Can WVU freshman Matt Sieg become college football's next great two-way star?

This past offseason, the West Virginia Mountaineers put together an ipressive recruiting haul which was highlighted by the addition of dynamic 4-star prospect Matt Sieg. Sieg flipped him committment form Penn State to WVU on Early Signing Day, with the move reportedly coming very late in the process.

When Siegrevealed why he chose the Mountaineers, he hinted that the decision was fueled in part by head coach Rich Rodriguez leaving open the possibility of featuring Sieg as a two-way player. Sieg was a one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in high school football last year, tallying 2,259 all-purpose yards and 30 touchdowns offensively.

But Sieg was primarily recruited as a safety, and was considered one of the top players nationally in his class at the position. So the opportunity to perhaps get used on both sides of the ball was certainly an attractive option. So is it possible we see Sieg making plays on both defenseandoffense in the near future?

Rich Rodriguez needs Matt Sieg to learn defensive role first, but his staff seems eager to use him as an offensive weapon

During spring football, as well as the first week of fall camp, the topic of Sieg being used on offense as well as defense came up. Rodriguez did not shut the door on the possibility, but repeatedly made clear that he needs Sieg to learn his primary role on defense first.

On Wednesday, hegave a little more insighton what to expect when it comes whether Sieg will play offense – and while we're still in the preseason, it doesn't appear things are trending in that direction yet.

"Yeah, I mean I think we we thought from the start that our bigger need was at safety and so he's not done anything on offense," Rodriguez said.

But that might not be all there is to this story. Because later during the team's media availability on Wednesday, inside receivers coach Logan Bradley was asked about Sieg's potential on the offensive side of the ball, and he made it sound likehe cannot waitto have the highly-touted freshman get some reps at wideout.

"I've been walking by him, I just saw him in the cafeteria, I was like, 'let me know when you want to get like four reps in, I can teach you,'" Bradley said. "Matt Sieg can come into my room any time he wants, I tell him that. He's been mainly trying to get on down on defense. But I've been throwing little hints at him, and during the spring and summer, we got together a little bit."

"Matt Sieg can come into my room any time he wants, I tell him that."

WVU inside receivers coach Logan Bradley

And when Rodriguez and defensive coordinator Zac Alley judge that Sieg has his role on defense down well enough to handle some potential offensive reps – or if there's enough depth at safety that Sieg isn't being asked to do too much – there is still a possibility we get to see him in action offensively this year.

The fact remains that Rodriguez wouldn't have hinted at it previously if it wasn't a possibility, and he has already shown last year with Curtis Jones Jr. thathe's willing to feature players on both sides of the ball.And if he makes that decision later in the season, Bradley was confident in the staff's ability to get him ready to go quickly.

"We'll get it done. Coach Rod harps on us, don't make it too difficult for the players... that's be pretty simple in my mind, because we're not going to ask him to go learn a thousand different things. And I think he's a smart young man, so I think he can pick it up."

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