Today’s video brings the sixth installment in the MetroNews countdown of the 10 Most Pivotal Mountaineers for the 2015 football season. These aren’t necessarily West Virginia’s “best” 10, or the ones appearing on those bloated preseason watch lists. But they’re the players whose production will hold answers to the biggest preseason questions.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Even as West Virginia sought to restock its outside receivers this spring, head coach and head playcaller Dana Holgorsen made a curious pronouncement.
“We were more successful throwing the ball downfield this spring than we were last spring, and last spring we had Kevin White and Mario Alford on the outside,” he said. “That doesn’t concern me—we’re going to be able to get the ball downfield.”
Daikiel Shorts, who shifted to outside receiver during spring drills, is sure-handed and a crisp route runner, but he has only nine receptions of 20-plus yards among his 69 career catches. That means redshirt sophomore Shelton Gibson projects to become WVU’s primary deep threat.
At least that’s the review from senior cornerback Terrell Chestnut, who lined up across from Gibson throughout spring practice.
“Shelton Gibson is probably going to be one of the fastest receivers we see all year,” he said. “Once he gets everything together, he’s going to be a force.”
It’s the getting-everything-together part that will determine Gibson’s production. He was a four-star recruit in 2013 but sat out the season as a partial qualifier, prohibiting him from practicing during fall and the spring of 2014. He debuted as a redshirt freshman last year and made only four catches for 60 yards. One of those was a 47-yarder against Texas A&M in the Liberty Bowl.
“He has so much potential and so much promise, but he has to grow,” Chestnut said. “He has to master that position, and it starts up top with his mentality.
“You see bits and spurts of him being a perfect receiver this spring, but at other times he looks like an inexperienced receiver. It’s his mindset and his focus—he has to show everybody he wants to do it.”
Previous videos in the countdown: