WVU Football

Troy coach Neal Brown will be the next head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers, the school announced on Saturday. 

Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel first reported the move on Friday.

Brown compiled a 35-16 record in four seasons at Troy, winning 10-plus games and earning bowl victories in each of the past three seasons.

Per ESPN's Mark Schlabach, Brown is just one of six FBS coaches to record double-digit wins in each of the past three seasons.

Prior to Brown's arrival, Troy had enjoyed limited success since moving up to the FBS in 2001. The Trojans topped out at nine victories under Larry Blakeney from 2001-14 and had recorded just two bowl victories in five appearances.

Although Brown's first season resulted in a 4-8 record, he was taking over a program that had won just three games in the previous season and had not posted a winning record since 2010.

Brown quickly made Troy relevant in the Sun Belt Conference. An 11-2 performance in 2017 not only earned the Trojans a conference title and a New Orleans Bowl victory, but it also resulted in Brown being named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year.

Brown was previously the offensive coordinator at Texas Tech and Kentucky before Troy gave him his first opportunity to be a head coach.

West Virginia is coming off an 8-4 season under ex-coach Dana Holgorsen. After going 61-41 in eight years on the job in Morgantown, Holgorsen left West Virginia for Houston for a five-year, $20 million contract, with terms detailed by the Houston Chronicle.

The Mountaineers have not won a bowl game since the 2015 campaign and had just two bowl victories in eight seasons under Holgorsen.

Troy head football coach Neal Brown is reportedly expected to become the next head coach at West Virginia.

According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, Brown is favored to replace Dana Holgorsen, who left West Virginia to take the head coaching job at the University of Houston.

Brown has already met twice with WVU officials regarding the vacancy.

The 38-year-old Brown has been the head coach at Troy for four seasons, and he has led the Trojans to the greatest run of success in program history.

Brown owns a 35-16 record, including at least 10 wins in each of the past three seasons. Troy is also a perfect 3-0 in bowl games under Brown.

The Trojans upset LSU en route to an 11-2 finish in 2017, and they went 10-3 in 2018, including a victory over Nebraska.

Prior to taking over as the head coach at Troy, Brown was an offensive coordinator at Texas Tech and his alma mater of Kentucky.

Brown's time at Texas Tech could make him a good fit to continue using the spread offense that has made the Mountaineers so successful in recent years.

If Brown lands the WVU job, he will take over a team that went 8-4 in 2018.

West Virginia has played in a bowl game in each of the past four seasons, but it has lost four of those contests.

The Mountaineers also have just two 10-win seasons since going 11-2 in 2007.

Brown would be taking over a team in transition since he would have to find a replacement quarterback for Will Grier, who is graduating and entering the NFL draft.

West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Will Grier announced Saturday he's going to skip the 2018 Camping World Bowl against the Syracuse Orange on Dec. 28 to focus on the 2019 NFL draft.

WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen said he's "fully supportive" of Grier's decision.

"While we will miss him in Orlando, Will's commitment and service to WVU football over the last three years will be talked about for many years to come," Holgorsen said. "He led us with class, hard work and a willingness to learn, and set a high standard for his teammates."

Grier, a senior who started the last two seasons for the Mountaineers after arriving as a transfer from the Florida Gators, said in a statement that wearing the West Virginia uniform was an "honor":

"While we did not win every time we took the field, and I shoulder that responsibility, I can assure you that we tried. After discussions with [wife] Jeanne and my family, and after receiving professional input, I have decided not to participate in our upcoming bowl game and focus on preparing myself and my family for what I hope is the next step in our journey. I want to thank coach Holgorsen, coach [Jake] Spavital and all of our coaches for believing in me and, most importantly, to my teammates, who are now lifelong friends who taught me the true meaning of TEAM."

Grier vaulted himself into the Heisman Trophy conversation with a terrific 2018 campaign. He completed 67 percent of his throws for 3,864 yards with 37 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He added three rushing scores but wasn't named among the Heisman finalists.

