WVU Commit Has a Monster Night Racking Up Tackles
On Thursday night, West Virginia defensive line commit Nijel Mcgriff of Northwestern C.C. opened up his season last night vs Itawamba C.C and came out with a close 16-14 victory.
At one point and time, it appeared as if junior college football was not going to happen this fall, but fortunately for some areas of the country, these guys are able to get some games under their belt and prove themselves to Division I coaches. Nijel Mcgriff did that last night.
In the team's win, Mcgriff led the way with 13 tackles and helped hold Itawamba to just 308 total yards of offense. Those 13 tackles were a career high for Mcgriff and is essentially halfway to his season total from 2019 (27) after just one game.
This is great sign for Neal Brown and the defensive staff, who are in all likelihood going to have to replace both Dante and Darius Stills. If Dante has a strong finish to the season, he will almost certainly leave school a year early for the NFL Draft.
Replacing those two won't be easy, but getting someone with college football experience who can step in right away and make an impact is huge. That's exactly what Mcgriff (6'3", 275 lbs) brings to the table.
Mcgriff is just a natural disrupter. He has great gap discipline and has a knack of getting to the ball carrier. Versatility is something all defensive coaches look at and that's something Mcgriff possesses. He mainly plays on the interior of the d-line, but can also bounce out as an end, line up across the center, you name it, he can play it and at a high level.
Mcgriff committed to West Virginia back in mid-July over other offers from Maryland, Louisiana, Coastal Carolina, Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, Liberty, Memphis and a few others.
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the page's top righthand corner. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter:
Facebook - @WVUonSI
Twitter - @SI_WVU and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_.