WVU QB Clint Trickett Retires from Football Due to Multiple Concussions
Dec 26, 2014
Having suffered five concussions in a span of 14 months, West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett retired from football on Friday.
The Mountaineers announced that the senior will walk away from the game, per ESPN.com's Jake Trotter. Trickett is not leaving football altogether. He may replace his cleats for a clipboard as he hopes to become a football coach.
Trickett thanked WVU fans on Twitter after the announcement was made public:
I want 2 thank all of #MountaineerNation for the support. Had ups & downs but accomplished alot and wouldnt trade my Sr season for anything
Trickett suffered a concussion in what proved to be a 26-20 loss to Kansas State back on Nov. 20 and hasn't returned to the field since. On Dec. 18, he received medical clearance to play in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 29, but head coach Dana Holgorsen announced on Friday that Trickett would be out, per Greg Madia of WVSports.com:
#WVU HC Dana Holgorsen says Clint Trickett is OUT for the Liberty Bowl and Skyler Howard will start.
He revealed that two of the five concussions weren't revealed to the West Virginia medical staff, and he accepts full responsibility for his actions, per Allan Taylor of WVMetroNews.com:
Trickett on hiding concussions: "In fairness to our trainers, that's on me." Says they would've held him out had they seen any indicators.
Should Trickett become a coach, he'd be following in the footsteps of his father, Rick, who's an assistant head coach and offensive line coach at Florida State.
Between his time at Florida State and West Virginia, Trickett threw for 5,837 yards and 32 touchdowns.
Rasul Douglas to West Virginia: Mountaineers Land 4-Star JUCO CB Prospect
Dec 17, 2014
After a successful tenure at Nassau Community College, JUCO cornerback prospect Rasul Douglas signed with West Virginia on Wednesday afternoon. Douglas was recruited by several other Division I teams like Florida State, Louisville and Rutgers before committing to the Mountaineers.
A 4-star player, according to 247Sports' composite rankings, Douglas is rated as the No. 4 cornerback among JUCO recruits in the Class of 2015. Louisville was the perceived favorite to land Douglas, per the 247Sports Crystal Ball, which gave the program a 60 percent chance at signing him.
Nick Burch of ESPN680 offered his take on the situation:
Prior to making his decision, Douglas told Brian Dohn of Scout.com of West Virginia, "They have big needs for me. They have been recruiting me the longest and I know them the best."
Standing at 6'3", 200 pounds, Douglas offers the kind of size that defensive coordinators covet at the position. He's a big player who will match up well with more physical receivers.
The Mountaineers went 7-5 this season and will play Texas A&M in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 29. But after finishing 61st in the country in points allowed (26.2 per game), Douglas can help the Mountaineers secondary next season.
Clint Trickett Injury: Updates on West Virginia QB's Concussion and Return
Nov 20, 2014
MORGANTOWN, WV - NOVEMBER 20: Clint Trickett #9 of the West Virginia Mountaineers drops back to pass in the first half against the Kansas State Wildcats during the game on November 20, 2014 at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Clint Trickett left a Nov. 20 game against Kansas State due to a concussion. Despite being cleared for practice, Trickett will not play in the Liberty Bowl and has decided to retire from football due to multiple concussions.
Continue for updates.
Trickett Out for Liberty Bowl, Will Retire
Friday, Dec. 26
Greg Madia of WVSports.com has the latest on Trickett:
#WVU HC Dana Holgorsen says Clint Trickett is OUT for the Liberty Bowl and Skyler Howard will start.
John Raby of the Associated Press has the latest update on Clint Trickett ahead of West Virginia's Bowl game against Texas A&M:
West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said quarterback Clint Trickett has been cleared to play in the Liberty Bowl after being sidelined with a concussion.
But Holgorsen said sophomore Skyler Howard's impressive play will put the quarterback rotation up for grabs as the Mountaineers (7-5) prepare to meet Texas A&M (7-5) on Dec. 29 in Memphis, Tenn.
Mountaineers head coach Holgorsen went on to discuss his options of Trickett and sophomore Skyler Howard, per Raby:
Clint's done such a good job for us over the course of the year. He's responsible for us being in a bowl game — did nothing to change what I think of him as far as the starting quarterback. We know what kind of kid he is, what kind of competitor he is.
