6:00: Morning News

With QB signees officially enrolled, West Virginia expects interesting spring

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Two key members of West Virginia’s 2015 recruiting class, quarterbacks David Sills and Chris Chugunov, officially joined the Mountaineers as midyear enrollees Monday.

They stuck to their commitments despite last month’s departure of offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson for Kentucky. Their early arrival means participation in winter workouts and spring practice, adding arms—and intrigue—to the quarterback race that’s about to unfold.

Sills, a former USC commitment, is a Rivals four-star prospect from Eastern Christian Academy in Elkton, Md., meaning he shared a yearbook with Daikiel Shorts and Wendell Smallwood. His senior season was cut short after three games by a broken ankle, but not before throwing for seven touchdowns, running for six and averaging 6 yards per carry. He hopes to be a contender from Day One.

Chugunov, a 6-foot-1 three-star prospect from Skillman, N.J., tossed 28 touchdowns and only three interceptions as a senior, helping turn around the Montgomery High program with a 9-2 record and a berth in the state playoffs.

Sills and Chugunov become part of the deepest quarterback rotation West Virginia has enjoyed in years—one that could turn in several directions.

Freshman William Crest, last year’s four-star recruit who quickly emerged as Clint Trickett’s No. 2, appeared in the September blowout of Towson before developing what Dana Holgorsen called  a “jacked-up” shoulder and settling for a medical redshirt. The player dubbed “Little Geno” at Baltimore Dunbar reportedly will be cleared for spring practice, where he’ll be afforded every opportunity to become WVU’s quarterback of the future.

Sophomore Skyler Howard, who was destined for a redshirt before injuries forced Holgorsen’s hand, went 1-1 as a starter in West Virginia’s final two games. Like Crest, he’s a mobile quarterback capable of hurting defenses on runs both designed and improvised. His slick operating style and late-season production (eight touchdowns, zero interceptions) showed astonishing progress, though Howard’s completion rate took a hit during the Liberty Bowl loss to Texas A&M.

Fifth-year senior Paul Millard redshirted this season and remains, at worst, an insurance policy for Holgorsen and a potential mentor for the younger quarterbacks. He doesn’t possess the biggest arm, and he’s the least mobile of the five scholarship quarterbacks, but Millard understands the system and knows how to put the ball in play from the pocket.





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