run game in 2018 alongside Kennedy McKoy and Martell Pettaway. ESPN included Sinkfield as the team's most likely player to have a breakout season that year as well. Unfortunately, he went down with a lower leg injury and only appeared in five games on the year.
The 2019 season was expected to be a little difficult for Sinkfield to see playing time. Coming off of an injury is never easy, but competing for game reps with two seniors (McKoy & Pettaway) and promising sophomore Leddie Brown makes it even more challenging. Heading into his redshirt junior season, Sinkfield will be in prime position to receive a lot of carries as he is the only returning running back on the roster aside from Leddie Brown.
Stellar
A great season for Sinkfield would be to become a back that can gash defenses for big plays and use his speed to his advantage. Having a power back like Brown is great, but having a speed rusher to balance the attack out is extremely important. Finishing in the neighborhood of 400-500 yards would be a huge step in the right direction.
Standard
The standard for Sinkfield is to be a solid third or so option in the run game and being a playmaker on special teams in the return game. He may not factor that much in the offense, but will find other ways to be valuable to the team.
Subpar
A subpar season for Sinkfield likely means he doesn't become an impact player on offense and potentially loses time to Tony Mathis or freshman A'Varius Sparrow. Again, he doesn't have to post huge numbers, but if he fails to be a part of the Mountaineers' one, two punch, it would likely be a disappointing season for Sinkfield.
Previous Players
What kind of season are you expecting for Alec Sinkfield in 2020? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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