We continue our Fall camp coverage of the West Virginia Mountaineers that started with quarterback and left off at the defensive line. This week, we start on the second level of the defense. There, we see healthy Mountaineer linebackers ready to improve the defense.
Mountaineer Linebackers Ready to Improve the Defense
Despite a solid 2023 team campaign, the West Virginia Mountaineers defense finished in the middle of the pack in defensive production. Indeed, they finished among the top 50 in just two defensive categories: tackles for loss (27th) and rushing yards per game (46th). They fared poorly in passing yards allowed per game (85th), sacks (64th), and fumbles recovered (95th).
This offseason, Head Coach Neal Brown brought Victor Cabral over from Appalachian State to coach the outside linebackers. More specifically, WVU added Cabral to improve its pass rush. Nobody tells Cabral that, though. While he certainly wants to help the Mountaineers’ spur linebackers disrupt the backfield, he focuses just as much on helping those outside linebackers with coverage and run fits.
Spurs Looking to Disrupt the Quarterback
On August 14, Cabral told the media in an open interview that his spurs “can’t just be third down guys.” He coaches his athletes to have a different mentality and to see more of the field. Cabral, however, did not diminish their role as pass rushers in West Virginia’s 3-4 base defense. Indeed, Cabral told the media, “We’re very cerebral in that room now.” The average fan may not view an edge rusher as much outside of straight-line speed and power to blow through a tackle. Cabral certainly disagrees and describes pass rushing in terms of a chess game. “Pass rushing is patience” and is a “game within the game,” according to Cabral.
Ultimately, Cabral’s first goal is not to get home for a sack or tackle for loss every play. In fact, he described their ultimate goal simply: “We just want to affect the quarterback.” For a team that struggled heavily in pass defense, fans would certainly welcome that result.
In his second year in the Mountaineer program, senior Tyrin Bradley certainly takes Cabral’s approach to heart. “Pass rushing is like a chess game,” Bradley told the media in his August 12 open interview. Bradley knows he and teammate Ty French can get to the quarterback, but that is not their first chess move. Indeed, Bradley talked a lot about that “game within the game” that Cabral described as causing the tackle to consider all the ways the outside linebackers can attack. Once they get into the tackle’s head, then, Bradley said, “Sacks … come in bunches.” That would also represent a welcome change from 2023.
Taurus Simmons joins Bradley and French at the spur position this season. According to Cabral, Simmons has taken on that new mentality well. True freshman Obinna Onwuka joins them.
Inside Linebackers Healthy and Ready to Improve the Defense
For the defense to improve as dramatically as would be required to meet their lofty team goals, the inside linebackers must shoulder a fair part of the burden. Indeed, early this Fall camp, defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley told the media in his August 3 interview, “The linebacker position is undervalued a little bit.” Lesley disagreed, “That’s our quarterback on this side of the ball.”
Luckily for Lesley, he has redshirt freshman Josiah Trotter to lean on. In his August 9 interview, Trotter told the media that he wants to bring physicality, smarts, and leadership to the defense. Ultimately, Trotter echoed that he wants to be the quarterback of the defense and said he wants to play that role and “change the outcome of games.” Whether Trotter will emerge as that leader this early in his tenure remains to be seen. But with such mentors as his father, Jeremiah, and former Eagles standout Brian Dawkins in his corner, he certainly has a head start.
If Trotter has anything to say about it, the linebacker will certainly represent a strength for this team. According to Lesley, the room is more mature, stronger, and faster than it was a season ago.
Linebacker Depth a Pleasant Surprise
Trotter likely would have played plenty in his freshman season if not for injury. Trey Lathan would have played far more absent injury, too. Last season, in fact, the Mountaineers relied primarily on four bodies to cover three positions (the mike, will, and spur) due to injuries. Two of them graduated from the program. It might seem odd, then, that we can point to linebacker as one of the deepest rooms on the defense, neck and neck with the defensive line. In the Spring, however, Brown equated Lathan and Trotter’s returns from injury to welcoming two high-level linebackers through the portal. That Ben Cutter was required to play as much as he did his freshman year also accelerated his development. This gives the Mountaineers another great option.
Of course, WVU did not stop there. They added Reid Carrico from Ohio State through the portal for good measure. With French, the two represent the only additions to linebacker through the portal. Now, West Virginia figures they have four bodies at spur and five bodies who can rotate in at the inside spots. No wonder Lesley told the media, “This is the deepest and most experienced we have been at linebacker.”
Inside linebacker coach Jeff Koonz told the media in his August 14 interview, “We have options and competitions, and they’re using it as an opportunity to sharpen each other.” Now healthy, we see the Mountaineer linebackers ready to improve the defense in multiple ways.
