Sportsline with Tony Caridi  Watch |  Listen

West Virginia linebackers will need team effort to replace David Long

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — David Long may not wear big shoes, but he still leaves big ones for West Virginia’s linebackers to fill this fall.

There’s no easy way to make up for the absence of his team-leading 111 tackles, but the Mountaineers will need to figure out how to do so while Long embarks on his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans.

A schematic change that relies more on the defensive line making tackles rather than primarily engaging offensive linemen will be part of that process.

Even though they won’t be asked to replicate the Big 12 defensive player of the year, there seems little question that each WVU linebacker will need to take his game up a notch in 2019.

Here’s a look at the projected linebacker depth chart this fall.

Bandit

VanDarius Cowan

Zach Sandwisch

Exree Loe

Adam Hensley and Charlie Benton

New defensive coordinator Vic Koenning describes his defense as a hybrid of a 3-4 and a 4-2-5, and the Bandit is the tweener player who helps it defy conventional description.

Bandits will roam near the line of scrimmage, often joining the rush but remaining versatile enough to drop back in coverage if a blitz arrives from elsewhere. Cowan, the Alabama transfer, didn’t start playing the Bandit until the second half of spring practice and already looks capable of being a dominant player at the position.

Sandwisch will also see plenty of playing time at a position where the Mountaineers figure to substitute somewhat frequently to stay fresh. The return of Hensley and Benton, who missed all of spring practice recovering from injuries, could make this one of West Virginia’s deeper positions.

Mike

West Virginia Mountaineers linebacker Dylan Tonkery (10) signals a play before a snap during the third quarter against the Tennessee Volunteers at Bank of America Stadium.

Dylan Tonkery

Shea Campbell

Jake Abbott

Tonkery’s absence from the lineup due to a groin injury was noticeable in late-season losses to Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. The Mountaineers simply ran out of bodies at linebacker, leaving those who did play exhausted late in games. His return to the middle will be a boost.

Interestingly, all three of the Mountaineers middle linebackers are West Virginia natives.

Will

West Virginia Mountaineers linebacker Josh Chandler during the spring game.

Josh Chandler

Deomante Lindsay

Rashon Lusane

Few players caught coach Neal Brown’s eye the way Chandler did this spring.

“He’s continuing to make plays, and he’s one of our best guys as far as preparing themselves mentally going into practice,” Brown said.

Senior Deomante Lindsay moved to the position from safety. That’s not necessarily surprising. The Will plays opposite the Spear, which is safety-linebacker hybrid. The differences between the positions are subtle.

“We may ask the Spear guy to play a little bit more man coverage than more so the Will,” said outside linebackers coach Al Pogue. “At times, our Will has to actually get in the box and be a linebacker, and rarely do we ask that out of our Spears.”

Position breakdowns

Each week this offseason, we’ll look at the depth chart at each position for West Virginia. If you missed any, you can catch up here:

Wide receiver

Running back

Secondary





More Sports

Sports
Tucker DeVries prepares to shoulder challenges awaiting in Big 12
A two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, Tucker DeVries will spend his senior season at West Virginia. As he gets acclimated to a new program, DeVries' focus is on improving the health in his right shoulder after undergoing surgery on it Tuesday.
March 28, 2024 - 4:54 pm
Sports
Darian DeVries welcomed as West Virginia men's basketball coach
DeVries eager for what's to come in what marks second head coaching gig.
March 28, 2024 - 2:57 pm
Sports
Integrating new players, coaches a focus for Herd at start of spring practice
Head coach Charles Huff says learning who his team is a critical component of spring football.
March 28, 2024 - 8:47 am
Sports
Class AAA Boys Basketball All-State List
State champion Shady Spring lands two on first team, including captain Ammar Maxwell.
March 28, 2024 - 8:42 am