Big East: Deon Long
2009 conference record: 5-2, T-2nd in Big East
Returning starters: Offense: 9. Defense: 9. Punter/kicker: 1
Top returners
RB Noel Devine, WR Jock Sanders, WR Bradley Starks, LB J.T. Thomas, DT Chris Neild, S Robert Sands, DE Scooter Berry
Key losses
QB Jarrett Brown, LB Reed Williams, OT Selvish Capers, WR Alric Arnett
2009 statistical leaders (* returners)
Rushing: Noel Devine* (1,465 yards)
Passing: Jarrett Brown (2,144 yards)
Receiving: Jock Sanders* (688 yards)
Tackles: Pat Lazear* (78)
Sacks: Julian Miller* (9)
Interceptions: Robert Sands* (5)
Spring answers
1. Experience matters: West Virginia returns 18 starters on offense and defense, most in the Big East, so even a few injuries and other issues that kept players out of practice this spring weren't a big deal. The coaching staff has the luxury of plugging in veterans at virtually every position, and when the first-stringers finally came together in the spring game, they looked very sharp. This is a team that should be ready to go from the opening gate.
2. White is all right: With projected starting quarterback Geno Smith limited throughout the spring by a foot injury, sophomore Coley White took the vast majority of the snaps. Though some had questioned whether he could play quarterback at this level, White showed great improvement throughout the spring and could easily lead the Mountaineers to victory if something goes wrong with Smith.
3. Backfield in motion: The Mountaineers should not have many problems running the ball this season. Devine returned and looks poised for a monster senior year. Shawne Alston also impressed at times, as well as fullback/tailback Ryan Clarke. West Virginia could also use Tavon Austin, Sanders and Daquan Hargrett as ball carriers.
Fall questions
1. Wideout depth: The defections of Deon Long and Logan Heastie before spring thinned the receiving corps. Sanders is a stud in the slot, but Starks needs to have a big year as one of the team's few deep threats. The pint-sized Austin has to show he can be effective outside of the slot, and Stedman Bailey must continue to make improvements. Incoming freshman Ivan McCartney could play an immediate role as well.
2. The offensive line: The Mountaineers return four starters who took virtually every snap last season. Still, coach Bill Stewart expressed concern about the right side of the line, including right tackle, where Selvish Capers must be replaced. There's a lot of experience up front, but this unit needs to gel this fall.
3. Improved leadership: Stewart called for more leadership from his team this spring, particularly among the underclassmen. The Mountaineers have solid senior leaders in guys like Devine, Sanders, Chris Neild and J.T. Thomas. But Stewart would like to see fewer young players running stadium stairs or riding exercise bikes during fall practice.
- The team that came out for practice No. 6 won't be the same team you see this fall. At least Stewart hopes not. Several walking wounded wore non-contact jerseys, including receiver Bradley Starks (ankle) and running back Noel Devine (quad). Smith only participates in individual and skeleton drills, no team competitions. Cornerback Brandon Hogan didn't practice as he is concentrating on his academics. Fellow corner Keith Tandy was doing conditioning only with a red jersey. And Jock Sanders missed practice because of class.So it was far from a full deck, and Stewart said he was frustrated by a number of busted assignments and broken plays. You could tell the coaching staff's frustration, because after practice several defensive players were made to do up-downs, while the offensive guys ran sprints. Some defensive players argued with each other coming off the field.
"You have a couple of guys putting on [non-contact] jerseys, and all of a sudden leadership starts spiraling down," Stewart said in disgust.
- Coley White is a busy man with Smith limited. White takes every snap during the 11-on-11 and other team drills. He's had a good spring and showed off a stronger arm than I -- and even other frequent Mountaineers observers -- expected a couple of times on Wednesday, on a touchdown pass to Stedman Bailey and a long one to Starks. Smith is almost certain to be the starter, but White can win games if needed at quarterback. The only bad news is his time is so important at quarterback that he can't work on his desired transition to receiver.
- Only saw a little bit of Smith in skelly, but he made some nice throws. He's much bigger than last year, too. In fact, he later told me he's put on 25 pounds since the Gator Bowl, which is amazing.
