Oct 30, 2011; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Miami Dolphins running back Steve Slaton (23) is tackled by New York Giants defensive back Deon Grant (34) during the game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Farrell/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports

If you haven’t seen it yet, Athlon Sports decided to publish their rankings of the Top 50 Running Backs of the BCS Era.

Unsurprisingly, the West Virginia Mountaineers placed two running backs on the list. What is surprising is that there were not three running backs for the WVU.

The two Mountaineers players who did make the cut were Avon Cobourne and Steve Slaton. Cobourne landed at #23 while Steve Slaton bested him by two spots at #21.

Cobourne earned the #23 spot thanks to a school best 5,039 career rushing yards and 42 touchdowns. He probably would have been much higher on the list had the Mountaineers realized more success during his time in Morgantown.

Slaton ended up two spots higher fueled by a couple of dark-horse Heisman campaign and a pair of BCS bowl rigns. In Slaton’s three seasons on campus, he amassed 3,923 rushing yards, 805 receiving yards, and 55 total touchdowns.

The surprising omission on the list for the Mountaineers is the lightning bug Noel Devine. The rise of Devine led (partially) to Slaton’s decision to opt out early of college and head to the NFL draft. Noel was the featured back in Morgantown for three seasons. He racked up 4,317 rushing yards, 710 receiving yards, 736 return yards, and 31 total touchdowns.

Devine checked in on Athlon’s supplemental 50 list at #93 overall.

Still, even with the oversight, the Mountaineers landed three players out of a list of 100 running backs from more than 120 FBS schools over a 12-year period. That is impressive to say the least.

When Athlon publishes a list of the top 50 running backs of the College Football Playoff Era, don’t expect to see a single Mountaineer on the list. Coach Dana Holgorsen’s offense is far to pass heavy for any WVU running back to amass any kind of significant stats.

Sep 3, 2011; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Clint Trickett (9) throws before the start of their game against Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

Former Florida State Seminoles quarterback Clint Trickett has decided that he will in fact transfer to the West Virginia Mountaineers this summer for the 2013 football season. The move was first reported by the Orlando Sun Sentinel.

Trickett also confirmed the transfer via twitter:

It’s official, I will finish my academic/athletic career at WVU. This is a dream come true to be playin for the state I love. #CountryRoads

— Clint Trickett (@ClintTrickett9) May 1, 2013

Trickett, the son of a former Mountaineers coach reportedly selected the Mountaineers over the South Florida Bulls and the Auburn Tigers.

According to the Sentinel, Trickett has two years of eligibility left. That makes his decision to join the Mountaineers even more interesting.

In the wake of the departure of E.J. Manuel to the NFl draft, Trickett was involved in a quarterback battle with Jameis Winston. When it became apparent to Trickett that he would not be the starting quarterback, he decided to open up his options for transfer.

It can be assumed that Trickett is thinking that he is a strong competitor for the starting quarterback job at WVU. The predominant reason behind Trickett’s transfer was motivated by a desire for playing time so it can be assumed that Trickett was given the impression that he will likely play for the Mountaineers.

With Trickett coming on board, the Mountaineers now have a three way competition at the quarterback position between Trickett, senior Paul Millard, and freshman Ford Childress.

Coach Dana Holgorsen is certainly excited to have another quarterback as noted in the official announcement on wvusports.com:

“WVU football welcomes Clint Trickett home. He basically grew up in Morgantown, and I know he feels very comfortable here,” Holgorsen said. “He’s an excellent student and grew up around the game of football, which shows in his composure on the field. I am excited that he has decided to finish his career as a Mountaineer.”

With Millard and Childress both failing to take the starting quarterback job to this point, coach Holgorsen has brought in another player to add to the fray. For Millard and Childress, the move by Trickett should be more than enough to light a fire under them to up their level of competition.

The interesting quarterback battle just got a lot more interesting with Trickett thrown into the mix.

September 22, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Dana Holgorsen leads his team onto the field against the Maryland Terrapins during the first quarter at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Believe it or not, we are already two months deep into the 2014 recruiting season. The West Virginia Mountaineers have not been resting on their laurels and have been active on the recruiting trail.

The recruiting efforts of the coaching staff have already yielded a pair of promising verbal commitments. Those commitments came from wide receiver Rickey Rogers and highly touted dual threat quarterback William Crest.

WVU’s first verbal commitment dates back to the Kansas game this past season when wide receiver Ricky Rogers committed to the Mountaineers. The rising senior out of Gateway High School in Monroeville, PA is a big target at 6’2″ 195 lbs.

