West Virginia receiver Jayden Bray jumps up to make a catch during practice. (Photo provided)
MORGANTOWN – West Virginia places a heavy emphasis on special teams, and with increased depth at wide receiver and linebacker, WVU will have a wider selection of talent once the regular season begins.
Few are exempt from the duty of participating on special teams. Of course, specialists such as punt and kickoff returners, punters and kickers are valued especially at center, but it is essential to have outside punt shooters, players who can cover kickoffs with speed and reliability, and, as always, blockers.
“If we can cover and get explosive stops on a coverage unit like a punt or kickoff and we go out there and the ball is on the 19-yard line instead of the 25-yard line, the chances of a successful defense increase,” said special teams coordinator Jeff Koonz.
Players like Jaden Bray, the wide receiver who came out of Oklahoma State, Rodney Gallagher III, Preston Fox and others hope to turn special teams into elite units.
Bray is expected to play a key role in at least three units while also being a key receiver.
“I’m excited about him as a football player,” said head coach Neal Brown, who means football player rather than receiver. “He’s going to be one of our better special teams players.”
For Bray, that’s fine.
“When I was here (while being recruited), they told me every single one of the key players here plays special teams,” Bray said during a press conference this week. “I’m totally OK with that. If that’s one of your roles, you go hard on it. You don’t take away plays, even if it’s special teams.”
Brown emphasizes the importance of the units not only in terms of what they can offer his team, but also in terms of what they can offer the player if he proves to be a capable special teams player in the NFL.
Typically, players are not included in the starting lineup as rookies, but have to prove themselves on special teams.
Bray came to WVU to give himself a chance to be discovered by NFL scouts.
“He plays the game really hard and is coachable,” Brown said. “He ran over 21 miles per hour on kickoffs. That’s special. He’s a really good punt return shooter. He’s going to be elite at that.”
Top-notch special teams performances can help players get drafted or receive an invitation to training camp to secure a spot on the roster.
“He’s got a really good chance of being an NFL player, so special teams are important,” Brown said. “They’re important in other spots too, but I look at it from the player’s perspective sometimes. We want to have the best special teams we can get, and we’re not going to do anything that hurts our football team, but I also want to put guys in a position to film things.”
“That’s the hope for him with some of those opportunities on special teams. I really think the guys at the next level are going to be impressed from a scouting perspective and that will help him.”
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In the past, we have seen all too often in football that many players left the university that recruited them without a diploma.
Times change. Rules change. Football players change, and these days, players often leave college with a diploma in hand, money in the bank, and another season of eligibility ahead of them.
It has not changed that football comes first in their relationship with school, but education is becoming increasingly important, especially for players who play at high-level academic institutions.
From that world comes cornerback Garnett Hollis Jr., who will take over the cornerback spot vacated by Beanie Bishop in the WVU secondary. When he went to Northwestern, he knew he had a lot to look forward to academically, and he balanced everything so he could become a true scholar-athlete.
“When you’re a player like me and football is your number one priority, but you’re at a school where academics are important, it can be a little annoying to be called ‘the smart kid’ and to have to deal with the stigma of being at Northwestern,” Hollis admitted honestly.
He decided that he had to approach both with the passion necessary to be successful.
“For me, it was about doing my best on the field and taking advantage of school. It was tough, but focusing on football allowed me to do well in school,” he said. “It was kind of second nature to me because you have to do both all the time.”
“This aspect of being a football player and a student is something that the whole team there has. The attitude was: ‘We came here first and foremost to play football. We all came here as football players.'”
But they knew if they wanted to stay at Northwestern as football players, they would have to mix their playbooks with some history books.
That’s not exactly a new expectation, is it?
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When quarterback coach Tyler Allen took the microphone at a fall camp press conference, interest in starter Garrett Greene’s progress was evident, albeit under the media scrutiny.
That’s why there’s been a lot of interest in his backups – Nicco Marchiol and newcomer Ryder Burden, a transfer from BYU – because Greene’s style of play puts him in danger every game. A year ago, Marchiol was brought in when Greene was injured and he performed well despite the limited playbook.
Now, Allen said, Marchiol is ready to take over if needed.
“Over the last 12 months, his quarterback has completely changed physically and mentally,” Allen said. “I trust Nicco completely if he had to play.”
His ability to throw into the pocket has taken a big leap.
“Nicco has really improved at throwing with people around him,” Allen added. “Last year he took a few sacks when he was under pressure. He’s improved at that.”
And Burden, who has yet to learn the system, intrigues both Allen and Greene with what he brings, something like an addendum to an insurance policy.
“We feel really good about being in a situation where Garrett can’t play for a play and Nicco has to come in. We don’t have to hold anything back because if Ryder has to play, we can play on offense,” Allen said. “Ryder is an asset to the room. He’s a really smart kid. He basically learned the offense in two weeks, which is really hard. He’s got really good talent on his throwing arm, too. I think he’s a guy that will improve here as his career progresses and will have a chance down the road.”
Greene, who has been a strong supporter of Marchiol during his development, has also jumped on the Burden bandwagon.
“Ryder is a great guy. He really came into a unique situation. He and I have spent a lot of time together and done things together,” Greene said. “He’s really excited to learn and develop, especially in Coach Brown’s offense. His work ethic, his coaching style and his great personality give me a lot of encouragement.”