With that said, Skyler's improving, he's taking a lot of reps these last three weeks. I anticipate to have both ready to go and we'll probably make a game-time decision on who starts and what the rotation will be.
Trickett Leaves KSU Game With Injury
Thursday, Nov. 20
An up-and-down season for West Virginia may begin trending down very quickly for the Mountaineers after Thursday night, as quarterback Clint Trickett was unable to finish the team's game against Kansas State due to an injury.
Josh Taylor of TribLIVE Radio has more:
Team announces Clint Trickett has been taken to the locker room for an undisclosed injury, will NOT return to game. #WVU
Trickett has played well this season for West Virginia, throwing for 3,285 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He shined in the team's signature win this season over Baylor, finishing 23-for-46 with 322 passing yards, three touchdowns and a pick.
Still, he hasn't been able to keep the Mountaineers from losing three straight games and falling to a disappointing 6-5 on the season.
It's hard to imagine things will get any easier for the Mountaineers if his injury costs him the rest of the season, though Skyler Howard did throw for two touchdowns in relief duty against Kansas State after Trickett left in the third quarter.
West Virginia finishes its season on November 29 against Iowa State before likely playing in a low-level bowl game in December.
West Virginia Showing Flashes, Still Not Back to Elite Status of Rich Rod Days
Nov 1, 2014
West Virginia blew a 27-14 lead against TCU on Saturday, losing to the Horned Frogs, 31-30, on a last-second field goal by Jaden Oberkrom. (A taste of its own medicine, if you will.)
The Mountaineers dropped to 6-3 on the season, losing for the third time to a team then-ranked in the Top 10. They hung tough with Alabama in the season-opener and Oklahoma in September but never flat-out blew a game the way they did against TCU.
The loss served as a reminder that West Virginia, while easily one of the most improved teams and biggest surprises in the country, is still not back to the apex it reached in the mid-2000s under former head coach Rich Rodriguez—or even the level of its Orange Bowl season three years ago under current head coach Dana Holgorsen.
Pre-Big 12 West Virginia found a way to win these games.
MORGANTOWN, WV - NOVEMBER 01: Clint Trickett #9 of the West Virginia Mountaineers passes on the run in the first quarter against the TCU Horned Frogs during the game on November 1, 2014 at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin
The most alarming development from Saturday's loss—and the biggest reason West Virginia didn't win the game—was sloppiness.
Five Mountaineers possessions ended in turnovers, including three in a four-possession span during the first half when they otherwise had TCU on the ropes. Quarterback Clint Trickett had an expert first drive before regressing into his worst game of the season, averaging just 6.2 yards per attempt, fumbling away a mishandled snap and throwing a pair of equally ill-advised interceptions.
The first (alluded to below by Rotoworld's Josh Norris) was a telegraph that safety Chris Hackett leaped in front of, and the second (alluded to below by Sporting News' Matt Hayes) was a lazy attempt at a throwaway that linebacker Paul Dawson clawed out of the air:
Holgorsen will be questioned for his conservative game plan on WVU's final three possessions, during which he called seven rushing plays and two passing plays for a grand total of minus-seven yards.
But one of those two passing plays was a sack that Trickett fumbled and West Virginia was lucky to recover. It's hard not to empathize with Holgorsen's reluctance on a day in which his offense had five turnovers and easily could have had seven or eight.
The problem was not that Holgorsen didn'ttrust his offense.
The problem was that he couldn't.
And therein lies the difference between the West Virginia teams that routinely played in BCS bowls and the West Virginia team that routinely loses close games against Top 10 opponents. The former was a dogged offensive machine that kept its foot on the pedal and turned small leads into big leads and big leads into huge ones.
The latter only plays that well on occasion.
MORGANTOWN, WV - NOVEMBER 01: Wendell Smallwood #4 of the West Virginia Mountaineers rushes against the TCU Horned Frogs during the game on November 1, 2014 at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
"I take responsibility for what happened out there offensively," said Holgorsen after the game. "It was bad. It was not acceptable, and it's not gonna win football games. To turn the ball over five times and average what we averaged per play is completely unacceptable.
"We'll get back to work on that tomorrow."
When they do, however, the Mountaineers will no longer be working toward a Big 12 championship or a pipe-dream shot of making the College Football Playoff. Instead, they'll be working toward a nine-win regular season and a shot of ruining Kansas State's CFP hopes.
