MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia safeties coach Joe DeForest faces an enviable problem during preseason camp: What to do about that sixth safety?
The Mountaineers have All-Big 12 performer Karl Joseph, fellow senior KJ Dillon and breakout sophomore Dravon Henry returning as the starters at strong, Spur and free safety, respectively. Even the top two backups are juniors with significant experience, Jeremy Tyler and Jarrod Harper.
So the first glimpse of real competition comes well down the depth chart.
“I feel good about five of them,” DeForest said Saturday as the opening week of camp concluded. “At this point, we are still looking for that sixth guy. That way we are two deep at every spot.”
The top candidates for that sixth spot are true freshman Kevin Williams and redshirt freshman Daejuan Funderburk. If Williams earns a spot on the two-deep at Spur, that would put Tyler—who’s capable of swinging between multiple roles—as the No. 2 at free safety.
“If you play free, then you understand what the Spur does a lot of the times, because you are tied into them a lot,” DeForest said. “There is a marriage there that works OK.”
DeForest said sophomore walk-on Shane Commodore, a Morgantown High graduate, also is vying for that sixth spot.
Versatile pieces: With Dillon and Henry looking capable in pass coverage, either could slide to cornerback if defensive coordinator Tony Gibson wants to get creative on passing downs.
“We have some interchangeable parts in our base package that a lot of teams aren’t afforded,” said cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell. “That gives us and Gibby more versatility in calling it on third down and gives us a different look.”