Will Grier had a tremendous season this year for the Mountaineers pic.twitter.com/kmWlZdWVmD

— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 6, 2018

Now the 23-year-old North Carolina native is tasked with proving he should be a first-round pick.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller rated Grier as the No. 30 overall player and the third-best quarterback in the 2019 draft class on his latest Big Board. The Oregon Ducks' Justin Herbert and Duke Blue Devils' Daniel Jones are the two QBs ahead of him on Miller's list.

A strong showing during the draft process would likely give him a chance to land inside the draft's top 10 given the importance of the quarterback position in the modern NFL.

Meanwhile, West Virginia will now be without at least two key players for its battle with Syracuse. Along with Grier, starting left tackle Yodny Cajuste announced Friday he's also skipping the bowl game to begin draft prep.

Those absences limit the upside of a Mountaineers offense that ranks eighth in yards per game this season.

West Virginia's hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff were likely dashed Saturday when the ninth-ranked Mountaineers lost to Oklahoma State, 45-41, at Boone Pickens Stadium.

With his team trailing 41-38, Cowboys quarterback Taylor Cornelius found Tylan Wallace on a slant route for the go-ahead score with 42 seconds remaining. 

Oklahoma State took their first lead of the game over No. 9 West Virginia with 42 seconds left to seal the win! 😮 pic.twitter.com/VDqxNWstNa

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 18, 2018

Will Grier nearly led West Virginia back on the ensuing drive, getting the ball to the Oklahoma State 14-yard line, but his pass to the end zone on the game's final play was batted down. 

Upset.

Oklahoma State stuns West Virginia. pic.twitter.com/5TfktnqxL5

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) November 18, 2018

West Virginia appeared in control through two quarters, carrying a 31-14 lead into halftime. 

Whatever head coach Mike Gundy told his team during the intermission struck a nerve. Oklahoma State closed the game on a 31-10 run that included 21 fourth-quarter points. 

There was already no margin for error as West Virginia chased one of the four playoff spots. No. 7 LSU was the only team with two losses in the Top 10 when play started Saturday. 

The Mountaineers' first loss came against an Iowa State team that's ranked 16th in the playoff standings. A second defeat—this one to an unranked opponent—is devastating because it could prevent them from playing for a Big 12 title. 

Straight forward Big 12 title game scenarios:

Oklahoma - Win out and in
Texas - Win out and in
Iowa State - Win out and in
West Virginia - Win out and in

— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) November 18, 2018

The win made Oklahoma State bowl-eligible at 6-5 and helped Gundy add money to his bank account:

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy set for $62,500 bonus as Cowboys upset WVU for 6th win of season, making them eligible for a bowl game

— Steve Berkowitz (@ByBerkowitz) November 18, 2018

This hasn't been the season Gundy was hoping for after coming off three straight 10-win campaigns, but there were indications the Cowboys were getting better down the stretch.

Oklahoma State knocked off Texas on Oct. 27—when the Longhorns climbed to No. 6 in the rankings—and lost by one point to Oklahoma last week. The only outlier during this stretch was a last-second 35-31 loss at Baylor on Nov. 3. 

Offense wasn't hard to come by for either team. Grier threw for 364 yards and two touchdowns. Mountaineers running back Kennedy McKoy had a season-high 148 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. 

Cornelius picked apart West Virginia's defense with five touchdowns in his final home game at Oklahoma State. Freshman running back Chuba Hubbard had a career-high 26 carries and 134 yards. 

West Virginia can get the bad taste out of its mouth Friday when it hosts Oklahoma—and the winner will advance to the Big 12 Championship Game. Oklahoma State will finish the regular season Saturday at TCU. 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — We begin with chaos theory, and if you don't have the time or inclination to wade through complex mathematics and interdisciplinary philosophy, let West Virginia quarterback Will Grier explain it.