There is no shame in working toward those goals on the heels of a 4-8 season, especially for a team that entered 2014 with deflated expectations. Making a bowl game of any sort is a small step in the right direction. Flirting with a 10-win season is a huge one.
It's just not the step this team has shown flashes of having taken. It's not the step that allowed the 'Eers to upset Baylor in Week 8. It's not the step that lured College GameDay to Morgantown, West Virginia, for the first time since the Orange Bowl season of 2011.
TCU vs. West Virginia: Game Grades, Analysis for the Mountaineers
Nov 1, 2014
MORGANTOWN, WV - NOVEMBER 01: Jaden Oberkrom #33 of the TCU Horned Frogs kicks the game winning field goal in the fourth quarter during the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers on November 1, 2014 at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. TCU defeated WVU 31-30. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
This was a game that West Virginia University will definitely want back. The Mountaineers led by nine in the fourth quarter, but TCU stormed back and kicked a game-winning field goal to win 31-30.
West Virginia really hurt its defense by turning the ball over in the first half, but the Horned Frogs were unable to capitalize on the mistakes. TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin played his worst game of the season—throwing for only 166 yards—but he made plays down the stretch when it mattered.
It was a combination of sloppy offensive performances and exciting defensive plays. TCU defensive back Chris Hackett forced a fumble and also recorded an interception.
You can find the box score here, courtesy of NCAA.com.
Game Grades for the West Virginia Mountaineers
Position Unit
First-Half Grade
Final Grade
Passing Offense
C
D
Rushing Offense
B+
B
Pass Defense
A-
B
Run Defense
B
C
Special Teams
B
B
Coaching
B
D
Passing Offense
Clint Trickett finished this game 15-of-26 passing with one touchdown and two interceptions. He was often off-target with his throws, and he seemed to stare down receivers on certain plays. Star wide receiver Kevin White was also shut down, only totaling three catches for 28 yards.
With the double coverages on White, it seems that West Virginia should have been able to find another target to consistently throw to.
Rushing Offense
The Mountaineers came out with a game plan to run the ball and control the line of scrimmage. This was successful in the first half and led to a huge difference in time of possession. It was another solid day for the rushing attack, finishing with 195 yards.
Dreamius Smith had a 50-yard run that really got the crowd going, and Wendell Smallwood added 64 yards.
Pass Defense
Although it gave up some plays in the fourth quarter, it was a great day for the West Virginia secondary. Boykin was on fire coming into this game, and he was held to only 166 yards and one passing touchdown.
Run Defense
The run defense was shaky at times, allowing TCU to rush for 223 yards. B.J. Catalon averaged 5.3 yards per carry and ended the day with 105 yards and two touchdowns.
Boykin used his legs and was able to rush for 49 yards, and Aaron Green also added 63 yards.
Coaching
There was a lot to look back on and ask “what if” in this game. The play-calling in the fourth quarter was very conservative, and it allowed TCU to stay in rhythm and build momentum.
Head coach Dana Holgorsen’s play-calling was very questionable at times, and the decision to hold the timeouts at the end was also debatable. TCU was already in field-goal range, and West Virginia had three timeouts to use.
Special Teams
Josh Lambert was great in this game, going 3-of-3 on his kicks. He has been solid all year long, and he made some big kicks in this game.
Punter Nick O’Toole also averaged 45.4 yards per punt in this game, adding one inside the 20-yard line.
Clint Trickett's Long Journey to Success and a Life in Coaching
Oct 29, 2014
West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett (9) greets fans following an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014. West Virginia defeated Oklahoma State 34-10. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
It took until his senior year of college, but West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett finally has a team to call his own.
Trickett's journey back to West Virginia has been well documented. The son of Florida State offensive line coach Rick Trickett spent his early teenage years around the Mountaineers program when his father was an assistant under Rich Rodriguez from 2001-06.
But the former 3-star recruit signed with Florida State, not West Virginia, in 2010. A career backup, Trickett sat behind EJ Manuel and transferred in the spring of 2013 before Jameis Winston was inevitably named the starter.
CLEMSON, SC - SEPTEMBER 24: Clint Trickett #9 of the Florida State Seminoles against the Clemson Tigers during their game at Memorial Stadium on September 24, 2011 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
However, it was the stress of playing under his father, not playing time, that caused Trickett to finish his career elsewhere. "The working environment was uncomfortable with my dad on staff," Trickett told Bruce Feldman, then of CBSSports.com, in January.
