September 22, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers safety Karl Joseph (8) breaks up a pass intended for Maryland Terrapins wide receiver Kevin Dorsey (in white) during the second quarter at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Continuing in our Way Too Early Depth Chart analysis, today we take a look at the defensive backs.

The secondary was certainly one of the weakest units for the Mountaineers last season. The West Virginia secondary got shredded last season to the tune of 4,063 yards and 38 touchdowns en route to a 108th total defense ranking.

Of course, the short-comings in the passing game are not totally a result of poor play in the secondary, but the play of the WVU corners and safeties was a major component of the faults.

Departures: CB Pat Miller, CB Cecil Level, S Matt Moro, and S Nick Caldwell

Returning: CBs – Broderick Jenkins, Avery Williams, Terrell Chestnut, Nana Twum Agyire, Nana Kyeremeh, Brandon Napoleon, Ricky Rumph, Vernon Davis, Nicardo East, Cecil Level, and Carlton Nash. Ss- Karl Joseph, Darwin Cook, K.J. Dillon, William Marable, Ishmael Banks, Travis Bell, Thomas Chroninger, Mike Hall, and Jarrod Harper.

Recruits: S Malik Greaves, S Jeremy Tyler, and S Daryl Worley

When you look at the Mountaineers depth chart from a season ago, WVU will return three of the four starters from a weak secondary. Another year of experience and another off-season of workouts will hopefully elevate the play of the unit.

One player that Mountaineers fans are expecting to have a break-out 2013 season is sophomore S Karl Joseph. As a freshman, Joseph registered 104 tackles, 1 sack, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions. He was the shining star in the back end of the Mountaineers defense and will look to take his game to the next level and become a leader for the young WVU defense.

That was until he got pulled over for underage DUI. The incident will have an effect on Joseph’s availability this spring, but should not be anything to derail his 2013 season outside of the first game or two.

Predicting the 2013 secondary depth chart becomes pretty easy when you assume the three returning starters will hold onto their spots.

FCB: Broderick Jenkins, r-SR, 5’10″ 184 lbs; Vernon Davis, SO, 5’10″ 175 lbs

FS: Karl Joseph, SO, 5’10″ 196 lbs; Ishmael Banks, r-JR, 6’0″ 184 lbs; Travis Bell, SR, 6’1″ 192 lbs

BS: Darwin Cook, r-SR, 5’11″ 204 lbs; K.J. Dillon, SO, 6’1″ 202 lbs; Malik Greaves, FR, 6’3″ 200 lbs

BCB: Terrell Chestnut, r-SO, 5’11″ 185 lbs; Avery Williams, JR, 5’11″ 181 lbs

Terrell Chestnut certainly took his lumps in his first year of action in Morgantown, getting taken advantage of on various big pass plays. Those who have a little bit of memory will recall that Keith Tandy also got picked apart in his freshman season before becoming a reliable cornerback in his sophomore season.

With three starts under his belt, we like Chestnut’s chances to become a fixture in the Mountaineers secondary this season.

Another name to keep your eye on his Vernon Davis. The highly touted transfer from Miami is sure to see time this season in nickel and dime coverage.

One other note about the depth chart projections, we have Travis Bell buried at FS when he was the projected starter at that position last season. This is due in large part to his domestic assault charge that could very well impact his availability this fall.

Overall, the Mountaineers secondary brings a lot of depth back this season and is sure to be improved with another off-season of training under their belts.

For more on the Way Too Early Depth Chart series:

Wide Receivers

Offensive Line

Defensive Line

November 3, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers safety Karl Joseph (8) reacts on the field against the TCU Horned Frogs during the third quarter at Milan Puskar Field. The TCU Horned Frogs won 39-38 in two overtimes. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday, WV Illustrated reported that a pair of Mountaineers safeties were caught up in a pair of  off the field incident this past weekend. The arrests cast a dark cloud over a recently bright time in West Virginia football.

The Mountaineers recently completed one of the deepest recruiting classes in program history, bringing a renewed optimism to the program for the coming season. Now WVU fans are having their parade rained on by the arrests of safeties Travis Bell and Karl Joseph.

Travis Bell was arrested on domestic assault charges for allegedly beating his girlfriend this past Saturday. Bell has since been released from jail. The junior safety was expected to get increased playing time in the secondary this coming season to spell starters Joseph and Darwin Cook.

Karl Joseph was arrested on underage DUI charges and for possessing a fake ID. According to the Charleston Gazette, Joesph was arrested on Sunday after reportedly blowing a 0.054, in excess of the legal limit for those under 21 (0.02) yet still safely below the legal limit for those 21 and older (0.08).