While Rogers is yet to be officially rated by ESPN but has already garnered a four-star ranking by scout.com. One look at his highlight reel and you will see why scout.com and the Mountaineers coaching staff are so high on him:

The latest development in WVU’s recruiting effort is the verbal commitment of the highly talented dual threat quarterback William Crest out of Dunbar High School in Baltimore, MD. Astute Mountaineers fans know this prospect factory as the home of the Mountaineers recent first round draft pick Tavon Austin.

Crest is listed as a dual threat quarterback but is not dual threat in the Pat White sense of the definition. When viewing his highlight package, he appears to be a dead ringer for West Virginia Mountaineers recent second round pick Geno Smith. Crest is the same build as Smith at 6’2″ 197 lbs and has the same pocket presence that Smith has.

Seriously, when looking at this footage, you have to remind yourself that these are not Geno Smith high school highlights:

Depending on which scouting service you look at, Crest is rated between four stars (ESPN) and three stars (scout.com).

Both players are significant early commitments for the 2014 Mountaineers and a great start to the 2014 recruiting campaign by the WVU coaching staff.

Dec 29, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers marching band performs prior to the start of the 2012 New Era Pinstripe Bowl against the Syracuse Orange at Yankee Stadium. Syracuse defeated West Virginia 38-14. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

While the annual Gold-Blue Game was going on at Milan Puskar Stadium, the social media scene exploded with the news of West Virginia University football team’s new uniforms. If you still have yet to see the new duds, see the video below:

September 8, 2012; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen (21) returns a punt for a touchdown against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. The California Golden Bears defeated the Southern Utah Thunderbirds 50-31. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Leave it to Nike to make West Virginia resemble California more and more as time goes along. The gold helmets with blue face masks, white helmets with blue flying WV, and the monochromatic numerals all but make the two schools identical at a quick glance. From a macro level, I just do not understand how or why it is so difficult to make two schools with similar colors look different.

But this is Nike, and they are convinced that everyone is desperate to sport their flywire collars.

When you take time to look at the subtle elements of the uniform system, they really did make strides to pay homage to the great state of West  Virginia.

The state motto “Montani Semper Liberi” on the back of the collar is a good way to remind players of the people of the Mountain State that they represent every time they put on the old gold and blue. The canary, a nice tribute to the state’s mining industry (similar to the old Pro Combat uniforms).

Even the numerals, based on pickaxes, is a nice tribute to the state. But that does not make them aesthetically appealing. The sharp lines of the numerals is futuristic and interesting, but just does not sit right with me. Perhaps it is just too new for the font to be appealing. Nothing a few victories can’t fix I guess.

The matte finish of the helmets fits with the latest helmet trends being set across the country. This kind of cutting-edge design will surely resound with Mountaineers recruits. After all, that is the essence of why you change your uniform system, to get more kids interested in coming to Morgantown.

I’m not sure if it is just my computer, but it does appear as though there is an influx of black in these uniforms. The facemask on the blue helmet and the side panels on the blue uniforms do not match the blue of the rest of the uniform. It could be a different shade of blue caused by the materials used, but that bit of detail is also not sitting well with me.

But enough about my views, what do you think HailWV readers? Leave your perception of the new uniform system in the comments section.

Sep 24, 2011; Clemson, SC, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Clint Trickett (9) passes the ball during the first quarter against the Clemson Tigers at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Ah, spring. That magical time of year when college football teams get their first looks at the coming season’s roster. A time for position battles, and sometimes, a good opportunity to snap up late transfers.

That is exactly what Dana Holgorsen’s West Virginia Mountaineers are looking to do this coming weekend when they will allegedly be hosting (per Mitch Vingle) Florida State Seminoles quarterback transfer Clint Trickett (son of former WVU coach Rick Trickett).

Trickett, who was mired in a quarterback competition in Tallahassee to replace the departed E.J. Manuel, has apparently lost favor to freshman passer Jameis Winston. With his prospects of winning the quarterback position for FSU, Trickett exercised his right to seek a transfer.

Since Trickett recently completed his undergraduate degree, he can transfer to another university to pursue his graduate degree without sitting out the typical one year for other transfers.

According to Vingle’s report, Trickett will make a decision between South Florida and West Virginia.

Should Trickett elect to enroll at West Virginia, it will almost certainly be a signal that the Mountaineers coaching staff has given him a strong indication that he would be a highly competitive option for the starting quarterback position.

Let’s face it, if Trickett does enroll at WVU, that is an implied sign that Holgorsen has no faith in either Paul Millard or Ford Childress. Trickett is seeking an opportunity for immediate playing time and will likely go to the school that will all but guarantee him the starting job.

