West Virginia's Five Defensive Players that Can Win the Offseason
After an exciting 2019 season, the Mountaineers look to grow and have a strong 2020. Coaches expect their players to “win the off-season” by growing stronger both physically and mentally and expect them to work every day between the end of last season and Saturday, September 5 in Atlanta against Florida State.
The 2019 campaign was not the easiest to watch for Mountaineer fans, but here is a list of names who are expected to build during the off-season and bring the Mountaineers to the next level in the Big 12.
Guys that can win the offseason:
VanDarius Cowan
Cowan transferred from Alabama in 2018 and played in two games for West Virginia in 2019 before having season-ending knee surgery. His big play of the year was a key sack in the game against Texas that forced a punt and got the crowd back into the game for the Mountaineers. Cowan has a lot of talent and could potentially be the next star of this defense. This off-season will be important for him to recover from his injury and get back into game shape for an exciting 2020 campaign, where he should see a major jump in snaps per game. Cowan is a guy who has the talent to play on Sundays later down the road.
Nicktroy Fortune
Fortune is a guy who is highly respected by the coaching staff for his hard work in practice and during games. Last season he appeared in 11 games and started two, mainly seeing special teams action but was used towards the end of the season in the secondary at corner. The Mountaineer secondary is a young group with an extremely bright future. Nicktroy will be the guy head coach Neal Brown can use to put on the opposing team’s best receiver and say “go shut this guy down”. Look for Fortune to make a strong impact for this defense in 2020.
Tykee Smith
Smith finished his freshman season by earning All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and played in all 12 games for the Mountaineers at safety. He was West Virginia’s fifth-leading tackler with 53 tackles, and his play of the year was his incredible pick-six against Iowa State. His intangibles are truly remarkable for a true freshman and along with his partner in crime, Kerry Martin Jr. (see below), the Mountaineers will have a dynamic duo shutting down opposing team’s offensive attacks.
Kerry Martin Jr.
Martin Jr. played in all 12 games for the Mountaineers at safety in his freshman season and recorded 50 tackles, which was sixth on the team. The Charleston, WV native earned Pro Football Focus All-American Third Team in 2019 and will look to earn more honors in 2020. Martin Jr. is a tall and strong safety that sees the field very well and makes smart decisions. Look for him to take a leap and become more of a leader in this defense who coaches can rely on for consistency in the secondary.
Dreshun Miller
Miller is a JUCO transfer form Eastern Arizona College in 2018 and unfortunately had to sit out the 2019 season with a medical redshirt due to a season-ending knee injury, sustained in the preseason. Miller is a highly talented corner and performed at a high level in JUCO and was expected to make an immediate impact for the Mountaineers. His recovery has seemed to be going great and when healthy, look for Miller to bring leadership and experience to a young secondary. Miller is a guy who has the potential to play on Sundays.