Now the main man for the Mountaineers, Trickett has led his team by his actions and his words.
At 6-2, the Mountaineers are ranked No. 20 in the first College Football Playoff standings and host No. 7 TCU on Saturday, with ESPN's College GameDay in attendance. More importantly, West Virginia controls its destiny in the Big 12 title hunt.
Sacrifice
Trickett was willing to do anything for the teammates he'd just met. He didn't know them well, having just transferred as a grad student from Florida State. So he took the "show-me" route instead—and took hit after hit and played the 2013 season with one good arm.
"If they saw me get hurt," Trickett said, "take a couple of shots a game and play at 50 percent, they'd say 'He's going to sacrifice his body for this team.'"
In his interview with Feldman, Trickett acknowledged that he played through most of last season—a disappointing 4-8 campaign for the Mountaineers—with a torn labrum, which he sustained in his first start against Oklahoma State.
That same month, he sent out a picture from his Twitter account, which has since been deleted, showing the gruesome result post-surgery.
Trickett's shoulder post-surgery
Nine months later, Trickett is 100 percent healthy and ranks sixth in the country with 2,763 passing yards. He's played for his father and with a torn labrum. TCU he can handle.
Seriously, how much pain was Clint Trickett's shoulder in last year? He looks like a completely different player this year.
Trickett returned to a place he knew with an opportunity to start as a grad student. For someone who grew up around the West Virginia program, though, Trickett felt like a stranger upon his return to Morgantown in 2013.
"I came here last year and people didn't know me," Trickett said. "But I knew if, given the time, [my teammates and I] could build a relationship."
The chemistry between Trickett and his teammates didn't come right away. Chemistry was an issue in general for West Virginia a season ago. Between myriad injuries and a revolving door at quarterback with Trickett, Paul Millard and Ford Childress, the Mountaineers couldn't consistently get things to work on offense. As a result, West Virginia averaged 26 points a game.
Trickett against Oklahoma State in 2013
"That timing and that rapport did not exist at any time last year," head coach Dana Holgorsen said.
Trickett's shoulder injury didn't allow him to physically develop that timing with his receivers in the offseason. "I wasn't able to competitively throw until right before camp started," Trickett said. So, he did everything else he possibly could.
He watched spring practices from the sidelines and a coach's point of view. Though he couldn't actually practice, Trickett made sure he stayed as mentally sharp as possible. Trickett essentially doubled up on his "film sessions" by watching film and then watching live-action practices. "You hear the term mental reps," Trickett explained, "well, there were a lot of mental reps."
He also spent the offseason getting to know his teammates on a deeper level. Mike Casazza of The Charleston Daily Mail wrote in August of the car rides Trickett would give leading receiver Kevin White in the offseason. It was that time, traveling together, that the two really built their relationship:
It was West Virginia’s quarterback who came up with clever way to spend more time with his big receiver, Kevin White. Trickett was the one who said he’d drive 20 or so minutes out of his way after a brief getaway in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to Allentown, where he’d pick up White and take him back to campus. He knew they’d be in the car for about five hours and they could make the time count.
“I got to know Clint outside of football,” White said. “We talked about life stuff. It helped us bond and get to know each other better.”
They talked football, too, and went over the 2013 season, how they fared in their first year with the Mountaineers, what they wanted to change as seniors this fall. They got to know what they thought of one another, of strengths and weaknesses, of what one could do to make the other better.
Through eight games, Trickett and White have connected 72 times for 1,047 yards and eight touchdowns. Not bad for a quarterback-receiver combo that hadn't truly practiced together in well over seven months.
While White is getting the Heisman consideration, Tricket has been a completely different player this year. He's thrown for more than 300 yards in seven of West Virginia's eight games, including a 511-yard performance in a 40-37 win over Maryland. (White had a season-high 216 yards against the Terps.) Trickett's "worst" performance? A modest 238 passing yards and two touchdowns in a 34-10 win over Oklahoma State.
The Leader
Trickett has, barring injury, five more games in a West Virginia uniform. He's been determined to make every one count. After a tough first season in Morgantown, Trickett has taken over as the team's unquestioned leader.
It starts on the field. With the exception of four attempts by freshman William Crest in garbage time against Towson, Trickett has thrown every pass for the Mountaineers in 2014. He is, without a doubt, the go-to guy for the Mountaineers offense.
