Brendan Ferns to miss season

Brendan Ferns would have had a golden opportunity for the WVU football team this season. The incoming freshman from St. Clairsville, Ohio could have started right away for the Mountaineers.

Unfortunately, for both the team and Ferns, that chance won’t come to fruition. Ferns was sidelined this week in preseason camp and results turned out that he suffered an ACL injury. The ailment to his left knee will cause Ferns to miss the entire 2016 season.

Ferns graduated from St. Clairsville High School, one of the premier teams in the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference. He was a two-way starter for four seasons and was one of the most decorated players in the Eastern District.

Ferns and his older brother, Michael Ferns, were both on the team at the same time and could have made some noise as one of multiple sets of brothers on the Mountaineers this season.

Michael has three years of eligibility remaining after transferring to WVU from Michigan two seasons ago. He will line up at tight end and fullback and could be in the starting rotation right away.

With the departure of Nick Kwiatkoski, Shaq Petteway and Jared Barber, Brendan Ferns had a chance to step in right away as a true freshman and start in their place. He stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs just under 230 pounds. His size and athleticism fit in perfectly under defensive coordinator Tony Gibson.

Brendan Ferns has the speed and agility to compete at the next level and it’s a shame the WVU faithful won’t have a chance to see it come together this season. That’s not to say this is the end for Ferns.

He was one of the toughest and strongest players in Ohio for the past four years and he will handle his surgery and rehabilitation with full professionalism. Last year, alone, Ferns had 118 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, two sacks, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. In doing so, he was captain of the Times Leader defense team and the Eastern District Defensive Player of the Year.

The West Virginia linebacker corps now consists of 16 players who all have potential to make an impact this season. The three starters will likely be Al-Rasheed Benton, Hodari Christian and Sean Walters. Justin Arndt and Xavier Preston will immediately be waiting in the wings.

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Along with Ferns, there were other true freshmen like Zach Sandwisch, Logan Thimons, Adam Hensley, Jonah Campbell, Carter Walburn, Luke Williams, Jonathan Szymczek who may be able to avoid a redshirt and play right away. Of those, Thimons out of Sarver, Pa. has the best ready-now intangibles to see early playing time.

If nothing else, it’s a good attribute for WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen that there is great depth on the defensive side of the ball, especially at linebacker.

What’s even more unfortunate, is that Holgorsen and the coaching staff have to deal with two major blows to the defense, even before the 2016 season begins. As Dravon Askew-Henry is out for the season, some extreme shuffling will be going on in the secondary.

For this team to have a winning season and compete for the Big 12 title, it’s imperative that the Mountaineers remain healthy into the start of the season.

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