--West Virginia head coach Neal Brown said they're back at it. He is fired up about this group. This is year 22 for him as a coach, year 10 as a head coach and this is as excited as he's been. Really feel comfortable with the staff and it's layered. Everybody can coach which is a good rule and that will help in fall camp. The support areas are really strong. Athletic training and medical group they are strong in this support areas and he likes the leadership on the team. They are in camp mode through August 21. They will scrimmage twice and have a really physical camp with the new rules with the coach to player and the iPads they are going to make it more game like before they suit up. Before Aug. 21 they are going to prepare for the season and after that they will get into Penn State prep.
--It's hard to tell before practice three who was standing out because they weren't wearing full pads. They are building up and today was a light practice where they worked a ton of Red zone. The practices up through the second scrimmage they are two-spotting in order to maximize the reps and everybody on the roster will get those. That means everybody has an opportunity to be evaluated.
--Brown feels like the nutrition piece has been a process but with the Sodexo and the nutritionist is in a great spot. Their body fat percentages are the best they have been and they look the part like a power four team. Mike Joseph is the best in the business and he has really tested them and he is pleased with where the group is and his team handled it well.
--CJ Donaldson full participation and will be full go all camp. Jaheem Joseph and Kole Taylor also will be full go. Kyle Altuner is out with a lower injury and he will come back at some point mid-season, but won't miss the entire year. That is a blow for them. Corey McIntyre is out with a lower injury, he will be out later in the year. Oryend Fisher is still limited. Jacoby Spells has done well and was a limited participant today and they are hopeful he is back. Dom Collins is limited after a procedure but will be full go this week. Asani Redwood was a limited participant and he will move into full.
--Jairo Faverus and Mo Hamilton will medically retire. Those two guys are not on the active roster.
--The league is extremely deep. He likes where the bye weeks are on the schedule.
--On paper they have some depth and defensively they have more depth than they've ever had. Offensively they have some good playmakers and Garrett Greene has a chance to be elite. Nicco Marchiol when you watch.
--Defensive line they have some versatility up front and they have guys that can move around. Of the group that came in as freshmen and one of them needs to emerge. He likes that group and fall camp will be big to see who can play and who can not.
--Neal Brown feels like this is the most underrated fan base in the country and the tradition and success has flown under the radar. Regardless of the conference, West Virginia has fared well. The one common theme is they have had success.
--It's started getting stability in the nutrition program and then adding to the staff. The university has really good nutrition, dietitian programs and they've been able to utilize that. They've had people develop and gain expertise and it's a mix. It's a balance between nutritional and what they like. Vitamins and supplements and they are doing some things on the cutting edge as well. They want to be innovative and they have embraced the technology piece in all facets to be different. It helps in recruiting but also helps the players develop.
--The players you are coaching today are much more informed than when he started coaching and the more you can hit why, they understand. When you have good players.
--The line of scrimmages look significantly different from the first two or three years they were here because they didn't have the depth and they had to play a lot of young players although that's not a knock on those guys before. Looking at tight end room Kole Taylor and Jack Sammarco standout, in the wide receiver room they have guys with size and length. At defensive back, they have safeties that look the part. They are bigger at corner and their body style at linebacker has changed by going bigger and they go five deep with guys that have size and can run.
--Brown thought they had that confidence last year as the year went on and the year round football has really helped too. This was practice one, but not really except for the new walk-ons that got here in July because of the summer OTAs. Reasonable expectations are they know the signals, alignment and assignments and know what to do.
--West Virginia will have some freshmen that will play but he is being careful on saying who could. It usually clears itself out after the first scrimmage. He hopes they have progressed where offensive line wise they don't need freshmen to play.
--Jahiem White is flying under the radar and he understands that. The wide receiver group did some nice things as the year went on but teams wanted to make them throw it and play the wide receivers one on one so that's what they need to be able to do more effectively.
--West Virginia has high expectations for Josiah Trotter and they know he will be prepared mentally and physically. With Trey Lathan that was a bad injury and he had to work with people to overcome that. But he ran around well today. Those two will be ready.
--Brown said that he has personally done a much better job of focusing on his strengths and what he has to do and where he isn't an expert, he has a pulse on things but lets them run those areas.
--Allowing all coaches to work will allow smaller groups and better instruction. It really helps with the developmental guys as well and it won't be as taxing for Matt Moore or others because the people under them can do it. It also is going to really help develop coaches and they want to be a program that equips and develops coaches as well as players.
