Three Takeaways From WVU's Preseason Depth Chart

A lot can change between now and September 2nd, but they are a few interesting notes on the WVU depth chart.

Preseason depth charts don't mean much but they can reveal where battles will take place in fall camp and if there have been some position changes. 

Earlier this week, WVU released its preseason depth chart and after a couple of days looking it over, I wanted to jot down a few of my thoughts.

Musical chairs on right side of the o-line

Brandon Yates began his career at left tackle, then moved over to right tackle, then saw some reps at center behind Zach Frazier, and now, is settling in at right guard. If he is able to beat out Ja'Quay Hubbard for the starting job and has a productive season, that prior versatility will allow him to garner interest from the next level. 

Hubbard has had a similar path going from left tackle to right tackle to right guard. He started 11 of the 12 games at right tackle last season but still split time with Yates. Their battle continues in 2023, just at a different position.

Doug Nester was a highly coveted right tackle out of high school but at both Virginia Tech and West Virginia, he's primarily lined up at right guard. This season, he'll be moving back out to tackle which is a better fit for him and also gives WVU more length and athleticism to handle the pass rush off the edge.

Competition at WILL linebacker

With the graduation of Exree Loe and Lance Dixon moving from WILL to SPEAR, there is a new starting spot up for grabs. WVU currently has the position listed as -- Jairo Faverus OR Trey Lathan, Ben Cutter.

Faverus is one of the handful of international players that Neal Brown brought in from his ties with PPI Recruits. At Bristol Academy of Sports, he lined up at corner with some snaps at safety. Last year, he made the move down to linebacker in appeared in all 12 games but saw most of his action on special teams.

Trey Lathan chose West Virginia over a host of Power Five schools when he came out of high school in 2022. He'll make a push for that starting spot but he might be one year away from becoming a key cog in the second level. We'll see where he's at when fall camp arrives.

Ben Cutter is a tackling machine. As a senior at East Lincoln HS in Denver, NC, he racked up 193 tackles, eight TFLs, four picks, and two sacks. He's going to play his way into the two-deep at some point but to begin his career, he'll make an immediate impact on special teams.

No starter listed at corner - is that a bad thing?

West Virginia returns Malachi Ruffin, Jacolby Spells, and Andrew Wilson-Lamp at the position and added transfers Montre Miller (Kent State) and Beanie Bishop (Minnesota). The secondary was a mess a year ago due to a lack of depth and when Charles Woods went down with an injury in Week 1, it forced a lot of guys into roles they weren't quite ready for.

Spells showed flashes of why he was regarded as a consensus four-star recruit and came up with a huge pick-six in the win over Virginia Tech. Wilson-Lamp's speed and length make him an intriguing young player as well. But I have a feeling WVU is going to rely heavily on the experience of Ruffin, Bishop, and Miller. 

Heading into fall camp without either of the cornerback spots figured out could make fans uneasy but I wouldn't read too much into it right now. The good thing is, they have a lot more depth there than they did a year ago. More depth = more options.

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