Will Grier will develop into a star for the Mountaineers
In just one game with the WVU football team, Will Grier has shown he make make the necessary adjustments and put together a solid performance.
Even in a loss to rival Virginia Tech, Will Grier definitely put his team in a position to win the game. Even through a rough first half, Grier was able to make proper plays and allow the Mountaineers to keep pace with the Hokies.
Grier was far from perfect in the first half against Virginia Tech. He was able to rebound in the second half completing 17 of 28 passes to finish with a whopping 31 completions on 51 attempts. Grier had 371 passing yards in what turned out to be the first loss of his collegiate career.
With the Florida Gators, Will Grier jumped out to a 6-0 start in the 2015 season before his suspension for use of performance enhancing drugs. With the Mountaineers, he will have to wait until Saturday to hear Country Roads after the game against East Carolina.
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For the Mountaineers to beat the Pirates on Saturday and eventually cruise through the Big 12 slate of games, Grier will have to stay composed and settle down. He has a heck of an arm and he definitely showed how powerful he can be slinging the ball against the Hokies.
Grier just needs to have better touch on his passes. Some of his receivers just couldn’t hang on to the ball, which puts Grier and the unit both at fault. But there were also times when Grier tried to go deep and throw it up, but it was too far out of the reach of the receiver.
With Jake Spavital as the offensive coordinator, Grier will certainly throw the ball more than 50 times a game. The team does need to develop its running attack better, but Spavital, head coach Dana Holgorsen and Will Grier showed that they will most definitely be a pass-happy team in 2017.
The receivers just have to be ready for strong-armed passes coming their way. The chemistry with the receiving corps is still being developed. It was just one game, so there will be much more time in the future for them to get on the same page with Grier.
Plus, Grier was throwing with two of the best receivers absent against Virginia Tech. Marcus Simms was suspended, but should be back for East Carolina. And, Shelton Gibson chose not to return for his senior season. Having those guys in tow could have settled Grier down a little bit.
Still, Grier impressed WVU fans and the ABC announcers. Holgorsen has also encouraged by what he saw from his new QB.
"“Will did a great job of showing us that he’s a ballplayer,” he said in the Roanoke Times. “He never panicked.”"
He just didn’t have the clutch gene to lead a comeback on the final drive. He also didn’t reach his potential in Game 1 but has plenty of time to get back on track.
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The Mountaineers are in the right hands with Will Grier. He can take them far this season and next. One game won’t define his career, but the prospect of his future leaves us all excited.