- Bailey, by the way, looked pretty good and made a nice adjustment on one ball. He could be important with very little depth at receiver now that Deon Long and Logan Heastie are gone (and barring a miracle, they aren't coming back).
- Former cornerback Eddie Davis continues to work at receiver, but while he looked fast on the practice field, Stewart called him out as one of many players who did not know their assignments and plays Wednesday.
- I'm very high on Ryan Clarke. The big, bruising runner steamrolled defensive back Darwin Cook at one point. No surprise, since Cook was yielding about 45 pounds in that matchup.
- The starting corners, with Tandy and Hogan out, were Pat Miller and Brodrick Jenkins.
- Stewart said he's happy with the left side of his line (Don Barclay and Josh Jenkins) and center Joe Madsen. But he wants to see much more improvement from the right side, where Eric Jobe is at guard and Matt Timmerman is at tackle.
- The oddest sight during practice occurred in the end zone, where a couple of players apparently being punished had to slam a giant tire with a sledgehammer repeatedly. Reminded me of something out of "The World's Strongest Man" competitions. But it provided a good drum beat for practice.
- Most discombobulating sight: Starks wearing No. 5 (Pat White's old jersey number) and Devine sporting No. 10 (Steve Slaton's former digits) in their green noncontact shirts.
- Knee-jerk reaction of questionable merit: Hard to make a solid judgment on this team with so many important players out. But you'd think the Mountaineers would be a little sharper just because of all the returning starters who are back. It's still early in the spring for them, and there's plenty of time to turn things up. This team is too talented and experienced not to be a major factor in the Big East race.
Russell from Louisville writes: Hey. Brian, what are the realistic chances the Cardinals make it back to a bowl game this year (granted there are enough bowls to go around)? Does their schedule help or hurt them in pursuing that goal? And how deep of a hole is the defense in?
Brian Bennett: I think making a bowl game would be a major achievement in Charlie Strong's first year. But getting to 6-6 is not impossible. On the nonconference schedule, the Louisville Cardinals have very winnable games against Eastern Kentucky, Arkansas State and Memphis. If it can beat Kentucky at home to start the year, there's four wins right there. Then they'd have to win two in the league, which won't be easy since they probably wouldn't be favored in any of those games right now (even the Syracuse game is on the road).
The defense looks pretty rough right now, and I imagine you'll see a lot of young players getting time this fall, even incoming freshmen. I have no doubt that Strong will get this program back. Be prepared for another possible bowl season at home, however, in Year One.
Michael W. from Syracuse writes: What do the Orange have to do to get more quality players to come to Syracuse? They have the history, but recently it has been a struggle. When full, the Carrier Dome is one of the loudest places to see a football game (like the Minnesota game this year) and I would really like to see a return to prominence. Does it hurt schools like Syracuse, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt are private schools in leagues with massive public universities?
Brian Bennett: Hate to sound simplistic here, but what Syracuse needs is just to win more games. The history is great, but what 17-year-old kid cares about or even knows about Jim Brown and Ernie Davis? All they know is that Syracuse hasn't been to a bowl game since they hit puberty. And the weather isn't exactly a selling point. Still, that's a town that loves its football, and if Doug Marrone can get the program back on the right track and going to bowl games, the players will come.
Hank from Leeds, Mass., writes: You should do more stories on the coaches in the Big East. This league really has some talented and respected guys, i.e. Randy Edsall. The fact the Edsall sits "stars" during spring ball to make a point is a classic example. You think Urban Myer would do that? UConn has been very fortunate to keep this guy for as long as they have! They are paying him good $$, but I fear Edsall is one outright league title away from moving on.
Brian Bennett: Couldn't agree more about Edsall. Class guy, terrific coach. UConn and the Big East are lucky to have him. If the Huskies have the kind of season I think they're capable of having this year, some major programs could chase after Edsall this winter.
Nick from Morgantown, W.Va., writes: The loss of Logan Heastie and Deon Long is another recruiting blemish. It seems to be a reccuring theme (Davenport, Finau, Kerns, Dorsey, Kemoeatu, etc). How does West Virginia compare to other Division I programs?
