MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Two weeks out from the season opener at Maryland, West Virginia remains without the services of its most experienced tight end in preseason camp.
Junior Mike O’Laughlin continues to be sidelined with an injury to his right ankle, though he went from being in a boot to air cast earlier in the week.
Travis Trickett, West Virginia’s tight ends and inside receivers coach, believes O’Laughlin will be back in action soon, though he will have to make up for lost time.
“He’s out of a boot right now, moving around,” Trickett said. “We expect him to go full speed soon. Whenever that is, that’s up to the trainers.”
One of few positives to come from O’Laughlin’s absence is it’s allowed increased repetitions for the Mountaineers’ five other tight ends — junior T.J. Banks and freshmen Charles Finley, Treylan Davis, Victor Wikstrom and Eli Archer, a walk-on from Huntington.
“We tell our guys you’re going to get what you earn,” Trickett said. “You have an at bat, so what do you earn with that at bat on the field? Even a young guy like Eli Archer, when he gets his at bats, make them count. He’s not going to get as many reps as those guys, because right now, we’re trying to get ready for Maryland, but it’s the same deal. All the guys have taken this as a growth opportunity.”
Part of the growth includes daily competition against West Virginia’s defense, meaning the offense sees a different look by the day — or perhaps by the series or snap.
It puts the tight ends in a unique position, one Trickett says they rarely find themselves in during games.
“Going into a game plan, you have what to expect, this defensive coordinator’s identity based on film and tendencies, and you get 10,000 reports, so you know what you could possibly see,” he said. “You have rules to bail you out if for some reason something comes up. But with our guys, we see everything we could possibly see — all different fronts every different snap, guys coming from all over.
“Wherever you ID could be a defensive lineman, linebacker, safety or even a corner. So from a communication standpoint, it stresses you. That’s where that growth has really helped us.”
Outside of O’Laughlin, Banks and Finley are the only tight ends with game experience, and Finley’s is limited having played in two contests while redshirting last season.
As the tight ends adjust to defensive looks they face throughout practice, different sets of challenges arise.
“When we go pass protection and we’re on Dante Stills in an I-formation, the tight has to block him and it’s cowboy up, let’s go,” Trickett said. “But it’s been good, because there are times when if we block Dante, I let him know it and then he comes back and is harder on my guy the next go around. With routes, same deal. It is iron sharpens iron. They are a very complex defense.”
Upon his return, the Mountaineers have high expectations for O’Laughlin, who was named to the preseason watch list for the John Mackey Award.
But as he’s currently unable to go, the 6-foot-5, 252-pound native of Glen Ellyn, Illinois has instead tried to increase his leadership and provide guidance to the other tight ends.
“He’s been great about being right there, making calls and when the guys come off the field, i empower him and they go right to him,” Trickett said. “So he coaches them up. I say, ‘Did you see this?’ He’ll be like, ‘Got it.’ I say, ‘Dd you see that?’ If he didn’t, I’ll make sure he understands it and then he gets those guys aside and coaches them.
“It allows growth in the leadership aspect. That’s going to pay dividends too, where maybe we might not have as much if he’s out there repping. We look at it as here’s where we’re at, let’s make the most of what we have.”