WVU Football

West Virginia head football coach Dana Holgorsen announced Tuesday that quarterback Will Grier will be eligible to play in the Mountaineers' season-opening game against the Virginia Tech Hokies on Sept. 3 at FedExField in Maryland.      

Holgorsen revealed the news with the following tweet:

#LETSGO pic.twitter.com/xEvGOpXSop

— Dana Holgorsen (@Holgorsendana) June 20, 2017

According to ESPN.com's Jake Trotter, West Virginia applied for and received a waiver from the NCAA to make Grier eligible for the start of the season.

He was suspended for one year midway through the 2015 season at Florida for a positive PED test before transferring to WVU and sitting out all of 2016.

During his freshman season with the Gators, Grier went 5-0 as a starter with 1,202 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns and three interceptions while rushing for two additional scores.

When asked about Grier in April, Holgorsen gushed about everything the Davidson, North Carolina, native brings to the table, per Chris Anderson of 247Sports:

"He's as good as advertised. He's proven he's a winning starting quarterback. He's got the starting quarterback gene. He's a coach's kid, he's smart, [and] it means a lot to him. That starting quarterback gene is always good to have in your locker room.

... I like the way he controlled the huddle. His accuracy is very good. I think his pocket presence and being able to keep the play alive is going to be something that makes you win ballgames. ... The arm strength and the accuracy, he can make all the throws. That's good to have back there, obviously. It's been fun to watch in the spring."

Skyler Howard threw 26 touchdowns as West Virginia's starting quarterback last year, but his graduation left a void.

Grier will take the reins of a team that went 10-3 last season but ranked only 49th in points per game.

The West Virginia Mountaineers picked up another commitment for its 2018 recruiting class Sunday in the form of running back Leddie Brown. 

Brown announced his decision on Twitter:

#WVU #takemehome18 😎💯‼️ pic.twitter.com/OKc0GKdbsL

— _LB4 (@___lb4) April 30, 2017

WVSports.com's Keenan Cummings noted Brown was a long-term target for West Virginia:

How big a commitment is Leddie Brown to #WVU? Mountaineers targeted him early, offered in eighth grade. Skill set is perfect match.

— Keenan Cummings (@rivalskeenan) April 30, 2017

Brown is a 4-star prospect who rates as the No. 255 overall recruit in the 2018 class, according to the Scout.com rankings. He also checks in as the No. 17 running back and the best Delaware-based player at the position among the year's group.

Although the Smyrna High School star will probably see a majority of his snaps in the backfield, he should have a far more wide-ranging impact than a single position. He'll probably be moved around the offense to create matchup problems and also take on a key role on special teams.

The rusher has showcased a terrific burst and the ability to make defenders miss in space. He also doesn't shy away from contact when trying to pick up an extra yard or two, a facet of his game made possible by his 6'1'' frame.

He'll need to continue bulking up from his current 190 pounds in order to have consistent success running between the tackles in college and potentially the NFL, though.

Brown told Brandyn Campbell of NFL Player Engagement part of his love for the game comes from being able to push everything else aside when he steps on the field.

"It gets my mind away from all this stuff," Brown said. "I play football to get out everything."

All things considered, this is a high-upside signing for Dana Holgorsen and the Mountaineers. He may never become a dominant three-down rusher at the collegiate level, but he does a lot of things well and should make a substantial impact.

Running back is one of the positions where the transitional curve isn't quite as steep, so there should be an opportunity for him to join the rotation pretty quickly at West Virginia. A crowded depth chart ensures he'll be forced to earn his place among the group, though.

For more news and analysis on West Virginia football, go to BlueGoldNews.com.

Before the West Virginia Mountaineers football team took the field for its regular-season finale Saturday, the program reportedly rewarded head coach Dana Holgorsen with a new contract extension.

Per ESPN's Brett McMurphy, Holgorsen received a five-year extension that will run through the 2021 season. Chris Anderson of 247Sports added Holgorsen's deal was signed and approved Friday, with an official announcement from the school coming Saturday or Sunday.

Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated reported it is a five-year, $18.6 million contract that will pay $4 million in the final year of the deal.

