MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — When first-year Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire made the leap from the high school to college ranks, he started as the tight ends coach at Baylor in 2017.
That year, West Virginia defensive lineman Dante Stills was in the process of wrapping up a storied career at Fairmont Senior High School, though to McGuire, Stills may as well have been wreaking havoc in opposing Big 12 backfields then, too.
“They have one of the best defensive lineman not only in the Big 12, but in the country,” McGuire said this week of Stills. “It seems like he’s been there as long as I’ve been in college football.”
Not quite, but almost.
Over the last four seasons, Stills has made quite a name for himself as a fixture of Mountaineer defenses.
This year, West Virginia’s most experienced defender is consistently the focal point of the opposition’s offensive game plan. After opting to return to WVU for a fifth and final year, Stills is on the verge of becoming the Mountaineers’ all-time leader in tackles for loss.
He tied Grant Wiley’s mark of 47.5 TFLs by recording one in last Thursday’s 43-40 against Baylor.
“I came into this season not worried about making every play,” Stills said. “I just wanted to do my job. I know a lot of teams are going off me and where I line up. I want everybody to just do their job and the play will be made by whoever is there, whether it’s me or not.”
Over the first half of his final collegiate campaign, Stills has been used at all four spots along the defensive line. In the past, Stills almost exclusively played on the interior.
McGuire has taken notice as the Red Raiders prepare to welcome West Virginia at 3 p.m. Saturday.
“He can play every position on the defensive line,” McGuire said. “He can play interior and nose and they’re starting to play him more at end this year. He’s a really good pass rusher. He has a lot of power and he’s played a lot of snaps.”
As a result of the attention Stills draws, which often leads to being double-teamed, West Virginia head coach Neal Brown says the Mountaineers had little choice but to start utilizing Stills off the end at times.
“Teams have slid their protection to him, so he’s getting both inside and outside help for whoever he’s going against,” Brown said. “We’ve countered that with moving him around. He’s playing a lot more on the edge and a lot more end recently than he has earlier in his career. He’s played all four positions on the front. There’s been a lot of growth within him.
“I don’t even know what his stats are. Statistically, he’s still showing up, but he’s making a lot more plays than he’s made in the past. Sometimes, if he’s getting doubled and other people are getting singled, that’s where we have to get more production.”
It’s a change Stills has welcomed partially because he believes it only increases his chances of playing at the next level.
“I hadn’t played a lot of d-end in our base, but I did last week. I know where the plays go and know my assignment,” Stills said. “I like it to show my versatility that I can play all four.”
Through six games, Stills has 15 tackles, four TFLs and 2.5 sacks with a forced fumble.
He has also been credited with three quarterback hurries.
“Dante is a unique combination of size, explosion, speed and athleticism, so wherever you put that guy, whether it’s in the run game or protection, people are going to know,” WVU defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley said. “If they don’t ID him, I hope for him it’s a sign of disrespect, but most of them do, because he can create that type of issue.”
Stills was a major factor in his most recent outing. After Baylor went ahead 37-33 early in the fourth quarter, Stills blocked the ensuing point-after attempt, and cornerback Jacolby Spells recovered the loose ball and raced 87 yards for 2 points.
In a game West Virginia ultimately won on a field goal, a three-point swing was critical.
“Once I make a play, I get that energy in myself and I can go out there and run around,” Stills said.
Stills and his defensive mates face a tough challenge trying to slow a fast-paced Red Raiders’ attack Saturday. Texas Tech leads all FBS teams with an average of 87 plays. Additionally, the Red Raiders have had Brown’s number, winning each of the first three matchups since he took over at West Virginia.
“If you let them get going and get a flow and high tempo, it’s going to be hard to stop,” Stills said. “If we can stop them on first and second down, there’s a high chance for us to win.”
On the flip side, the Red Raiders are tasked with trying to minimize Stills’ impact on the game, which is sure to be felt, whether or not the statistics suggest so.
“He’s just a war daddy,” McGuire said. “He’s a guy that loves the game and you can tell by the way he plays. He’s a very powerful guy. We have to know where he’s at and do a good job of protecting the quarterback. You can’t overdo it, because they have other guys that can rush the passer, but he’s definitely a guy that sets the tone for that defense. If you let him take over a game, he can really energize that defense and team.”