West Virginia football: 3 biggest offseason questions facing Mountaineers in 2021
By John Buhler
1. Who emerges as the defensive star to lead this Big 12 team to new heights?
If West Virginia wants to push for contention in the Big 12, the Mountaineers are going to have to lean on their defense. This is contingent on the offense taking a step forward as well, but the defense cannot take a step back in 2021. With star cornerback Dreshun Miller transferring to Auburn, we have to wonder what playmakers will emerge on his side of the ball.
In the trenches, West Virginia still has Dante Stills at defensive tackle, as well as defensive end Jeffery Pooler. This will have to be the position group WVU has to lean on while the secondary regroups after Miller’s departure for Auburn. At linebacker, keep an eye on Jared Bartlett. He may not have started a ton of games last year, but the guy is dripping with talent.
As for the back-end of the Mountaineers defense, look for Jackie Matthews to step up in Miller’s absence, as well as Nicktroy Fortune at either cornerback spot. The good news for West Virginia is the Mountaineers have enough talent defensively to offset losing Miller this offseason. However, any regression on that side of the ball means West Virginia will stay a middle-of-the-pack team.
If there is one player who could become the face of this defense, one would think it has to be Stills. If any player is poised to take a big leap forward, it could very well be Bartlett. Should there be any position group where there could be ample improvement across the board, it would have to be in the defensive backfield, on account of Miller taking his talents to Auburn. We will see about that.
Overall, West Virginia is certainly trending in the right direction under Brown. Slowly but surely, the ‘Eers will emerge as one of the better teams in the Big 12. He is an excellent coach and has won everywhere he has been. However, this is the Big 12 and not the Sun Belt. If Brown does not think he can win big in Morgantown, then he might leave West Virginia after only a few years on the job.
Incoming freshmen, Doege and defensive prowess will either make or break WVU’s 2021 season.
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