Brian Bennett: Oh, I could find you all kinds of examples of recruiting busts and high-profile players who never panned out. Happens everywhere. I'll say this, though: You can't call Bill Stewart soft on discipline. These are kids who apparently didn't work hard enough in conditioning, but they're talented players at an area of need for the Mountaineers. And yet they're not on the roster. Stewart didn't let them slide by because he needed them. Let's hope both get things straightened out, because it would be silly for them to throw their careers away.
Brian J. from Asheville, N.C., writes: I wanted to point out one minor flaw in the mailbag from last Tuesday. You stated 2007 WVU lost the Pitt game with a healthy Pat White. White injured the thumb on his throwing hand fairly early in the game and was replaced by Jarrett Brown, who I vividly remember losing at least one fumble. White did play the final two drives of the game, but we were in a throwing situation and he was unable to throw effectively.
Brian Bennett: You're right. I, uh, fumbled that one. White did finish the game but was clearly limited by the injury. Still, West Virginia should have never been in that position to begin with, and it's foolish for anyone to claim that Mountaineers team was somehow unbeatable with such clear evidence to the contrary.
Q&A with West Virginia coach Bill Stewart, Part I
You've had longer than most teams to go through lifting and conditioning. Anyone or anything standing out in offseason workouts?
Bill Stewart: We've had tremendous senior leadership. I don't like our underclassmen leadership at this point. You don't have to be a senior to lead. You just have to be a player to lead. And how you become a leader is by being accountable. Chris Neild is leading. J.T. Thomas is leading. Robert Sands is leading. Sidney Glover is leading. Offensive line, Donnie Barclay is doing a great job. Tyler Urban is doing a great job.
Noel and Jock are absolutely driving themselves with such a passion. They, on offense, have been the true team champions. Not just the fact that they came back and want to graduate, but they're putting themselves in a position to graduate in December. Their leadership skills in the winter have been outstanding.
We only had one senior linemen last year and none on defense, and we only have one senior lineman this year. Think about that. We won 19 games [since Stewart took over] and in the past two years we've had one senior lineman last year and one this year. We're fired up about that.
And Tavon Austin, holy cow. All I can say is wow. This guy, he is going to explode onto the scene.
You've got him listed as a wide receiver this year, which is new for him.
BS: I'm going to put the best players on the field. And if Noel goes down, I'll put him at tailback with Ryan Clarke. The best players are going to play. Tavon Austin is going to play. He's got to play.
The question most people probably want to know is, how is Geno Smith doing? And what will he be able to do when you start practice?
BS: Geno has been throwing pass skeleton on his own. I've not seen it, but I've heard about it. The trainers have watched him and said he was was standing with a knee on a chair throwing, then he got to where the chair was removed. His foot was in a boot, and he's out of the boot now. He can stand and throw it, he can hand off. We're not going to bootleg him or let him scrimmage or anything. By the end of spring, the end of April, he should be moving around pretty well. So I'm not worried about him. I'm going to keep him out of the scrimmages and everything, but we'll get done what we need to do.
So you think he'll get enough first-team reps to get ready for the fall?
BS: Oh, yeah, we just won't go live. And I'm looking for Coley White. Coley just wants to play. He asked to go to receiver, and he wants a shot so we'll put him out there. But I think Coley can still play quarterback. He doesn't throw the ball maybe as well as some of the other guys but he's a good little athlete and a good player and a great guy. And he's a competitor. And then Bary Brunetti and Jeremy Johnson will be here early. Barry will be done the 15th of May.
- Stewart said quarterback Geno Smith (broken foot) has been throwing pass skeleton, first off a chair and lately on both feet without a walking boot. Stewart said the sophomore should be able to take the majority of first-team reps without contact this spring and should be moving around well by the time the spring game rolls around later this month.
- Backup QB Coley White has asked to move to wide receiver and will get some reps there this spring. But West Virginia needs him under center this spring with Smith still not 100 percent.
