MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Strong safety Jarrod Harper had an in-house view of West Virginia’s brutally poor 2012 and 2013 defenses that ranked 108th and 101st nationally.
He doesn’t buy the comparisons to this year’s unit.
Even though WVU must replace eight starters and more than half the two-deep, Harper said the personnel losses are mitigated by upperclassmen like himself familiar with the system finally getting their chance.
“We’re going to shock a lot of people,” the senior said Wednesday. “People are doubting us. We know where we’re picked in the Big 12. I’m just ready for Sept. 3 to get here.”
Then there’s this take from Al-Rasheed Benton, a fourth-year junior taking over the middle linebacking job:
“We’ve been working not necessarily to prove everybody wrong but prove the ones who believe in us right.”
Who’s impressing? Asked to assess the offensive surprise of camp so far, Harper tabbed running back Justin Crawford.
“He gets in and out of his cuts, makes good reads, knows how to set up his blocks.”
No Stone’s throw: As redshirt freshman Stone Wolfley develops at tight end, offensive coordinator Joe Wickline sees better hand placement, pad leverage and other techniques that go into being physical.
Nevermind that Wolfley caught 26 passes in eight games as a senior at Morgantown High. His top priority now is smashing defensive linemen.
“That’s his No. 1 job, and I tell him that all the time,” Wickline said. “We’ll throw a ball to you when we get a chance, but you’re here to block. You’re a glorified tackle—let’s get that straight.”
This is the offense, after all, where tight end Cody Clay made only 20 catches in 51 career games (and just two his senior season.) Whereas Clay played last fall around 270 pounds, the 6-foot-4 Wolfley is listed at 252.
“He has come along,” Wickline said. “He’s had a good start to camp. And he takes it personal, because he’s getting after it pretty well.”
Family tradition: Daikiel Shorts watched Kevin White’s monster season unfold in 2014, yielding an NFL first-rounder. Now Shorts is playing alongside Ka’Raun White and across from physical Spur safety Kyzir White.
“Their family’s just blessed,” he said. “They have great genes.”
Tyler updates injury: Senior safety Jeremy Tyler said he has been held out of practice while recovering from concussion-like symptoms. He’s in the mix with Kyzir White at Spur and Harper at the Bandit spots.