"It's the butterfly effect," Grier said. "And I feel like I've been living in it for the last three years."

The concept goes something like this: A butterfly that flaps its wings in Belize can cause a hurricane in the Pacific Ocean. Simply put, small actions can have large effects.

Or in this case, a coach who asks his quarterback to leave his team in Gainesville, Florida, can drastically change the fortunes of two men and two college football programs—and set in motion a magical season for that quarterback three years later.

Welcome to Grier's chaos theory.

"Instead of letting things break you, look at failures as opportunities to get better. Become unbreakable," Grier said. "It's cause and effect and how you react to it. It's incredible how it has all played out."

Since that fateful October 2015 day when the NCAA declared him ineligible for using a performance-enhancing supplement without clearing it with the team's medical staff, Grier's life has taken many twists and turns: from being asked to leave the Florida program, to transferring to West Virginia, to getting married, to the birth of his daughter, to ignoring NFL money and staying for his senior season because he felt he owed it to Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen, to that improbable moment last weekend in Austin, Texas, where, if you didn't believe in the butterfly effect before, you're jumping in the deep end now.

There was Grier in a critical Big 12 game, flashing the Horns Down sign after a dime of a touchdown throw—off his front foot—and a game-winning, two-point conversion run. It came on a nearly identical play from the same spot on the field where a year ago against Texas in Morgantown he broke his finger on his throwing hand while he reached for the goal-line pylon, ending his season two-and-a-half games early.

He didn't have to reach this time, strolling into the end zone on a quarterback read for the two-point conversion to beat the Longhorns, 42-41, and keep WVU's College Football Playoff hopes alive—after Holgorsen went against conventional wisdom and played for the win.

Hey, when you're riding the butterfly effect, embrace it and hold on for the white-knuckle ride.

Don't buy it?

A play earlier, Grier hit David Sills V on a perfect slant for an apparent two-point conversion that also would've won the game. But Texas called timeout just in time to negate it. No big deal.

Next play, same play, same result—only instead of throwing the slant on the run-pass option, Grier kept the ball and waltzed around the left side into the end zone.

"Put the fate of the game in No. 7's hands," Holgorsen said of Grier. "That's a no-brainer."

It wasn't so long ago when a different coach in a different situation reached the opposite conclusion, changing the careers of Grier, former Florida coach Jim McElwain and the football programs at Florida and West Virginia.

One decision, and so many fluttering reverberations.

Grier led Florida to a 6-0 start during his redshirt freshman season in 2015, including a 28-point win over No. 3 Ole Miss in a game that announced the highly touted recruit's arrival in college football. A week later, the NCAA suspended him for the year for using the banned supplement Ligandrol, which was an ingredient in a protein enhancer he bought from a nutrition store.

During the press conference to announce the suspension, McElwain declared he would stick by Grier and that his starting quarterback would be back on the field with the Gators in a year. "An honest mistake," he said of Grier's supplement use.

Away from the press conference, Grier said McElwain told him he probably shouldn't be around the team for a while. When Grier returned in November to discuss his future, McElwain was more direct, telling him maybe it was time to move on.

McElwain, who was fired at Florida 28 games after his decision to part ways with Grier—with a 16-12 record in those games—is now the wide receivers coach at Michigan. He wasn't available for comment but told Bleacher Report in 2016: "I'm glad he found a home. I feel horrible about what occurred. I'm excited that he has a place where he can go make a difference."

But several former Florida assistants on McElwain's staff said Grier's departure had nothing to do with a banned supplement.

"It had everything to do with Mac wanting to win with his own guy," one former Florida assistant told Bleacher Report. "Grier was [former Gators coach Will] Muschamp's recruit. We were floored by it. You've got a guy that can win big in this league at that position? Those dudes are rare. Who cares if [Grier] liked hanging around his girl more than his teammates? That was the big knock on him; he wasn't a team guy. Come on, man—because he liked spending time with his girl? We scored 38 on that Ole Miss defense with all of those NFL players!