Since taking over as West Virginia's head coach in 2011, Holgorsen has led the program to five bowl appearances, including this season, and an Orange Bowl victory over the Clemson Tigers.

The move takes pressure off the Mountaineers, who were dealing with uncertainty regarding Holgorsen's status with the program after the two sides ended their initial extension talks in February to focus on the 2016 season.

"There will be no change in Dana's contract at this time," athletic director Shane Lyons told Mike Casazza and Mitch Vingle of the Charleston Gazette-Mail. "We'll now turn our attention to the 2016 season and hope to continue the momentum from the Cactus Bowl win and successful signing day."

Citing a source in November, Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle reported Holgorsen could have emerged as a candidate for Houston's head coaching job, having worked as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the school from 2008 to 2009.

Thanks to a successful bounce-back season in 2016, Holgorsen and West Virginia were able to find common ground to keep their partnership going.

There have been some bumps along the way, but after firmly establishing the program with successful recruiting in the Big 12, Holgorsen is bringing the Mountaineers back into the national conversation.

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As he was pushed to the ground, Ka'Raun White still somehow reeled in a touchdown reception for West Virginia.

Early in the second quarter of a Week 11 game against the Texas Longhorns, Mountaineers quarterback Skyler Howard hurled a deep pass to the junior wide receiver. Longhorns cornerback Kris Boyd shoved White, prompting the officials to call defensive pass interference.

It didn't matter, as White caught the 29-yard touchdown pass with his backside in bounds. West Virginia secured a 24-20 victory over Texas.

The Kansas Jayhawks are the embarrassed owners of a 39-game road losing streak. To make things worse they're just 10-28-1 against the spread during that slide. Kansas probably stands little chance of snapping that streak when it takes on West Virginia in Morgantown on Saturday night.

      

Point spread: The Mountaineers opened as 31.5-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. Line updates and matchup report.

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 51.0-6.6 Mountaineers (College football picks on every game)

       

Why the Kansas Jayhawks can cover the spread

It's difficult to make a case for a team like Kansas. Even if a team is 1-7 on the season it should hover around .500 against the spread. Unfortunately, the Jayhawks are having trouble doing that, too, going just 2-6 ATS.

Last week Kansas lost at Oklahoma 56-3. The Jayhawks played the Sooners to a 7-3 score through the first quarter, but things got away from them after that. If KU hadn't given up touchdowns on a punt return and an interception return, it would have pushed the 39-point spread.

Two weeks ago the Jayhawks only trailed Oklahoma State 24-20 deep into the third quarter, before fading, and earlier this year they led TCU late in the fourth, before falling to a field goal with a minute to go. So Kansas has given a couple of good performances against quality opponents this year. Can it give the Mountaineers a decent battle this week?

      

Why the West Virginia Mountaineers can cover the spread

West Virginia is coming off its first loss of this season, a 37-20 setback at Oklahoma State last week. The Mountaineers led the Cowboys 10-6 in the second quarter but gave up three consecutive touchdowns to fall down by 17. They then pulled to within 27-20 midway through the fourth but could get no closer.

On the day West Virginia actually outgained Oklahoma State 421-358 and outrushed the Cowboys 209-85, but three turnovers led directly to 17 OSU points. The Mountaineers have now outgained and outrushed six of seven opponents this season

At 3-1 in Big 12 play West Virginia trails first-place Oklahoma by a game-and-a-half but gets the Sooners at home in a couple of weeks.

Smart pick

The problem with teams like Kansas is that eventually bookmakers have to post numbers so high, a cover is almost inevitable. Is that the case for this week's game? Hard to tell, but there's just no way anyone in good conscience could recommend betting on the Jayhawks on the college football point spreads at the moment.

     

Betting trends

West Virginia is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games after losing as a favorite.

The total has gone under in 13 of West Virginia's last 15 games at home.

Kansas is 0-30 SU in its last 30 games on the road.

    

All college football betting lines and point spreads data courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and Odds Shark YouTube for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.

West Virginia quarterback Skyler Howard connects with Shelton Gibson for a 19-yard touchdown against Oklahoma State University in the first half on Saturday.

For more news and analysis, visit BlueGoldNews.com.

Watch West Virginia wide receiver Jovon Durante make a spectacular catch.