Big 12 Football: Biggest offseason question for every team

West Virginia – Who fills in for Rasul Douglas and the rest of the secondary?

One of the risers from West Virginia’s 2016 season was cornerback Rasul Douglas. His play saw his stock rise immensely for the 2017 NFL Draft, leading to the Mountaineers having one of the top defensive backs in the Big 12. However, he’s gone, along with two others from the secondary that graduated.

The line for replacing the open spots in the secondary starts with Elijah Battle. The senior played in just over half of WVU’s games in 2016, totaling one pass deflection and 23 tackles. That may make him the default starter at cornerback, with others that didn’t see the field taking the other roles.

Campus Insiders notes Syracuse transfer Corey Winfield as an option, who will be available to play next month. He was released from his scholarship last fall and is eligible to play without sitting out a season. Winfield had four pass deflections and one interception with the Orange in 2016.

Other names for roles in the secondary include Hakeem Bailey and Eugene Brown, both of whom are incoming freshmen. They may at least be asked to play depth roles and could see game action this fall.

To compete against some of the Big 12’s toughest passing attacks, West Virginia will need to be able to trot out a capable secondary. It’s something they’ll potentially look to lock down before the season, otherwise opposing offenses may have a field day.