Holgorsen added that Trickett's relationship with White tells just part of the story. The quarterback has a strong bond with second-leading receiver Mario Alford, who had a season-high 136 yards against Oklahoma State while White was held in check with just three catches for 27 yards.
MORGANTOWN, WV - OCTOBER 18: Clint Trickett #9 of the West Virginia Mountaineers hands off to Wendell Smallwood #4 against the Baylor Bears during the game on October 18, 2014 at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. West Virginia defeated Bay
Trickett also takes responsibility for the offensive line, which has been much-maligned over recent years. "At the Oklahoma State game, Clint huddled up those guys [before each drive] and talked to them for about 10 to 15 seconds to calm them down," Holgorsen said.
"That relationship exists with each and everybody on offense."
It's no surprise that a coach's son is the vocal leader of the team. Put simply, the Trickett family is made to coach. Trickett's brother, Travis Trickett, is the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Samford University.
Trickett wants to keep playing, whether in the NFL or Canadian Football League, for as long as he can. Football is what he knows. To him, it's fun. He's enjoying the moment because he knows it will eventually come to an end.
At that point, Trickett will follow the family path and get into coaching. "That's been set up for me from when I was born," he said. "A 9-to-5 job? I can't imagine doing that. February? That's signing day for me."
Four years ago, Trickett signed his National Letter of Intent with Florida State. In a couple of months, he'll leave West Virginia as one of the better turnaround stories in college football.
The journey has been long for Trickett, at times both awkward and painful. It certainly hasn't always gone according to script. It has, however, molded Trickett into the player he is today. And the coach he'll be one day.
"I wouldn't trade it for anything," he said.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com. Rankings reflect College Football Playoff standings. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.com.
West Virginia Is Showing It Is a Legit Contender for the Big 12 Title
Oct 25, 2014
It's tough to see a two-loss team making the inaugural College Football Playoff, and that's the boat the West Virginia Mountaineers are in after hiccups against Alabama and Oklahoma.
But Saturday's 34-10 thumping of the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Stillwater proves one thing: WVU is squarely in the hunt for the Big 12 title and could very well spoil the conference's chances for a playoff berth in the process.
Currently, Kansas State leads the Big 12 standings, as they are unbeaten in league play. They're followed by three teams—TCU, Baylor and the Mountaineers.
What's important about that is that WVU has the head-to-head advantage over Baylor, while still having games with K-State and TCU—both at home—left on the docket.
So believe it or not, the team picked eighth in the preseason Big 12 poll, ranking ahead of only lowly Iowa State and Kansas, controls its own destiny as it enters the back third of its schedule.
The Mountaineers have put themselves in this position thanks in large part to the rise of Clint Trickett as one of the best gunslingers in the nation, and that of his partner in crime Kevin White, who leads college football in receiving yards with 1,047.
On Saturday, Trickett was up to his usual tricks—throwing for 238 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions on 21-of-30 passing.
Clint Trickett has had at least 20 completions in every game this season. #HailWV
Over the course of the season, he's now accumulated 2,768 yards and 17 touchdowns through the air, thrown just five interceptions and is at the helm of a team that scores 36.8 points per game.
White's been even more spectacular, hauling in eight touchdowns—although against the Cowboys he was shut down to the tune of 27 yards on three catches. But he still had a touchdown grab.
WVU WR Kevin White's streak of seven consecutive 100-yard games is over. He had 3 rec, 27 yards, TD today. He's still pretty good.
This squad is a far cry from the WVU of 2013, a team that went 4-8, lost to Kansas and put Dana Holgorsen on the hot seat.
Much of the team's resurgence has come on the defensive end. Last year, the Mountaineers were ranked 104th in total defense, giving up 468.5 yards per game. They were also 101st in scoring defense, giving up 34.8 points a game.
In 2014, the Mountaineers have made slight jumps, ranking 76th in total defense (425.7) and 87th in scoring defense (31.7) through their first seven games. Their scoring-defense rank will likely skyrocket after giving up just 10 points to the Cowboys.
While those aren't massive jumps, it's still noticeable improvement and enough to give the Mountaineers, who possess one of the best offense in college football, enough of a chance to win ballgames.