"We knew right then it wasn't just a big gamble—it was a decision that was going to bite us all in the ass."

---

Last week, Grier's wife, Jeanne, was able to get her mother to watch the Griers' two-year-old daughter, Eloise, so Jeanne could travel to her first road game to watch her husband play. And wouldn't you know it, the butterfly effect swooshed in for yet another "you've got to be kidding me" moment.

Jeanne and Will, who for two years have raised a child with all the beautiful craziness that goes with it (hello, no sleep), got their first game weekend alone together. Their parents live far enough from Morgantown that there's no simple call for help or humble ask for a couple of hours of respite.

They've been through this up-and-down ride for nearly three years; through the dark days of Will's suspension and the disruption of leaving Gainesville and starting over in a new place.

Then WVU 42, Texas 41 happens—a memory of a lifetime shared by 20-something parents—and yeah, you start to take this chaos-theory thing seriously.

"We've been through so much, so young, and we've watched each other grow through it," Jeanne said. "It's really fun to see where we are now as opposed to where we were when it all started. There was grieving there for Will when we left Florida. It was hard to watch him go through all of that. But it was everything to see him come out of it on the other side as the most amazing person."

While Grier found himself sitting out the 2016 season at West Virginia, Florida was mired in another year of poor quarterback play, which was dragging down another talented team. Since Tim Tebow graduated after the 2009 season, the Gators have had a string of average quarterbacks—a situation that remains the case—that has led to a lost decade for the once-proud program. The only time during that span Florida looked like it found a quarterback was the six-game stretch Grier played in 2015.

Ironically, Grier said the last time he met with McElwain to try to clarify his status at Florida, the coach was two hours late because he was recruiting quarterback Feleipe Franks, whose high school was three hours away in the Florida Panhandle.

Franks was benched last weekend in the middle of yet another home loss (this time to then-SEC-winless Missouri) for a program that once had one of the best home-field advantages in college football.

---

It didn't take Holgorsen long to zero in on Grier, who he knew from the quarterback's legendary high school career in Davidson, North Carolina (Grier once threw for 837 yards and 10 TDs in a playoff game). The SEC still had its rule against in-conference transfers, so Grier couldn't transfer to South Carolina and play for former Gators coach Will Muschamp, his first choice.

Grier looked at Ohio State and Oregon, but took multiple visits to WVU once Holgorsen got involved. Playing in Holgorsen's offense was the initial draw, before the butterfly effect showed up yet again and sealed the deal.

When Cal fired coach Sonny Dykes in January 2017, it left Jake Spavital—one of the game's top young offensive minds—on the market. Holgorsen hired Spavital as his offensive coordinator and got him, in part, because of Grier.

"Dana called and asked me to be his OC, and I said, 'Is Will going to be there?' He said, 'Yeah,' and I said: 'Heck yeah. I'm in,'" Spavital said. "I had other coaching options that were legit and paid more, but I couldn't pass up coaching a talent like Will."

And coach him he has. With 16 seconds to play last weekend at Texas, it was Spavital who called the daring deep ball into quarters coverage—where only a perfect throw would beat it. And it was Spavital who decided to employ the same two-point conversion run-pass option on the second attempt and put the game in Grier's hands.

---

When Grier arrived in Gainesville in 2014 as Gatorade's North Carolina Player of the Year, he had to add weight and get stronger. He was already one of the best athletes on the team, and wild video clips of him doing standing backflips and dunking basketballs were all over the internet.

Then he hurt his back while lifting weights in the summer, and the idea of his playing as a true freshman was shelved. It was then that the butterfly effect initially took hold.

Muschamp said Grier would've eventually won the starting job as a freshman, and the Gators would've become a different program were it not for the injury. Then he took it one step further.

"We'd still be [at Florida] if he hadn't got hurt," Muschamp said.

