After losing many key components to its secondary, the West Virginia University is once again in the rebuilding process.
Three of the Mountaineers top four cornerbacks graduated and the biggest loss was Rasul Douglas, who led the team with eight interceptions and tied for the national lead. Senior Elijah Battle is the only returning cornerback with any substantial experience.
Battle saw action in 11 games, where he had 23 tackles, including 21 solo stops. He assisted on a tackle for a loss and had one pass breakup.
Currently, defensive coordinator Tony Gibson and cornerbacks coach Doug Belk are looking at the options and it's anyone's for the taking.
“We’re happy with that position right now, but we don’t know if we’re comfortable with it yet,” Gibson …show more content…
"There wasn’t a huge adjustment period for him last year. We needed a Spur last year and he stepped in without a spring and gave us those good snaps. Just overall good play. He was consistent, he made plays, he is a force. He can run, he can hit, he can cover, he can blitz."
Behind White is redshirt senior Marvin Gross, who started the final game of the regular season against Baylor.
"Marvin is a kid who is very athletic," Gibson said. "We play him in a hybrid position. He is a kid who was a defensive lineman who moved to linebacker who moved out to safety. I feel that his game right now is as good as it has ever been. Yes, I could see signs of him doing this. We use him in the right way, blitzing him a little bit, trying to limit his man coverage. He plays physical against the run, he is very athletic and hard to block."
During the game, he tied a career-high with six tackles, forced a fumble, had two sacks, intercepted on pass and had a pass breakup, earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors.
"The opportunity just presented itself at times, so I was just blessed to be able to make the plays that I made at the times," Gross
Three of the Mountaineers top four cornerbacks graduated and the biggest loss was Rasul Douglas, who led the team with eight interceptions and tied for the national lead. Senior Elijah Battle is the only returning cornerback with any substantial experience.
Battle saw action in 11 games, where he had 23 tackles, including 21 solo stops. He assisted on a tackle for a loss and had one pass breakup.
Currently, defensive coordinator Tony Gibson and cornerbacks coach Doug Belk are looking at the options and it's anyone's for the taking.
“We’re happy with that position right now, but we don’t know if we’re comfortable with it yet,” Gibson …show more content…
"There wasn’t a huge adjustment period for him last year. We needed a Spur last year and he stepped in without a spring and gave us those good snaps. Just overall good play. He was consistent, he made plays, he is a force. He can run, he can hit, he can cover, he can blitz."
Behind White is redshirt senior Marvin Gross, who started the final game of the regular season against Baylor.
"Marvin is a kid who is very athletic," Gibson said. "We play him in a hybrid position. He is a kid who was a defensive lineman who moved to linebacker who moved out to safety. I feel that his game right now is as good as it has ever been. Yes, I could see signs of him doing this. We use him in the right way, blitzing him a little bit, trying to limit his man coverage. He plays physical against the run, he is very athletic and hard to block."
During the game, he tied a career-high with six tackles, forced a fumble, had two sacks, intercepted on pass and had a pass breakup, earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors.
"The opportunity just presented itself at times, so I was just blessed to be able to make the plays that I made at the times," Gross