What Happens if Tye Edwards is Ruled Ineligible? A Look at WVU's Options to Fill the Void

As fall camp enters its second week, the West Virginia Mountaineers are still waiting on the NCAA to make a ruling on the eligibility of four of its players — running back Tye Edwards, wide receiver Jeffrey Weimer, defensive lineman Jimmori Robinson, and safety Justin Harrington.

In the meantime, those four have to do their own work off to the side to stay ready for the upcoming season, as they're not allowed to practice with the team. While there's no telling when WVU will get an answer from the NCAA and what that answer will be, we can at least discuss what could happen should Edwards be deemed ineligible.

Edwards is, without question, expected to serve as the Mountaineers' short-yardage/goal-line back, checking in at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds. While WVU has a plethora of backs capable of posting strong numbers, none are primed to handle those got-to-have-it situations like Edwards is. So, who steps up in his place if he can't suit up?

My first thought was Diore Hubbard. He has a nice balance of size and speed, and can certainly run it between the tackles. But then we recorded an episode of Between The Eers last week with Eugene Napoleon, and he mentioned the idea of putting Ferris State transfer Kannon Katzer there.

“People may look at his size and may not understand what he brings to the table. Watching his footage, he’s a hard-nosed son of a gun. He runs with some nasty. I like the way he runs. My only worry for him would be in this uptempo offense, once they get on a roll, a lot of times you will see a back that’s going to carry the ball three, four, five, six times in concession. Because of his size and his running style, is that going to hinder him? He’s not going to shy away from a hit. But, if I got you down there and we’re inside the ten and I need somebody that’s going to polish off that drive, am I going to be concerned that he won’t be able to answer? No.”

Katzer does run much bigger than his 5-foot-9, 188-pound frame would indicate. He's one of those backs that runs angry, with conviction, and with very little hesitation, making him an ideal candidate to fill that potential void.

There's also the chance that Rich Rodriguez dips back into the portal and adds someone late, which he's already hinted at doing.

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