Personally, I’m hoping that the Mountaineers pass on Trickett. He could be an interesting prospect for this coming season, but ultimately undermines the quarterback progression the Mountaineers are working towards. Bringing him in would almost certainly push one of the current WVU quarterbacks to seek a transfer of their own.

At the very least, it lights an additional fire under the rears of Millard and Childress.

September 10, 2011; Morgantown,WV, USA: West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Paul Millard (14) passes the ball against the Norfolk State Spartans during the fourth quarter at Milan Puskar Stadium. WVU won 55-12. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE

Since  the West Virginia University Mountaineers football team concluded the 2012 season, the leading question on the forefront of WVU fans’ minds is: “Who will replace Geno Smith as the starting quarterback for the Mountaineers?”

To date, there has been little indication that head coach Dana Holgorsen and the Mountaineers coaching staff are any closer to answering that question.

The two leading candidates for the job, junior Paul Millard and freshman Ford Childress, have not been able to separate from one another throughout the spring drills. With the spring drills set to expire this Friday, the Gold-Blue game will become a big audition for the pair of passers.

Given the edge Millard has in experience from limited playing time this past season, Childress will need to show poise in the pocket and a really accurate arm in the scrimmage to win favor with the coaching staff. If Childress can showcase a clean, mistake free execution of the offense, he might be able to supplant Millard.

Likewise, Saturday is Millard’s opportunity to put a stranglehold on the quarterback competition. He has the seniority, experience completing passes against Big XII defenses, and an extra season’s worth of training under his belt. If the junior gun slinger is able to pick apart the Mountaineers secondary with ease, he will have a good shot at earning the #1 gig heading into summer training camp.

The West Virginia Mountaineers will hold their annual Gold-Blue Spring Game on Saturday at 2 PM. While there are many positions up for grabs at the scrimmage, none is more important or will be as closely scrutinized as the quarterback spot.

Sep 1, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Paul Millard (14) looks to pass in the fourth quarter against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

Finally, the day that you have all been waiting for, the day that HailWV reveals the Way Too Early Depth Chart for the most critical position on the field: quarterback.

This season, the Mountaineers will have the daunting task of replacing West Virginia legend Geno Smith. Those are some mighty big shoes to fill. Smith compiled 11,622 passing yards and 98 touchdowns in three seasons of starting under center in Morgantown while leading WVU to a 26-13 record including an Orange Bowl victory.

Smith’s heir apparent will likely be one of two players: junior Paul Millard or redshirt freshman Ford Childress. Let’s take a look at the resume of each player:

• Paul Millard, JR, 6’2″ 219 lbs
• WVU passing career: 16 of 34 for 211 yards, 3 touchdowns, 3 interceptions

• Ford Childress, r-FR, 6’5″ 234 lbs
• Redshirted last season, so no WVU stats compiled
• Led Houston Kinkaid High School to 20-1 record as starting quarterback. Threw 184 of 292 for 3,171 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions as a senior.

Thanks in large part to the NCAA ridiculous rule stipulating that players who helmets come off must sit out a play, Millard saw plenty of action this season. Well, and the fact that the football team was involved in many one-sided affairs (both for and against) also played a large part in Millard’s playing time. Had Ford Childress not been redshirted this past season, he would have likely seen playing time against Marshall, James Madison, and/or Kansas State.

Coach Holgorsen gave Childress the redshirt to save a year of elgibility with Smith locked in as the starter last season. The coaching staff had confidence in Millard as a back-up after being forced into the back-up role as a freshman due to multiple departures that season.

Now Holgorsen and company are faced with the issue of deciding between the experienced (limited) junior Millard and the highly touted quarterback recruit from a season ago Childress.

On paper, Paul Millard has shown flashes of greatness (Oklahoma State) but also flashes of ineptitude (Marshall). While West Virginia has a smalll sample size of Millard’s play, he is more of a known quantity at this point.

Childress is the wild card at this point. The Mountaineers coaching staff has seen him perform in practice, but still has no idea how he will perform during live game action against a defense that is actually trying to put him in the dirt (and not play tag). The Gold-Blue Game will be a step up in action for Millard, working in a more-game like situation where he will be able to show coaches how he reads the defensive coverage.

