MAILBAG: NIL/Portal Concerns, Greene's Eligibility, Expectations in New Big 12 + More

Q: Why is depth such an issue for WVU defense and can it be fixed this year?

A: Injuries are a huge part of it. At linebacker specifically they were down two before the season started with Josiah Trotter and Tirek Austin-Cave being out. The cornerback room was thin heading into the season, so losing Montre Miller really hurts. And then Keyshawn Cobb would have been a quality rotational player at safety but the injury bug got him too. It'll be patch work from here on out.

From @wvufan2023:

Q: Do you think we perform like this again next week? Also, with some key guys out this week, it seemed like it didn’t really bother us too much. I hope the injuries that occurred at UCF aren’t serious as we already had some guys banged up. Let’s get healthy and ready for next week.

A: I think what we saw in Orlando will be much of what we see the rest of the way. The offense is humming and doing what it wants and the defense is going to end up being a bend don't break scheme due to injuries/depth. Prepare yourself for four high-scoring games. The early reports are WVU came out pretty good injury-wise from the UCF game.

From @WesVirginia:

Q: How many more years after this year can Garrett Greene play? 2? 1? Two to play one? Covid has me confused

A: It has us all confused, so don't feel alone. He redshirted in 2020, so he should have two years remaining. You get a free COVID year AND can still use a redshirt. I reached out for confirmation, so I'll update this answer once I receive that information.

From @SimuNATION8:

Q: The team next year looks very exciting after they get a season under their belts together. How difficult do you think it will be to retain them? From what you’ve come to find out, how much did the coaching staff, NIL and the uncertainty surrounding future affect past retention?

A: It definitely impacted their success in recent years. They were scrambling trying to figure out the NIL/portal landscape and how in some cases, they go hand in hand. They've ironed out a lot of those issues, so I don't think you'll see as many unexpected departures as we've seen in the past but there will always be one or two every now and then.

From: @ScottEl13805771:

Q: Do they beat BYU? If so I’m hearing by two touchdowns?

A: I do see them beating BYU. By two scores? Meh. I don't know. The defense has not looked good at all since the bye week and it doesn't appear as if they are turning the corner anytime soon.

From @ClimbTrustEer:

Q: Do you think this WVU team, if it finishes strong, returning the majority of its roster? Plus, can Neal Brown not only compete but win a Big 12 championship in the new Big 12 landscape allowing the possibility of a 12-team CFB playoff team?

A: Yes to the first part of your question. West Virginia has the resources in place to keep the guys they want to make sure they hold on to. As I stated in a previous question above, there could always be one departure that is unexpected. These are 18-22-year-olds we are talking about and no one has any idea what's going on in their heads. As for the latter, I think it's to be determined. I need a little (okay, a lot) more proof that he can win consistently before thinking big-time postseason destinations such as the Big 12 championship or CFP. I need to see it in order to believe it. I haven't seen anything that warrants that type of thinking yet.

From @DLS635:

Q: WVU roster is relatively underclassmen. How do you keep this group together in the era of NIL and the portal? I am sure that answers will be something like, concentrating on this year. Still would like to see everyone return.

A: You're spot on. A big part of it is finishing this year strong. Guys don't want to be on an average football team. They want to be somewhere they will get noticed or should I say, where they think they'll get noticed. Winning matters. It's a lot easier to sell your pitch to a kid thinking about the portal when there is reasonable proof that you'll be in the mix in 2024. Beyond this season's results, I don't see it being a major issue. It's not like the kids WVU has on its roster will be demanding millions of dollars. If so, they're crazy. This has always been and always will be a developmental program with a handful of star players, which should ultimately make it easier to keep the bulk of your roster. When you've got 50-70 four and five star talents on the roster, it's difficult to give everyone their piece of the pie.

What Kalani Sitake Said About West Virginia

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