WVU Needs More from Defensive Newcomers
There was a lot of attrition this offseason on the defensive side of the ball for West Virginia. They took some big hits from the transfer portal with the departures of six starters - DL Akheem Mesidor, LB Josh Chandler-Semedo, LB VanDarius Cowan, CB Daryl Porter Jr., CB Nicktroy Fortune, and CB Jackie Matthews.
Understanding they couldn't just use the "next man up" mentality and rely on a bunch of young guys, the coaching staff hit the portal themselves and brought in a number of players from lower levels such as LB Lee Kpogba (East Mississippi CC), CB Rashad Ajayi (Colorado State), CB Wesley McCormick (James Madison), S Marcis Floyd (Murray State), and S Hershey McLaurin (Jones).
A lot of prep went into the season opener against Pitt and those guys knew exactly what was coming. The only thing they weren't expecting was to see an empty look as much as they did but they were able to manage and adjust to it considering it was one personnel grouping. The Kansas game is a completely different story. Much of what they studied on tape never showed up in the game. Kansas went to a triple-option gun look which totally blindsided WVU and had the defense scrambling for answers. It made the aforementioned newcomers look like newcomers coming from lower levels of college football.
Defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley was none too pleased with how things unfolded last Saturday and shouldered the blame.
"That's on me. I got to be better. I got to be a better coach. I got to get them in better position and that's the only person it's on. That was not good enough and that's as simple as I can make it."
When asked how some of those newcomers have played to this point, Lesley was brutally honest.
"I think Rashad [Ajayi] played okay. Again, you're in a situation where you're trying not to stress guys and the offense forces you to stress guys, particularly outside. Two that have to be better are Lee [Kpogba] and Hershey [McLaurin]. But again, those junior college players, there's an adjustment period there. Games are different, practice[s] [are different]. So, it's got to slow down. A guy like Hershey McLaurin, when you get a guy that's one year guy in junior college that's a qualifier, you're essentially still getting a freshman. He's four years to play three. And then the older guys, of course, Wesley [McCormick] he was out in the first half and Marcis Floyd, and he knows this, got to play better."
Earlier in the week, head coach Neal Brown also gave his thoughts on how the secondary has played while hinting at the possibility of getting some young guys in the mix.
"Rashad, he's given up a couple passes but I'm not disappointed with how he's played. He's right there. They made a really nice catch on a post ball and then he gave up one ball against Pitt. But he's played well," Brown said. "We can win with how he's playing. [Wesley] McCormick played much better after having to sit in the first half. We feel good about those two guys. And I think Jacolby Spells and [Andrew] Wilson-Lamp can do that. We haven't played good enough at that position, so we're going to give guys some opportunities."
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