Know Your Enemy: WV

[Racinejake]

I thought this guy was transferring to USF because he's from the area? Apparently he has a kid (or two?) and wanted to be closer to his family. Seems odd that he'd go to WVU. Interesting development here.

 

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That's what I thought as well. Apparently, the girl is gonna leave and join him up there. It's a shame, he's going to be a solid DB that UC will face for awhile, as he will still have four years.

 

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OK..

He has family in WV, and that is where he originally grew up.

 

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Scratch Boyd, he's going to USF.


@espn_OTT_FB Minnesota field-general Brian Athey picks the Mountaineers - http://es.pn/dzIL1O about 7 hours ago

 

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espn_OTT_FB Mountaineers snare 6-foot-6 tight end Eric Frohnapfel - http://es.pn/cMEs7R
12 minutes ago via API

 

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WV D has lot to replace (BE Blog)

West Virginia junior safety Robert Sands declared for the NFL draft over the weekend, which came as little surprise.

The 6-foot-5 Sands has been one of the top playmakers in the Big East the past two years and had 34 tackles -- 6.5 of them for loss -- in 2010. He received an evaluation from the NFL draft advisory board and obviously liked what he saw. Sands has the skill set to be highly successful as a pro.

The Mountaineers were clearly braced for the loss of Sands -- head coach Bill Stewart said last spring that his top safety could make the leap with a strong season -- but it still creates a void for 2011. Even with a below average performance in the Champs Sports Bowl, the West Virginia defense finished fourth nationally in both yards allowed and points allowed. But it will have to replace many valuable players next season, including:
Nose tackle Chris Neild
Defensive end Scooter Berry
Linebackers J.T. Thomas, Anthony Leonard and Pat Lazear
Cornerback Brandon Hogan
Safeties Sidney Glover and Sands.

That's eight starters lost. There are still some solid returnees, including defensive end Julian Miller, linebacker Najee Goode, safety Terence Garvin and cornerback Keith Tandy. They were all starters in 2010. Bruce Irvin should move into an every-down role at defensive end opposite Miller, and junior college transfer Josh Francis could provide immediate help at linebacker. The Mountaineers will look for young players like Will Clarke, Brodrick Jenkins and Pat Miller to make major strides in the offseason.

Still, it's hard to make up for the veteran leadership that defense had, and how its knowledge helped Jeff Casteel disguise coverages so well in the 3-3-5 alignment. Casteel is sticking around, which might be the best news of all. He'll have his work cut out for him in 2011, though, and it would be unrealistic to expect the Mountaineers to repeat the same kind of defensive dominance they did this year.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/16951/west-virginia-defense-has-a-lot-to-replace

 

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2011 signees: 17

Top prospects: Terrell Chestnut is a versatile athlete who can play a lot of positions. Running back Andrew Buie has strength and explosion. Vance Roberts is projected as a starting corner, and West Virginia signed his twin brother, Vernard, too.

Needs met: The Mountaineers needed to restock the offensive line and got four tall prospects with size at that position. They also got some running backs, wide receivers and other potential playmakers for Dana Holgorsen's spread offense.

Analysis: West Virginia's final class under head coach Bill Stewart isn't heavy on headliners. But as usual, the Mountaineers have recruited a lot of speed while avoiding some of the shrimp-sized players of the past. There are some intriguing sleepers in here as well.

What Stewart said: "You never bat 1.000 and you never hit a home run every time you swing, but I am really excited about this class. It is a very solid class, and we are very happy. These guys will be great additions to this program."

Scouts Inc. grade: C+

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/index/_/count/16