--It's a lot of trial and error but the equipment staff and communication staff needs to be trained on the surface pros and the helmet to helmet communication. You just have to get used to wear a bunch of stuff.
--West Virginia has to be more game like in their practices so they have to play their best in order to be prepared for that. They have to tackle, be physical and come off the ball.
--It's hard to tell before practice three who was standing out because they weren't wearing full pads. They are building up and today was a light practice where they worked a ton of Red zone. The practices up through the second scrimmage they are two-spotting in order to maximize the reps and everybody on the roster will get those. That means everybody has an opportunity to be evaluated.
--Brown feels like the nutrition piece has been a process but with the Sodexo and the nutritionist is in a great spot. Their body fat percentages are the best they have been and they look the part like a power four team. Mike Joseph is the best in the business and he has really tested them and he is pleased with where the group is and his team handled it well.
--CJ Donaldson full participation and will be full go all camp. Jaheem Joseph and Kole Taylor also will be full go. Kyle Altuner is out with a lower injury and he will come back at some point mid-season, but won't miss the entire year. That is a blow for them. Corey McIntyre is out with a lower injury, he will be out later in the year. Oryend Fisher is still limited. Jacoby Spells has done well and was a limited participant today and they are hopeful he is back. Dom Collins is limited after a procedure but will be full go this week. Asani Redwood was a limited participant and he will move into full.
--Jairo Faverus and Mo Hamilton will medically retire. Those two guys are not on the active roster.
--The league is extremely deep. He likes where the bye weeks are on the schedule.
--On paper they have some depth and defensively they have more depth than they've ever had. Offensively they have some good playmakers and Garrett Greene has a chance to be elite. Nicco Marchiol when you watch.
--Defensive line they have some versatility up front and they have guys that can move around. Of the group that came in as freshmen and one of them needs to emerge. He likes that group and fall camp will be big to see who can play and who can not.
--Neal Brown feels like this is the most underrated fan base in the country and the tradition and success has flown under the radar. Regardless of the conference, West Virginia has fared well. The one common theme is they have had success.
--It's started getting stability in the nutrition program and then adding to the staff. The university has really good nutrition, dietitian programs and they've been able to utilize that. They've had people develop and gain expertise and it's a mix. It's a balance between nutritional and what they like. Vitamins and supplements and they are doing some things on the cutting edge as well. They want to be innovative and they have embraced the technology piece in all facets to be different. It helps in recruiting but also helps the players develop.
--The players you are coaching today are much more informed than when he started coaching and the more you can hit why, they understand. When you have good players.
--The line of scrimmages look significantly different from the first two or three years they were here because they didn't have the depth and they had to play a lot of young players although that's not a knock on those guys before. Looking at tight end room Kole Taylor and Jack Sammarco standout, in the wide receiver room they have guys with size and length. At defensive back, they have safeties that look the part. They are bigger at corner and their body style at linebacker has changed by going bigger and they go five deep with guys that have size and can run.
--Brown thought they had that confidence last year as the year went on and the year round football has really helped too. This was practice one, but not really except for the new walk-ons that got here in July because of the summer OTAs. Reasonable expectations are they know the signals, alignment and assignments and know what to do.
--West Virginia will have some freshmen that will play but he is being careful on saying who could. It usually clears itself out after the first scrimmage. He hopes they have progressed where offensive line wise they don't need freshmen to play.
--Jahiem White is flying under the radar and he understands that. The wide receiver group did some nice things as the year went on but teams wanted to make them throw it and play the wide receivers one on one so that's what they need to be able to do more effectively.
--West Virginia has high expectations for Josiah Trotter and they know he will be prepared mentally and physically. With Trey Lathan that was a bad injury and he had to work with people to overcome that. But he ran around well today. Those two will be ready.
--Brown said that he has personally done a much better job of focusing on his strengths and what he has to do and where he isn't an expert, he has a pulse on things but lets them run those areas.
--Allowing all coaches to work will allow smaller groups and better instruction. It really helps with the developmental guys as well and it won't be as taxing for Matt Moore or others because the people under them can do it. It also is going to really help develop coaches and they want to be a program that equips and develops coaches as well as players.
--It's a lot of trial and error but the equipment staff and communication staff needs to be trained on the surface pros and the helmet to helmet communication. You just have to get used to wear a bunch of stuff.
--West Virginia has to be more game like in their practices so they have to play their best in order to be prepared for that. They have to tackle, be physical and come off the ball.