But Grier did get hurt, and Florida continued to struggle at quarterback, which eventually cost Muschamp his job. Then McElwain arrived, Grier made a mistake and everything changed.

He went from getting run off McElwain's team to getting run out of the WVU football offices because it was late and Grier was still watching game tape while sitting out during his transfer season.

And wouldn't you know it: Even his first game at WVU came with complications. Because Grier was suspended midway through the 2015 season and sat out 2016 under NCAA transfer rules, he still technically owed the NCAA a half-season (six games) of suspension because the transfer rule didn't automatically eliminate the suspension—until WVU won an appeal and Grier started the 2017 opener.

"There are endless what-ifs that have really made me have an appreciation for my journey and everything I have experienced along the way," Grier said. "It has molded me into a complete person. You go through that, and things don't faze you anymore. It's hard for anyone or any situation to rattle me, as a quarterback and a person."

---

Early this summer, Grier and Sills took a road trip to Sills' home state of Delaware. Get in the car, head north and bond for a weekend.

If anyone understands Grier's wild ride, it's Sills, whose own butterfly effect began when he was 13 and Lane Kiffin offered him a scholarship to play quarterback at USC—an offer that Steve Sarkisian, who wanted him to play wide receiver, later pulled. That led to Sills' signing with WVU and having Holgorsen move him to receiver, to his leaving WVU for junior college to try one more time to make it work as a quarterback, to returning to WVU as a receiver, to—like Grier—becoming a projected first-round pick in next year's NFL draft.

"Whenever I think my ride has been wild, I take a look at Will's and it kind of puts things in perspective," Sills said. "When he talks, he has everyone's attention."

Grier has played 19 games for WVU over the last two seasons, and the Mountaineers are 14-5 in those contests. He has thrown for 6,108 yards and 62 TDs, and has become what he knew he could be all along: a game-defining quarterback.

WVU, meanwhile, is four games from a Big 12 championship and a possible spot in the College Football Playoff.

How about that for the ultimate butterfly effect?

"I have been through enough where nothing rattles me now," Grier said. "I feel in complete control in every situation."

No matter the chaos.

West Virginia head football coach Dana Holgorsen said he was "disappointed" that wide receiver David Sills V was flagged for flashing the "horns down" sign during a 42-41 win over the Texas Longhorns on Saturday.

According to ESPN.com's Jake Trotter, Holgorsen said he had "communicated with the refs" before the game about whether the "horns down" would be flagged.

Holgorsen added, "I guess there was miscommunication."

The Mountaineers went on to win the game on a two-point conversion run by Will Grier with 16 seconds remaining in the contest.

Sills did the "horns down" after a 60-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter.

Lil'Jordan Humphrey returned the ensuing kickoff 29 yards, allowing Texas to start its drive at the West Virginia 39-yard line. Humphrey then scored on a 21-yard catch a few plays later to help make it 14-10 in favor of the Longhorns.

While there are no explicit rules regarding hand gestures, Big 12 spokesman Bob Burda said it is the "officials' judgment" in terms of whether they feel a gesture is unsportsmanlike, per Trotter.

Sills enjoyed a big game for the Mountaineers despite the penalty, as he caught six passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns.

The win kept West Virginia atop the Big 12 at 7-1 overall with a 5-1 conference record.

The 13th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers took a key step toward an appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game with a thrilling 42-41 victory Saturday over the No. 17 Texas Longhorns at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.

A 33-yard touchdown pass from Will Grier to Gary Jennings Jr. with 16 seconds left followed by a successful two-point conversion run by Grier gave the visitors the comeback win.

West Virginia improved to 7-1, including a 5-1 mark in conference play. It marked the second Top 25 road triumph of the campaign for WVU, which knocked off the Texas Tech Red Raiders in September.

Meanwhile, Texas recorded its second straight loss following last week's 38-35 defeat against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Longhorns had won six games in a row but are now 6-3 (4-2).

