These WVU Football Players Could See Time on Both Sides of the Ball

Five Mountaineers who have the ability to pull double duty, if needed.

WVU Athletics Communications

As college football rosters shrink, you are going to see more and more coaches search for players who can do multiple things, be it playing two or three positions on defense or perhaps even play both sides of the ball.

The next Travis Hunter isn't in Morgantown, but there are a handful of guys who could see reps on both offense and defense this season, be it in a game or practice.

TE Xavier Anderson

Xavier Anderson

Other possible position: Defensive End

Anderson was a late recruiting win for the Mountaineers, flipping his commitment from Cincinnati just before signing day back in December. If he looks familiar, well, that would be because he is the younger brother of WVU quarterback Max Anderson. Xavier played both defensive end and tight end in high school and was an impact player on both sides of the ball. They will develop him at tight end, but defensive end could be a possibility down the road when he adds some more weight. Right now, he's listed at 215 lbs, so expect this to be a developmental year for him all the way around. As a senior, he totaled 31 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks.

TE Carter Zuliani

WVU Athletics Communications

Other possible position: Defensive End

The Bridgeport, WV native walked on to WVU initially to play defensive line before eventually flipping over to tight end. He has some reps under his belt on that side of the ball and was a AAA First-Team All-State selection as a senior after posting 27.5 tackles, five sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, six pass deflections, and a blocked kick. WVU lacked size and bodies at the tight end position a year ago, which led to his position change. He will most likely spend this season as a scout teamer/special teams member.

DL Noah Tishendorf

Noah Tishendorf

Other possible position: Tight end/fullback

I am a big believer in Tishendorf's potential on the defensive side of the ball. With some time to develop, he could become a quality defender for the Mountaineers. But don't be surprised if he gets some reps at tight end/fullback in fall camp. With all of the options West Virginia has along the defensive line, I'm not sure he has a true path to playing time there this fall, but he could certainly help out on offense if necessary. Rodriguez even mentioned several months ago that Tishendorf was a potential two-way guy.

LB Troy Fischer

WVU Athletics Communications

Other possible position: Tight End

Fischer has done a little bit of everything throughout his football career. He played fullback and tight end in high school and played tight end at Division III Christopher Newport to begin his career. When he got to West Virginia, he competed for the long snapper job and gave the Mountaineers some depth there. This offseason, he moved from long snapper to linebacker to give them more numbers there. It's going to be quite the uphill battle for him to see the field in anything other than special teams, but he could be a guy they rep on both sides during practice on the scout team.

S Matt Sieg

WVU Athletics Communications

Other possible position: Wide receiver

Lastly, but certainly not least, we have four-star prospect Matt Sieg. One of the biggest reasons Sieg chose WVU when he reopened his recruitment following the firing of James Franklin at Penn State was that he would have the opportunity to play both sides. They gave him some reps toward the end of spring ball on offense, and I imagine they will give him some here and there throughout fall camp. The focus, however, at least for his freshman season, is going to be on playing the safety position. They want him to master that spot before giving him a true workload on offense, if he ever gets one. He may become too valuable on defense, playing heavy snaps, which could box him out of a role on offense.