Oct 25, 2014; Stillwater, OK, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Dana Holgorsen celebrates with place kicker Michael Molinari (48) during the fourth quarter at Boone Pickens Stadium. West Virginia won 34-10. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODA
The biggest advantage that the Mountaineers have going forward is that the toughest games they have left are at home.
Morgantown is often where dreams go to die. Oklahoma State would've won a Big 12 title last year had it not been for an early-season loss there. Then this season, Baylor fell behind the conference eight-ball with an upset loss there.
WVU is 3-1 at home this year. In their three wins—Towson, Kansas, Baylor—the Mountaineers are averaging a 29-point margin of victory.
The biggest challenges remain ahead for the Mountaineers. But ever since the Week 1 scare that Alabama suffered at the hands of WVU, Holorgen and Co. have been hard at work making believers out of the college football world.
It's time to start believing that the Mountaineers can win the Big 12.
From Unknown to Top Prospect: West Virginia WR Kevin White's Draft Stock Soaring
Oct 24, 2014
Oct 4, 2014; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Kevin White (11) crosses the goal line to score a touchdown against the Kansas Jayhawks during the first quarter at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
When Alabama played West Virginia on the first Saturday of the college football season, it was already widely expected that one of the wide receivers in that game—Crimson Tide junior Amari Cooper—would be in contention to be the top pass-catcher selected in the 2015 NFL draft. It wasn’t yet known that a wideout for the other team, Mountaineers senior Kevin White, could end up being Cooper’s top competition.
Look back at the preseason NFL draft big boards of Mel Kiper Jr. (subscription required), Todd McShay (subscription) or Bleacher Report’s own Matt Miller, and Kevin White is nowhere to be found. With only 35 receptions for 507 yards and five touchdowns in his first season at West Virginia, the Lackawanna College transfer simply didn’t do enough as a junior to legitimize himself as an NFL prospect.
This year, he started making a name for himself right away when he caught nine passes for 143 yards and a touchdown in the season-opening loss to Alabama.
It’s since become increasingly clear by the week that White, who has at least 10 receptions and/or 132 receiving yards in each of his first seven games this year, is one of the top draft-eligible talents in college football.
White leads the Football Bowl Subdivision with 1,020 receiving yards and is second in the nation with 69 receptions, seven-game numbers close to exactly double his 11-game numbers from 2013.
Statistical excellence doesn’t make one a great NFL prospect, but the tools that have enabled White to achieve consistently high production do. While the increases in his numbers are partially tied to the development of WVU quarterback Clint Trickett, his current status as the best receiver in college football has more to do with his own improvement into a near-complete wideout.
Size, Strength and Ball Skills Make White a Tough Matchup
Listed at 6’3”, 210 pounds by West Virginia’s official athletics website, White has archetypical size for an outside wide receiver. More importantly, White combines his size with strength and knows how to exploit his physical advantages to win at the catch point against defensive backs.
Perhaps the biggest key to White’s ability to rattle off one outstanding performance after another this season has been his ability to make plays even when he is covered. He consistently attacks the ball in the air, even when he has to work through the contact of defensive backs, and he naturally high-points the football.
White’s first touchdown of the year, a 19-yard score in the Alabama game, exemplified White’s ability to make a play against coverage on the outside.
Alabama cornerback Bradley Sylve had tight coverage on White throughout the play, but that didn’t stop the Mountaineers receiver from adjusting back to the ball, making a leaping grab up above Sylve’s head and securing the ball on his way down for six points.
Another impressive display of White’s ability to make an adjustment to the ball and bring in a reception came on the following play against Maryland—deep down the middle against two defensive backs this time—for a 42-yard gain.
Me neither MT @dpbrugler: When I talked with #WestVirginia WR Kevin White, asked him what his biggest weakness is. He couldn't think of one
Any issues White had with drops in his junior season have seemingly disappeared in 2014, and his ball skills are evident in the way he is able to pluck passes out of the air away from his body.
The most exemplary display of White’s ball skills yet occurred this past Saturday, in WVU’s upset win over Baylor, when White extended his outside arm out away from Bears cornerback Xavien Howard and needed only one hand to pull in a pass for a 12-yard touchdown.
White’s ability to make tough catches against coverages will be his calling card to success in the NFL. He’s not likely to blow anyone away with his 40-yard dash time in predraft testing, and he could have some issues running free and separating from defensive backs in the NFL.