So which way will the coaches go? Here is what offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson says about the competition:

“I think both of those guys (Paul Millard and Ford Childress) are approaching practice differently. They are both battling for the job so they are getting 50-50 reps. There’s no clear cut quarterback. That’s also true with a lot of positions. We have a lot of competition, which is a good thing.” – Shannon Dawson

Since coach Dawson won’t make the call, then we’ll make the call for him (at least how we see it at this moment):

QB: Paul Millard, JR, 6’2″ 219 lbs; Ford Childress, r-FR, 6’5″ 234 lbs; Chavas Rawlins, FR, 6’2″ 202 lbs

When it comes down to it, we like Millard to take the starting quarterback job this season. Millard’s experience will end up being the difference in what is expected to be a very close quarterback battle. His demonstrated pocket awareness and ability to throw under duress will give him the edge he needs to become the starter for coach Holgorsen.

The only thing that could trip Millard up is his decision making process. He is not afraid to throw into coverage, but has made some really poor decisions in his limited snaps over the years.

Childress will likely serve as the back-up this season but will see playing time this season, especially against Georgia State. The playing time will go a long way to developing his abilities and could lead to a quarterback controversy. Hopefully this is not the case, because as the addage goes “if you have two quarterbacks, you have no quarterback.”

For more on the Way Too Early Depth Chart series:

Wide Receivers

Offensive Line

Defensive Line

Secondary

Running Backs

Linebackers

WSAZ with a small error in the spelling of Dana “Horsewomen” Holgorsen’s name. #WVU #autocorrect twitter.com/WVSportsDotCom…

— WVSports.com (@WVSportsDotCom) March 9, 2013

Conspiracy theorists will tell you that the pro-Marshall WSAZ intentionally ran the error to take a shot at West Virginia University’s head ball coach. I would contend that it is pure oversight. There are many ways to take a shot at your “rival” without making yourself appear incompetent.

The important part of the story is that West Virginia has found a new RB coach in JaJuan Seider.

Seider, who served in the same capacity at Marshall University under coach Doc Holliday, comes back to WVU after a three year absence. As a native of Florida (and a former star quarterback in the state), Seider will also play a key role in recruiting the top Sunshine State athletes, as pointed out by Bob Hertzel:

Seider a huge addition to Holgorsen’s staff, especially recruiting Florida. A heady guy, good guy who knows the game and has come home.

— Bob Hertzel (@bhertzel) March 9, 2013

For more on coach JaJuan Seider, see this tweet:

FREE–Two great articles on JaJuan Seider (@coachseider) from his previous stop at #WVU: gowv.co/YSKy4y twitter.com/WVSportsDotCom…

— WVSports.com (@WVSportsDotCom) March 9, 2013

Nov 23, 2012; Ames, Iowa, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers linebacker Isaiah Bruce (31) gets set on defense against the Iowa State Cyclones during the first half at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

With the spring pactice in full-swing, we continue to take a look at the way the 2013 WVU football depth chart will look. Today, we keep things rolling along with one of the most intriguing areas of the depth chart for 2013: the linebackers.

Much of the Mountaineers struggles on the defensive side of the football in 2012 can be attributed to a lack of pass rush off the edges from the WVU linebacking corps. Seniors Josh Francis and Terence Garvin played well last season, but were really not much of a pass rushing duo. Newly appointed defensive coordinator Patterson will be trying to identify a couple of guys who can bring some heat off of the edges this season.

Departures: OLB Josh Francis and OLB Terence Garvin

Returning: ILB Isaiah Bruce, OLB Jewone Snow, OLB West Tonkery, OLB Shaq Petteway, ILB Nick Kwiatkoski, ILB Taige Redman, ILB Doug Rigg, ILB Troy Gloster, OLB Sean Walters, OLB Garrett Hope, OLB Justin Arndt, and OLB Tyler Anderson

Recruits: OLB Hodari Christian, ILB Al-Rasheed Benton, ILB Elijah Wellman, ILB Darrien Howard, OLB Isaac McDonald, OLB D’Vante Henry, and OLB Brandon Golson

The Mountaineers were not really hit hard by graduation, losing only starters Francis and Garvin. Yet, by the same token, the Mountaineers do not have a ton of experience returning at outside linebacker. Wes Tonkery and Shaq Petteway saw the most action of the returning players, combining for 52 tackles this past season (most coming via special teams).

As far as inside linebacker goes, the Mountaineers are going to be absolutely stacked this season. Freshman sensation Isaiah Bruce (now a sophomore) was a dominant force with 94 tackles, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

Bruce is expected to lead the linebacking corps, if not the whole defense this season. Senior Doug Rigg will likely resume his starting role along side Bruce this season but will be tested by a really deep inside linebacker recruiting class.