Further complicating matters, Joseph was in possession of a fake ID. But it was not his own fake ID. Joseph was in possession of Isaiah Bruce’s ID. The report does not explicitly state whether Bruce’s ID was fake.

Joseph and Bruce were the two shining bright spots on a miserable defense this past season. Both freshman started every game for the Mountaineers and are widely considered to be the cornerstones of the WVU defense for years to come.

The arrests of Joseph and Bell will certainly come with consequences both on and off the field. It would not be surprising for coach Holgorsen to suspend these players for a couple games this coming season or worse. In addition, there is a possibility that Isaiah Bruce could face disciplinary action dependent on the circumstances of how his ID ended up in Joseph’s possession.

Ranking the top 10 performances of the season was certainly a challenging task as it is difficult to decipher amongst so many fantastic performances. In the end, we had to ignore many great performances like Alston’s big days against Marshall and Iowa State and Stedman Bailey’s monster day against JMU.

The ten good enough to make our list are as follows:

#10: Isaiah Bruce vs Marshall

Sep 1, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd running back Martin Ward (29) is tackled by West Virginia Mountaineers linebacker Isaiah Bruce (31) and safety Karl Joseph (top right) in the first half at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

West Virginia opened the 2012 season with the final installment of the Friends of Coal Bowl against the Thundering Herd of Marshall. WVU came into the game with one of the top offenses in the nation but with plenty of question marks on the defensive side of the ball. WVU, in the midst of installing a 3-4 scheme, played a number of unproven freshman including Isaiah Bruce. The young linebacker made a memorable rookie debut against the Herd, racking up 16 total tackles and scoring a touchdown on a 43-yard fumble recovery. Bruce’s 16 tackles is a career high for the blossoming star.

#9: Karl Joseph at Iowa State

Nov 23, 2012; Ames, Iowa, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers safety Karl Joseph (8) celebrates with teammate K.J. Dillon (9)after recovering a fumble in the end zone against Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at Jack Trice Stadium. West Virginia defeated Iowa State 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

With the Mountaineers reeling from a 5-game losing streak, WVU needed to come away with a big road victory at Iowa State. The cold, blustery day made it difficult for either offense to really gain much traction, forcing the game into a defensive stand off. West Virginia’s defense had been beaten down for much of the season and was looking to show everyone that they could win games for the Mountaineers. Karl Joseph keyed the defensive tone for the Mountaineers, registering 13 tackles and a tackle for loss. With Iowa State driving to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, Joseph came away with a goal line fumble recovery to seal the WVU victory.

#8: Tavon Austin vs Maryland

September 22, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin (1) turns up field after a pass reception against the Maryland Terrapins during the fourth quarter at Milan Puskar Stadium. The West Virginia Mountaineers won 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

No Mountaineer relishes the chance to play the Terrapins than the incredible Tavon Austin. The Baltimore, MD product racked up an impressive set of statistics against his home state Terrapins. Austin sliced up the Maryland secondary for 13 receptions, 179 yards, and 3 receiving touchdowns. The big day from Austin helped the Mountaineers to a tight 31-21 victory, the 4th of Austin’s career over the Terrapins.

#7: Geno Smith vs James Madison

CREDIT: AP

After lighting up the Herd in week 1 of the season, Geno took to the field in week 3 to further his early season Heisman hype against the Dukes of JMU. Smith had a relatively easy day at the park against the FCS opponent. He would tear apart the Dukes secondary for 34 of 39 passing, 411 yards, and 5 touchdowns. At the time, this game was Smith’s 3rd highest career passing total and 2nd highest passing touchdown total. Geno huge day led to an easy 44-12 victory in D.C.

#6: Stedman Bailey vs Oklahoma

November 17, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Stedman Bailey (3) catches a thirty-three yard touchdown pass behind Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Aaron Colvin (14) during the second quarter at Milan Puskar Stadium . Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Lost in the lime light of Tavon Austin’s near record-setting performance against the Sooners, Stedman Bailey had one of his best receiving performances of the season. In one of the most exciting college football games of the 2012 season, the Mountaineers and Sooners traded scores back and forth, down to the final seconds. Austin and Bailey combined to dominate the Sooners defense. With Austin drawing coverage to the middle of the field, Bailey took advantage of space on the edges to grab 13 passes for 205 yards and 4 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his stellar performance was not enough to lift WVU to victory in a 49-50 loss.