That said, White appears to have more than enough athleticism for a receiver of his size and skill.
When White is able to get a free release off the line of scrimmage, like he did in beating Oklahoma cornerback Zack Sanchez for a 68-yard touchdown earlier this season, he has enough speed to finish the play after a downfield catch.
A natural strider and fluid open-field runner for a receiver of his size, White’s most impressive of display so far this season came against Maryland, when he turned a tunnel screen into a 44-yard touchdown with his acceleration in space and a well-timed lane change to the outside.
White’s not going to win many one-on-one foot-races against NFL cornerbacks, and he doesn’t frequently make defenders miss in the open field, but he consistently gains extra yardage on plays by fighting through low tackles and falling forward at the end of runs.
The key to covering White as a defender is to keep oneself in front of the receiver, but his ability to play the ball and battle through contact makes him a tough player to stop in any position.
White’s statistics become even more impressive when you consider how often he has drawn defensive pass interference this year, including five times against Baylor alone. And as he showed on the one-handed touchdown grab above and the following 35-yard play against Maryland, he is still sometimes able to come down with a reception even when a defender resorts to illegal coverage practices.
Doing the Little Things Well
White has always had the physical potential to be great. In 2012, Lackawanna College coach Mark Duda classified White as “one of the best athletes we’ve ever coached here,” a statement far from hollow as Duda has developed more than 300 Division I football players, including numerous NFL players, according to Allan Taylor of West Virginia MetroNews.
What has enabled White to elevate his game to a new stratosphere this year, and should posit him to continue to succeed in the NFL, is his development in the finer aspects of the game.
One area in which White has clearly improved this year has been his route running. As good as White has looked making plays on the ball on deep fades, he’s also impressed making catches on comebacks, curls and slants in the short and intermediate passing games.
As the players around him become faster at the next level, route-running prowess will be crucial to White’s ability to get open for high-percentage throws. The rapid progression he has displayed in this area is a promising sign that he can continue to develop as he becomes asked to diversify his routes with more frequency in the NFL.
White’s high level of effort in attempting to make catches has been clear to see this season, and his effort away from the ball has also been impressive.
Although he has incurred multiple holding penalties in the process, his impact as a perimeter run-blocker on the WVU offense has been largely positive. He’s been able to use his size to effectively create separation between runners and defenders, like he did on the following play against Maryland to spring Mountaineers running back Rushel Shell to a 22-yard gain.
Any lingering weaknesses that White has will be quickly exposed by NFL defenses, but he’s been able to consistently mask his flaws so far as a senior.
Cooper vs. White: Who’s the Better Prospect?
There’s no clear answer to that question, so the matter of which receiver is drafted first, assuming Cooper declares for the draft after his junior season, could come down to the preference of whichever team decides to be the first to pick a pass-catcher.
Cooper, who was headlined as the draft class’ top receiver prospect while White was still in the process of rising to prominence, has so far done exactly what he needed to do in his third season at Alabama to prove himself worthy of a top-10 pick.
A crisp route-runner who glides in the open field, Cooper has been catching the ball consistently this year and making big plays. He ranks fourth nationally with 62 receptions and 908 receiving yards.
Cooper’s lateral quickness gives him the ability White does not have to create dynamic plays in the open field. While White’s route running has improved significantly, he isn’t able to make the sharp breaks to the ball that Cooper can.
While Cooper is listed at the same weight as White—210 pounds—he does not exhibit the strength that White does on the field, and he is also listed two inches shorter than White at 6’1”, according to Alabama’s official athletics website. Cooper should be able to gain separation from defensive backs with more regularity than White in the NFL, but White can create more mismatches and make more contested catches.
It’s not quite a slam dunk that Cooper and White will be the first two receivers selected in the 2015 draft. Louisville senior DeVante Parker, Arizona State junior Jaelen Strong and Michigan junior Devin Funchess (who is also being projected as a tight end) are among the players who can challenge the top two for draft position.
What does appear nearly certain at this point, barring an injury or off-field setback, is that Cooper and White should both be first-round draft choices, likely both within the top 20.
That’s not a future that many would have imagined for White just a couple months ago.
All GIFs and screenshots were made using videos from DraftBreakdown.com (GIFs made at gfycat.com). All statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted.
