In West Virginia’s 13th practice of fall camp, they were met with bad weather on top of being back in shorts. Read more: WVU’s Practice No. 13: Shorts and Weather Hinder Quality of Practice
Ultimately, this affected the quality of practice they were able to have. However, that didn’t stop their head coach from believing they still were able to make progress.
In today’s press conference, head coach Rich Rodriguez, quarterbacks coach Rhett Rodriguez and special teams coach Pat Kirkland spoke to the media about the current state of the team.
Rich Rodriguez
Due to the weather, WVU was forced to finish its practice inside. While Rodriguez talked about the issues that come with that, he still thought they were able to have a successful practice.
Once again, he was asked about the depth chart. Without hesitation, he shot that question down, explaining that he is not worried about the depth chart at this given time.
Instead, Rodriguez is more worried about finding 12-15 players in all three phases that they can win with. Saturday’s scrimmage will be a good indicator in creating their first official depth chart, but don’t be shocked if you see multiple players at each position play in the season opener.
One of those positions is the running back group. Throughout camp, they have not been fully healthy. This has raised concerns in the eyes of their head coach.
Related: Rich Rodriguez to Join John Fredericks this Thursday, August 14th
Today, those concerns might’ve faded away as five running backs were able to practice today. That is a really good sign, considering SMU transfer Jaylan Knighton will most likely be ineligible this season due to an academic issue.
Another group that has seen a positive trajectory is the quarterback room. According to Rodriguez, all of the QBs have progressed since spring. The coaches are still trying to be fair to all of them by giving them an equal number of reps.
It is still a battle on who the starter will be, but Rodriguez mentioned that Nicco Marchiol and Jaylan Henderson’s experience has helped them out a lot.
At the same time, he is not solely worried about the QB position. He will continue to look at the overall scope of his team in preparation for the season opener.
Rhett Rodriguez
The younger Rodriguez, Rhett, was able to provide a further look at how his QBs are looking in practice.
The primary focus that Rodriguez has been harping on is being consistent and taking control of the offense. It seems like all of them have done a pretty good job at that.
Throughout camp, he has done his best to rotate all of them and get as many opportunities in different situations. This is important considering there is still an open competition for the starting job.
So far, every QB has gone live, and from what Rodriguez was saying, this might even carry over to the start of the season.
There is not a lot of separation between the top three — Marchiol, Henderson and Max Brown. All three of them seem to impress Rodriguez in some way. The younger guys like Scotty Fox Jr. and Khalil Wilkins are also proving they have what it takes to lead the team, despite their inexperience.
No matter who the starter eventually is, it will be based on who can consistently move the ball and put the offense in good opportunities.
In order to help decipher which is the right option, Rodriguez looks to see if they are doing the right assignment, having good technique and if they’re executing the plays correctly.
While everyone wants a starter to be named right away, it doesn’t seem that they will be getting that. It’s still very much a competition that could last past the first game.
Pat Kirkland
Not surprisingly, most of the attention throughout fall camp has been directed towards the offense and defense. Today, coach Kirlland was able to shed some light on the special teams unit.
He believes that they have some ways to go still. There are a lot of young guys involved that need to be put in situations they haven’t been in.
Unfortunately, that is difficult to do in practice. It’s hard to simulate in practice what you will see in games without risking injuries. Kirkland is still trying his best to emulate it.
One player who has helped in that regard is returning senior Preston Fox. Kirkland praised Fox for his leadership and guidance with the younger players.
Related: JJ Wetherholt Promotion Could Come Down to Cardinals’ Philosophy
In terms of the punt and kick returners, Kirkland has not decided who will take over those responsibilities. The punt returner is especially difficult because they have to find someone he and the rest of the coaching staff can trust to make the right decisions.
On the kicking side, there is an open competition for the place kicker. WVU has a mix of returners and quality transfers that should provide Kirkland plenty of options when it’s time to make a final decision.
With punting, it seems like early indications point to Oliver Straw as the starter. The Australian native provides diversity to the scheme with his ability to kick both rugby and pro style.
Overall, there is a big emphasis on special teams within the entire coaching staff.
A Look Ahead
WVU will continue practice this week as they look ahead to their second scrimmage on Saturday.
This will be another big test as it will allow the coaching staff to answer some questions regarding the depth chart and certain position battles.
As always, come back tomorrow for another update on the Mountaineers’ practice.
WVU’s Practice No. 13: Shorts and Weather Hinder Quality of Practice
