MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Gold & Blue Lunch Report continues our post-spring positional look at West Virginia football. Today we rank the West Virginia defensive backs for 2016:
1. Dravon Askew-Henry (junior): Has started all 26 games since enrolling and surpassed 1,100 snaps in 2015, most on the squad. He may have to play that many again this season given the uncertainty around him. After WVU had three defensive backs drafted this year, Askew-Henry’s talented enough to make the jump next January.
2. Kyzir White (junior): He’s yet to arrive from Lackawanna College and is the frontrunner to win the job at Spur. The third White brother is the most game-ready of the bunch.
3. Jarrod Harper (senior): Played the final nine games at strong safety in place of Karl Joseph last season, then missed spring following shoulder surgery. Should be a competent player who doesn’t make many mental mistakes.
4. Jeremy Tyler (senior): He had a nice spring and is no novice, having appeared in 33 games.
5. Antonio Crawford (senior): The Miami transfer, who sat out last season, is probably the fastest of the West Virginia corners and features the most FBS experience, having appeared in 38 games with the Hurricanes.
6. Nana Kyeremeh (senior): Has been a forgotten man for several injury-marred seasons. He will be in the rotation, either as a starter or a second-teamer.
7. Rasul Douglas (senior): At 6-foot-2, the juco transfer looks awfully impressive. He’ll be lightyears better than 2015 when on-the-job training left him fuzzy.
8. Shane Commodore (junior): The walk-on made two interceptions against William Crest in the spring game and looks to be Askew-Henry’s backup, at least until several junior college signees arrive this summer.
9. Marvin Gross (redshirt junior): He’s 6-foot-3, rangy and playing Spur because he was unable to add weight to play outside linebacker.