BUCK (OLB): Brandon Golson, JR, 6’2″ 225 lbs; D’Vante Henry, JR, 6’5″ 205 lbs; Garrett Hope, SO, 6’3″ 245 lbs

STAR (OLB): Shaq Petteway, JR, 6’0″ 200 lbs; Hodari Christian, FR, 6’1″ 210 lbs; Wes Tonkery, r-JR, 6’2″ 222 lbs

SAM (ILB): Isaiah Bruce, r-SO, 6’1″ 231 lbs; Nick Kwiatkoski, r-SO, 6’2″ 232 lbs; Al-Rasheed Benton, FR, 6’2″ 230 lbs

WILL (ILB): Doug Rigg, SR, 6’1″ 237 lbs; Jared Barber, JR, 6’0″ 233 lbs; Darrien Howad, FR, 6’1″ 260 lbs

Realistically, outside of Isaiah Bruce, all of the starting spots in the linebacking corps are up for grabs. Doug Rigg, who started 9 games at inside linebacker this past season, will likely reclaim his starting job for his senior season but will give way to Jared Barber in passing situations just as he did this past season.

Big inside linebacker recruits Benton and Howard are more than likely going to receive redshirts in their first season in Morgantown. As talented as they are, coach Patterson has a very crowded group at inside linebacker and will favor saving the eligibility of these two future stars.

At outside linebacker, Petteway showed flashes of greatness this past  season but must prove in camp that he can be a consistent pass rushing threat. He will have to hold off JUCO recruits Golson and Henry for playing time as well as incoming freshman talent Christian.

As it stands today, we like Petteway to secure one of the starting outside gigs while Golson and Henry are also likely starters. We give Golson the nod in the coin flip for BUCK starter.

No matter who starts at each spot this season, expect all of these players to see plenty of time in the various defensive sets that coach Patterson will employ this year.

For more on the Way Too Early Depth Chart series:

Wide Receivers

Offensive Line

Defensive Line

Secondary

Running Backs

November 17, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers running back Andrew Buie (13) carries the ball against Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Tony Jefferson (1) during the third quarter at Milan Puskar Stadium. The Oklahoma Sooners won 50-49. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

As spring football ramps up, we push to finish our Way Too Early Depth Chart series. Today, we continue our look at the starting line-up for 2013 with the running back position.

Just as the carries were divied up between multiple backs this past season, so too will the carries be shared this coming season. Given the variety of running backs on the roster, it is easy to imagine that coach Holgorsen will rotate the workload amongst three or more backs this coming season.

Departures: RB (A) Ryan Clarke, RB (A) Donovan Miles, and RB (B) Shawne Alston

Returning: RB (B) Andrew Buie, RB (B) Dustin Garrison, RB (A) Cody Clay, RB (B) Maurice Zereoue, RB (B) Tidquan Grant, RB (B) D.J. Hunt, and RB (A) Nate Majnaric

Recruits: RB (B) Dreamius Smith, RB (B) Jacky Marcellus, and RB (B) Wendell Smallwood

The Mountaineers suffered a big loss this past season with the graduation of bruising back Shawne Alston. He accounted for 386 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns this past season and gave the Mountaineers a true interior running game to compliment the outside running of Andrew Buie. WVU will need to replace that capability this season to keep balance with the running game.

The likely heir-apparent to Alston in that role is JUCO transfer Dreamius Smith. The big back amassed 690 yards and 9 touchdowns last season for Butler Community College. A very similar stat line to Alston (even if those numbers were amassed against schools like the South Harmon Institute of Technology).

We think Smith will see plenty of playing time, but will not be the official starter.

RB (A): Cody Clay, r-SO, 6’3″ 252 lbs; Nate Majnaric, r-JR, 6’0″ 232 lbs

RB (B): Andrew Buie, JR, 5’9″ 190 lbs; Dreamius Smith, JR, 5’11″ 220 lbs; Dustin Garrison, JR, 5’8″ 182 lbs

Given the flashes of greatness Buie demonstrated this past season (especially against Texas), we think that Buie will be the featured back in the Mountaineers offense this season. Expect Smith to get plenty of carries in the redzone and in short yardage situations just as Alston did this past season.

Dustin Garrison did not bounce back from knee surgery as well as many thought this past season, but with an off season to recuperate, he should be back to as close to 100% as he can be. If healthy, Garrison will see playing time in relief of Buie and may get more snaps on third down.

The interesting battle this off season will at the RB (A) spot where converted tight end Cody Clay will challenge incumbent Nate Majnaric for starting time. Clay’s blocking skills developed as a tight end will serve him well in the battle for the starting spot. Clay’s ability to catch the ball around the line of scrimmage will give him the edge for playing time.

For more on the Way Too Early Depth Chart series:

Wide Receivers

Offensive Line

Defensive Line

Secondary