Dan Hope is an NFL/NFL Draft Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
WVU Mountaineers vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys Odds: Analysis and Prediction
Oct 21, 2014
West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett (9) looks for a receiver during the second quarter of their NCAA college football game against Kansas in Morgantown, W.Va., Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014. West Virginia won 33-14. (AP Photo/Chris Jackson).
The West Virginia Mountaineers will go for their fourth straight win and try to beat the Oklahoma State Cowboys for the second year in a row when they square off in Stillwater. The Mountaineers are coming off a huge 41-27 home win over previously unbeaten Baylor last week as eight-point underdogs and will be dogs yet again this week when they visit Oklahoma State.
Point spread: Cowboys opened as four-point favorites at Boone Pickens Stadium, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)
College football pick via Odds Shark computer: 37.7-35.2 Cowboys
Why the West Virginia Mountaineers Can Cover the Spread
Even though West Virginia has won its past three games, last week’s upset of the Bears was a breakthrough performance for the team after failing to cover the spread in three straight. The Mountaineers barely beat Texas Tech 37-34 on the road in their previous game as 5.5-point favorites and have struggled against some of the better teams in the Big 12.
West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett outplayed Heisman Trophy candidate Bryce Petty of Baylor with 322 passing yards and three touchdowns, and he has topped the 300-yard mark in every game this season. Trickett keeps the Mountaineers in every game, and he could be the difference in helping them pull off the upset here.
Why the Oklahoma State Cowboys Can Cover the Spread
The Cowboys were in a similar spot as West Virginia is now before losing 42-9 at TCU last week as 10.5-point underdogs. They had won their previous five games, going 2-3 against the spread, and appeared to be ready to make a run for the conference title. But Oklahoma State is just not the same team away from home, also failing to cover the 20-point spread in a 27-20 road win at Kansas before the loss to the Horned Frogs.
The Cowboys are 8-3 ATS in their past 11 home games against Big 12 opponents, including a 37-20 victory as 16.5-point favorites in their last game at Boone Pickens Stadium on October 4.
Smart Pick
The Mountaineers are playing really well right now, but they are just 1-4 ATS in their past five road games against conference foes. Keeping that in mind, the over is appealing, considering betting trends are favoring it for both sides. The total has gone over in five of West Virginia’s last seven games as a road underdog and 3-1 in Oklahoma State’s past four as a home favorite.
The Cowboys were averaging more than 38 points in their previous five games before losing to TCU, and the Mountaineers have scored nearly 40 per game since losing to Alabama 33-23 in the season opener. Ironically, the under has cashed in the last three games for each team, so look for that trend to come to an end in what should be a high-scoring conference matchup.
Betting Trends
The total has gone OVER in four of West Virginia's last six games on the road
Oklahoma State is 2-4 ATS in its last six games
All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.
Tyrek Cole to West Virginia: Mountaineers Land 4-Star CB Prospect
Sep 22, 2014
Tyrek Cole, a 4-star cornerback prospect, per 247Sports, from Miramar High School in Hollywood, Florida, announced Monday that he will play college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers.
According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Cole is the seventh-ranked cornerback in the 2015 class and the No. 88 overall prospect.
With a social media handle that reads, "Cole_island" and a picture of New England Patriots superstar Darrelle Revis in the background, it's evident that Cole has high aspirations on the gridiron.
But before he can make the leap to the NFL, Cole has a whole bright collegiate career ahead of him. Cole has the attitude and all the natural instincts to be a lockdown corner. What he has to work on most is building up his bulk without sacrificing too much speed or quickness.
Measuring in at 5'11.5" is an asset for Cole, whose tenacity and ability to combat receivers with his hands makes him play stronger than he appears at just 170 pounds.
Cole can close quickly on the ball and possesses natural coverage skills that can't necessarily be taught. As he continues to hone his craft and refine his technique, intensified coaching is bound to only accentuate Cole's current strengths.
What also makes Cole so exciting is that he isn't afraid to step up in run support. When he puts on some added muscle, he'll be an even more formidable tackler. Feeding off the hits he makes in the running game in addition to his playmaking in coverage will morph Cole into a more complete player.
There is a definite chance for Cole to see the field right away. Cole's current skill set likely translates best to the slot, but he can move to the outside as a sophomore or junior when he fills out his frame a bit. That ought to aid his all-around development and see him develop an even deeper understanding of schematics, making Cole a threat to shut down any team's top receiver.