                

Will Grier Will Rise Up NFL Draft Boards After Terrific Outing

Grier not only led West Virginia to a critical comeback win over Texas, but he also showcased a skill set that looks ready to play on Sundays in the process.

The senior signal-caller connected on 28 of his 42 attempts for 346 yards and three touchdowns. That includes completions on all four of his throws during the team's seven-play, 75-yard scoring drive in the final three minutes to secure the victory.

His ability to stand tall in the pocket in the face of pressure was on display all day. Most importantly, he delivered a perfectly thrown ball over the top of the Longhorns secondary to Jennings in the final seconds. The window to give his receiver a chance to make that play while staying in bounds was minuscule.

NFL scouts were surely watching Grier's latest masterpiece. His success gives him a chance to skyrocket up draft boards in the coming months in a class without any standout QBs at this stage, especially if he can maintain this form for the rest of the season.

For now, however, Grier must focus on pushing WVU into the Big 12 title game with another marquee contest against the Sooners looming in the season finale at month's end.

                      

Sam Ehlinger Should Enter Heisman Trophy Conversation

Ehlinger deserved to enter the national spotlight after his five-touchdown performance to lead Texas past the Oklahoma Sooners in early October. It didn't happen, however, and he still wasn't listed in the top 10 of ESPN's Heisman Watch heading into Week 10.

That needs to change despite the Longhorns' third loss.

The sophomore quarterback completed 25 of his 36 throws for 354 yards and three touchdowns. He added 52 rushing yards on 11 carries with another score on the ground.

He hasn't thrown an interception since the team's season-opening loss to Maryland, and his ability to make plays with his legs (nine rushing TDs) is creating nightmares for opposing defenses.

Add in Texas' previous high-profile wins and another strong effort against a top-tier opponent Saturday, and there's no reason Ehlinger shouldn't receive at least some Heisman consideration.

He might not have enough time to surpass the likes of Tua Tagovailoa from the Alabama Crimson Tide or the Sooners' Kyler Murray, but he needs to land on the radar heading into the stretch run.

                        

Both Defenses Must Improve to Capture Conference Title

Although Big 12 football isn't known for its defensive battles, there were times in Saturday's game when each offense faced perhaps the least resistance you'll see in a Power Five game this season.

Seven straight possessions ended in touchdowns at one stretch during the first half (four for Texas and three for West Virginia). Only one of those drives lasted double-digit plays. So not only were both teams finding the end zone, but they were also doing it quite easily.

In all, the game featured a combined 83 points, 1,100 total yards and one turnover.

To be fair, there were more stops in the second half. But there were three touchdowns in the final six minutes, and as a whole, there were still too many mistakes, both physical and mental, to completely trust either defensive unit moving forward.

Improvement is necessary if either West Virginia or Texas wants to reign supreme in the Big 12.

                      

What's Next?

West Virginia will return home to Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium to face the TCU Horned Frogs next Saturday.

Texas will also be back on the field Saturday when it visits Texas Tech for the Chancellor's Spurs.

West Virginia quarterback Will Grier suffered a gruesome injury to the middle finger on his throwing hand during the first quarter of Saturday's home game against Texas at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown.

The Associated Press noted Grier landed awkwardly after diving while trying to score a touchdown and it caused the finger to remain crooked. Brian Davis‏ of the Austin American-Statesman pointed out the QB was ruled out for the rest of the contest.

Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reported Grier will undergo surgery on Sunday and is expected to miss the team's bowl game.

Deadspin provided a look at the creditworthy injury:

Is Will Grier flipping you the bird, or is there something terribly wrong with his finger? https://t.co/cvq2OvgxxW pic.twitter.com/qnhhiJoTuF

— Deadspin (@Deadspin) November 18, 2017

Grier completed six of his eight passes for 50 yards before being forced to exit.

