MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Fifth-year senior Garrett Greene started his WVU tenure in the COVID-altered 2020 season and his college career will end in December or January. He will be at the controls of the Mountaineer offense in a season where expectations around the program, both internal and external, may be their highest since 2018.
“I just try to come to work everyday to help this team win a Big 12 championship,” Greene said. “That’s kind of been my mindset. I am sure it will hit me at some point, like Senior Day and things like that. But right now, I am just trying to get to Dallas.”
Greene participated in the Manning Passing Academy, hosted by Peyton and Eli Manning in Louisiana, this summer. It is an annual event that features some of the top college signal callers in the country. Greene says one lesson stood out above all others.
“Daily preparation, whether it is for a fall camp practice or if it is for a Tuesday game week practice, I think the preparation and steps before you officially take the field, that’s something I will carry with me.”
Four of West Virginia’s top five receivers from last season return and the position has been bolstered by the additions of a pair of Power 4 Conference transfers. Oklahoma State transfer Jaden Bray joined the roster in the spring while Mississippi State transfer Justin Robinson came to Morgantown this summer.
“J-Rob is such a good kid. He is a great people person so me and him clicked right away. The off-field relationship kind of led to on-the-field connection.”
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Robinson will provide a big target for Greene. Tight ends Kole Taylor (6-foot-7, 255 pounds) and newcomer Greg Genross (6-foot-6, 230 pounds) give Greene some more options over the middle of the field.
“You don’t have to be perfect. If I was throwing to myself out there, the quarterback would have to be pretty damn perfect. Throwing to guys like Kole [Taylor], J-Rob, even Jaden Bray and then Greg [Genross], their catch radius is huge. You kind of just have to put it on them and they will come down with it.
“When you look around football in general, some of the first important pieces in any offense are the tight ends. They do it all, especially our tight ends here. We ask them to block one-on-one on defensive ends sometimes. We ask them to block in space against nickels. We also ask them to take shots downfield with them and be in longer protection, like in play action. I think they are a special athlete with how big they are and how fast they are.
“Kole is a big frame. He can run. He can catch. And he is also great in the run fits. I think it is just a special thing that if you are not using them properly, you are kind of hindering yourself.”
Helmet communication will be allowed for the first time this season after teams were permitted to use the technology in bowl season.
“I think there is a good balance between giving enough information and giving too much information. I think me and Coach Brown kind of worked through that in the spring to where these last few days it really hasn’t been an issue. I have gotten the calls right and I have been able to go through my pre-snap process.”
For the second year in a row, Nicco Marchiol enters a season as Greene’s backup.
“The last part of last year and this offseason he has really bought into taking this is his day job,” Greene said of Marchiol. “At the end of the day, it is. They call it a student-athlete but you are a quarterback first. I think he has done a great job of really diving into the film room, watching as much tape as he can, learning as much as he can to where when it is his show, he is going to be ready.”
While the next 12 games are Greene’s immediate focus, he is confident that a football career beyond WVU could be in his future.
“Growing up, I was in a baseball house. I always thought I was going to be in the MLB. Obviously, I took a different route than that. But I am really just focused on this year and winning a Big 12 title for this state. Come January, I will start getting ready for the draft.
“I know I am good enough to play quarterback in the NFL.”