3 things to watch for in West Virginia’s spring game

Neal Brown should be excited about his WVU football team heading into the spring game and these are the storylines West Virginia fans should be paying close attention to on Saturday.

It is abundantly clear that head coach Neal Brown’s WVU football team has the chance to break through big time in the 2021 Big 12 season.

This will be Brown’s third season in Morgantown. He had the ‘Eers playing in a bowl game in his second year in Power 5 play. There is no doubt about his ability to coach, but we do wonder if West Virginia is a long-term destination for him. Fortunately for him, he should have an excellent team that is poised to make some noise in Big 12 play this year. Their spring game is on Saturday.

WVU football: 3 things to watch in Mountaineers’ spring game

3. Will Taijh Alston finally be able to make an impact defensively?

West Virginia had one of the better defenses in the Big 12 last year. However, the Mountaineers have yet to really get much production out of defensive lineman Taijh Alston. The former East Carolina product is in his third year with the Mountaineers program. Finally healthy, it will be interesting to see if he can finally put it all together for Brown and the Mountaineers in 2021.

2. Is this Jarret Doege’s team under center, or will he be challenged?

One would think Jarret Doege is the Mountaineers’ starting quarterback this year. However, he has been pushed in spring practice by freshman Garrett Greene. Again, this will all be about competition, as the Mountaineers need to have the passing game to rival the defense in place. How Doege and Greene perform in the spring game will go a long way towards being relevant.

1. How will Neal Brown handle Leddie Brown’s absurd workload?

The single most important thing regarding the Mountaineers this spring is managing the workload of star running back Leddie Brown. He is their best player, but he does not have the supporting cast around him to spell him from unnecessary carries. If Tony Mathis or A’Various Sparrow can show they are ready for more carries, both of the Browns will be very appreciative of it.

Ultimately, West Virginia can be a top-25 team this year if the offense is more consistent, especially in the passing game. While the defense may regress a tad, Brown is a beast in the backfield. We know that the head coach will coach up the receiving corps. If the Mountaineers can play up to their potential and put it all together, they can challenge for third place in the Big 12.

This is the year where the Mountaineers come alive under Brown’s leadership up in Morgantown.

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