The 22-year-old North Carolina native started his collegiate career at the Florida before leaving the Gators to join the Mountaineers in April. He entered Saturday's contest with 34 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions across 10 games for WVU.

Chris Chugunov took the reins of the offense after Grier's departure and the sophomore should remain the team's quarterback for as long as the starter remains sidelined.

West Virginia is set to finish the regular season with a road game against the fourth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners next Saturday at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

West Virginia picked up a key commitment for its 2018 recruiting class from coveted defensive lineman Dante Stills. 

Per Chris Anderson of 247 Sports, Stills announced his decision to play for West Virginia on Thursday. 

Anderson noted Stills has close ties to the Mountaineers. His father, Gary Stills, played for the program and recorded 26 sacks in his college career before being a third-round NFL draft pick in 1999. His brother, Darius Stills, is a defensive tackle entering his freshman season at West Virginia. 

Stills is a 4-star prospect who rates as the No. 191 overall player in the 2018 class, according to the Scout.com rankings. He's also listed as the No. 8 defensive tackle in the group and the top player at the position from the state of West Virginia.

While the Fairmont High School star projects as a tackle, he's also capable of playing defensive end in a 3-4 or hybrid scheme. His combination of length and small-area quickness makes him a nightmare to deal with at the line of scrimmage when he's able to get leverage.

Mark Wheeler‏ of Inside The Gators showcased that talent in action:

Dante Stills against Kardell Thomas pic.twitter.com/DUqNuHKiAG

— Inside the Gators (@InsideTheGators) June 10, 2017

Even though Stills' size and athleticism make him a prototypical top prospect, he was surprised by his high recruiting rankings, which jumped during the offseason before his senior year of high school.

"I didn't really think I would be this high in the rankings," he told Ryan Green of Gridiron Now in June. "I knew I was going to work for it, and it's truly a blessing because not a lot of guys get to experience the recruiting process."

He's not the most physically imposing lineman, which must change if he's going to stick at tackle for the long haul, and his technique remains inconsistent. Those are both areas that tend to improve once prospects come to understand raw physical skill is no longer enough at the collegiate level, though.

All told, Stills is the type of prospect who can go a long way to round out the 2018 class for Dana Holgorsen and the Mountaineers, especially since he's an in-state recruit. His floor is a versatile member of the defensive line rotation, but his steady rise suggests he'll become a lot more in the coming years.

The lineman probably won't make an immediate impact for West Virginia as he fills out his frame and works on some technique adjustments. That said, he should be ready to crack the rotation by year two, and all signs point toward him becoming a key starter soon after that.

Stills' commitment is a huge boost for West Virginia in next year's recruiting class. He had powerhouse programs like Florida and Oklahoma in the mix before choosing the Mountaineers. 

Authorities from the Monongalia County Sheriff's Department arrested West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Marcus Simms for allegedly driving under the influence Sunday morning, the Daily Athenaeum's John Lowe and Chris Jackson reported.

Simms was also driving with a revoked license.

On Monday, Simms was suspended for the first game of the 2017 season, per a WVU press release (via 247Sports).

"We have very high expectations for our student-athletes," said head coach Dana Holgorsen, "and they know that how we represent this university is more important than their contribution on the field. While every case is unique and discipline imposed is based on varying factors, this suspension is warranted. It is my hope that Marcus works hard to fulfill his obligation as a member of our community and as a member of our football program."

Officers had pulled Simms over for a broken taillight and arrested him after he failed sobriety tests. The Twitter account WV Jails shared his mugshot following his arrest:

https://twitter.com/WVJails/status/896679070217326593

Simms is entering his sophomore year with the Mountaineers. He saw limited time in nine games as a freshman in 2016. He caught six passes for 95 yards and a touchdown.

Simms' best game came in West Virginia's 49-19 victory over the Iowa State Cyclones. He had three receptions for 76 yards and scored in the second quarter to give the Mountaineers a 21-13 lead.