- Freshmen receivers Logan Heastie and Deon Long aren't with the team right now. Stewart said he'd move forward without them, but if they decided to come back and put in extra work to catch up, he would welcome them back.
- Stewart called sophomore Tavon Austin "an absolute future superstar" and that he would crack the starting lineup for sure.
- West Virginia is starting practice later than normal and later than most teams, in large part because of Smith's injury. But Stewart said he likes the way this schedule has worked out with the school's spring break and how it allows the players to focus on lifting weights longer. In the future, he said he'd like to start spring practice in the last week of March.
- Remember this video of Stewart singing "Take Me Home, Country Roads" at a Myrtle Beach sports bar? Stewart said he was egged on by his son and the other members of the Morgantown High School baseball team. He was obviously bursting with pride about the school's Final Four trip, and he had nothing but glowing things to say about Bob Huggins's crew. And Stewart added that he had "ice water and lemon only" at the bar. "No one will ever accuse me of doing something crazy," he said.
- Stewart also was very happy to see Dave Wannstedt's contract extension at Pitt. The two schools may be rivals, but the two coaches are friends.
West Virginia
View class here.
Signees: 19
Heavy on: Defensive backs (five) and receivers (four).
Geographic trend: Six of the 19 signees are from Virginia, Maryland or Washington, D.C.
Headliners: WR Ivan McCartney (ESPNU 150), QB Barry Brunetti (four stars).
Sleeper: Qudral Forte was a late addition to the class, a 6-foot-1 speedster whom Bill Stewart says is talented enough to play quarterback.
Best potential for immediate impact: Junior college defensive end Bruce Irvin will get a chance to play right away. Prep school product Deon Long may be advanced enough to contribute at receiver.
Needs met: The Mountaineers needed more playmakers at wideout with the graduation of Wes Lyons and Alric Arnett. They needed quarterback depth behind Geno Smith and signed two star high schoolers in Brunetti and Jeremy Johnson. They also added reinforcements at defensive line and linebacker.
Analysis: West Virginia had the makings of a stellar class before some decommittments happened late in the process. But Stewart & Co. rebounded late with some nice additions, especially McCartney. Like most Mountaineers classes, this one has a lot of speed and not just pint-sized guys like Noel Devine and Jock Sanders. With a boatload of starters returning, this class should augment the current team and give it a chance to compete for the Big East title.
What Stewart said: "I thought we did very well. Tall, fast and athletic. I like the speed first. ... The quarterbacks are going to play. The receivers are going to play. I would imagine the linebackers are going to play. They all have a chance, they really do. ... [Brunetti and Johnson are] both Elite 11 types of players and they also know we have an Elite 11 quarterback waiting here. When you can find three guys that want to compete for one job, those are three pretty special guys. Hopefully they all stay, but we only have one football. That will be great competition."
Scouts Inc. grade: B-minus
There's just a week left for coaches to convince high school stars to come to their campus and to make sure those who committed stay put. So as we enter the final week, it's time to look at how each Big East school stands at the moment (information and rankings come from ESPN's Scouts Inc.)
Cincinnati
Commitments: 16
Three-star and above players: 8
The buzz: This is a small class, but the Bearcats didn't lose a ton of seniors off the 2009 team. Holding onto receiver Dyjuan Lewis was big for new coach Butch Jones, who lost defensive lineman Jibreel Black and who may lose quarterback Luke Massa from the class.
Connecticut
Commitments: 21
Three-star and above players: 5
The buzz: Randy Edsall has never cared about star rankings, but he is bringing in more highly-regarded talent these days. UConn's recruiting map is expanding, with prospects in this class hailing from Florida, Georgia and Virginia, among others.
Louisville
Commitments: 28
Three-star and above players: 18
The buzz: New coach Charlie Strong has accomplished two major goals: adding bodies and upgrading talent. He switched a four star defensive end (B.J. Butler) from Georgia to the Cardinals as well as plucked well-regarded prospects like offensive guard Torrian Wilson and receiver Michalee Harris out of Florida. It's a promising start.
