West Virginia Football: Mountaineers have nation’s best receiving corps
A potential top 20 program entering 2018, West Virginia football will use its deep and skilled wide receivers to power the team to Big 12 contention.
West Virginia football returns a bevy of talent on the offensive side of the ball all around. Multiple NFL talents, an All-American and three returning starters highlight a very solid group of wide receivers. And, the Mountaineers bring back the quarterback that might be the best in the nation, statistically, in 2018.
Will Grier and running back Kennedy McKoy are the reliable options that will connect the rest of the offense. McKoy helped the Mountaineers when senior running back Justin Crawford had somewhat of a rough finish to the 2018 campaign.
Yet, outside of Grier, the best part of West Virginia’s offense in 2018 is the trio of wide receivers including David Sills V, Gary Jennings, and Marcus Simms. Sills V was an All-American and the nation’s leader in receiving touchdowns last year.
The loss of Ka’Raun White does hurt the depth in the receiving corps, but West Virginia has more than enough starters coming back to make up for it. Moreover, the Mountaineers hauled in four solid receivers in the 2018 recruiting class, including three-star Lorton, VA, native Dillon Spalding.
The next crop of star West Virginia receivers is already primed for their first year in Morgantown. Dana Holgorsen landed one of his deeper classes in his tenure with the Mountaineers, reeling in the 35th best class in the nation.
All the pieces are in place for West Virginia to have themselves round out as the best group of pass catchers in the entire country. Sills V is already among the best returning receivers in the nation, if not the best, and Jennings will make some noise too. Simms is a great complement to those two.
All three of West Virginia’s top receivers play off of each other’s skill sets. Sills V is the end zone possession receiver that can also run most routes with extreme precision. He has great hands too. Jennings is a slippery receiver that can beat defenses in a multitude of ways. Simms is the speedy deep threat that can take the top off and easily run past opposing safeties.
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We’ll see if any other big time receivers are able to develop into something special in their first year with the Mountaineers. Grier is sure to have plenty of targets to spread around. He could use another option to add depth to an already balanced West Virginia offense.