Pittsburgh
Commitments: 24
Three-star and above players: 19
The buzz: It looks like another terrific recruiting haul for Dave Wannstedt, who's been one of the best -- if not the best -- Big East recruiters in recent years. One of the highest rated players in the class, athlete Anthony Gonzalez, recently tore his meniscus playing basketball but should be back by fall camp.
Rutgers
Commitments: 17
Three-star and above players: 6
The buzz: On paper, this doesn't look like one of Greg Schiano's more impressive classes, but it features a lot of players who fill needs for the Scarlet Knights. The highest-rated commitment is safety Lorenzo Waters.
South Florida
Commitments: 18
Three-star and above players: 8
The buzz: Jim Leavitt was assembling a strong class before he was fired, and now Skip Holtz is hoping to hold onto players like ESPNU 150 defensive tackle Todd Chandler and quarterback Brion Carnes. This class has my favorite name among Big East recruits: offensive line prospect Jose Jose.
Syracuse
Commitments: 26
Three-star and above players: 8
The buzz: There aren't a lot of big names in the class, but Doug Marrone is restocking the roster. Jonny Miller looks like the quarterback of the future for the Orange.
West Virginia
Commitments: 18
Three-star and above players: 12
The buzz: The Mountaineers lost a few prospects when Doc Holliday took the Marshall job, but they hung on to quarterback Barry Brunetti this week. It still looks like a solid class, loaded with athletes like receiver Deon Long.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
West Virginia signee and receiver Deon Long failed to meet NCAA eligibility requirements and will be heading to prep school, Mike Casazza reports in the Charleston Daily Mail.
• Doug Marrone talked with Syracuse.com's Brent Axe and, among other things, said he'd like to make a "quick decision" about the quarterback battle between Ryan Nassib and Greg Paulus.• Phil Steele lists his coaches on the hot seat for 2009 in the Orlando Sentinel. Checking in at No. 1 is Louisville's Steve Kragthorpe.
• South Florida could open 2011 at home against Florida A&M, Greg Auman reports in the St. Petersburg Times.
• The Courier-Journal's Rick Bozich debates which is better: SEC football or Big East basketball.
• The Sporting News ranks West Virginia No. 39 in its preseason countdown.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
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West Virginia releases spring depth chart, prospectus
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
West Virginia won't begin spring practice until March 24, but for those of you yearning for a Mountaineers football fix, the team has posted its spring prospectus online.
The thing that's bound to catch most eyes is the spring depth chart. Again, like all spring depth charts, this should be viewed as a rough draft only. But there are still some interesting items here, such as:
• The team is painfully thin and unproven at the slot receiver spot with Jock Sanders still suspended. The depth chart lists starters at two different slot positions: seldom-used seniors Carmen Connolly and Jack Crow. No backups are listed behind either. Unless Sanders makes it back by the start of the year, West Virginia may have to rely on newcomers like Deon Long and Tavon Austin to add depth there. Backup tailback Mark Rodgers can also slide out to the slot.
• Only two starters are back on the offensive line in center Eric Jobe and right tackle Selvish Capers. The first-stringers going into the spring are sophomore Don Barclay at left tackle, sophomore Josh Jenkins at left guard and junior Matt Timmerman at right guard.
• The fullback position, which proved to be a trouble spot last season, bears watching. Returning starter Will Johnson is listed on top there, but Ricky Kovatch and redshirt freshman Ryan Clarke are right behind.
• There aren't a lot of holes to be filled on the defensive side. Senior Zac Cooper, who played defensive end last season, is currently listed as the starter at strongside linebacker, with Reed Williams and Anthony Leonard in the middle. Senior Franchot Allen is penciled in as the replacement for bandit safety Quinton Andrews, a three-year starter who is transferring. Keith Tandy leads a group of four players working at Ellis Lankster's old cornerback spot.
• It will take two men to replace Pat McAfee. Tyler Bitancurt is currently listed as the top place-kicker, while Scott Kozlowski begins the spring as the No. 1 punter and kickoff man.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Andrea Adelson
Adelson joined ESPN.com in 2010 after spending time as a college football columnist at The Orlando Sentinel. She has covered college football since her days as a University of Florida student, and lives in Orlando, Fla.
