The Sock 'Em, Bust 'Em Board Because that's our custom

Football roster updates

Truth be told, there aren’t many. When Wednesday’s roster is placed next to the one published before camp, you find no one left the team, as best as I can tell, and that’s either rare, promising or both.

There were 16 fall semester additions and a few of them are noteworthy, like running back Zach Hulce making it back as he rehabs an ACL. Tight end Tyler Rader (ACL) and kicker Ben Rios (back) are also back on the roster and Bryan Logsdon will wear 91. I don’t know about you, but I feel better when my tight ends wear 91.

Speaking of numbers, the numerical roster is interesting. There are 120 players on the team, which means a number of repeats and maybe some issues. What if, for example, safety Jonathan Scott gets to play as a true freshman. It’s likely on special teams, at least to begin. He wears No. 33. So, too, does fullback/tight end Maxwell Anderson, another special teamer. Hmmm.

Special teams is the only place it could happen — and it’s unlikely it does — because WVU manages to prevent two players on the same side of the ball from wearing the same number. Still, we won’t get to see cornerback Brodrick Jenkins and slot receiver/running back Jock Sanders (Nos. 9) returning kicks or punts together. Too bad.

As for the depth chart …

Not a lot of movement news there, either. Offensively — deep breath — senior Jon Walko moved to right tackle from left and junior Matt Timmerman moved from left to right. Both are backups. Junior Eric Jobe went from starting center to starting right guard. Redshirt freshman Joey Madsen went from backup center to starter and classmate Jeff Braun went from right guard to backup center.

Freshman Tavon Austin is the No. 2 slot S receiver and classmate Stedman Bailey is listed as the third outside Z receiver. Eugene Smith is your backup quarterback and fellow freshman Shawne Alston is listed as the No. 3 running back. That’s four freshmen in line for immediate playing time on offense, though Smith and Alston get an asterisk, especially Alston, who probably still falls behind Sanders in the backfield, but is in the mix because he’s 6-foot and 220 pounds.

Defensively, redshirt freshman Jorge Wright, who had a really nice camp, is the backup defensive tackle … and if he does well, WVU can use Scooter Berry all over the line. J.B. Lageman, a redshirt freshman from Huntington, has caught up with senior Larry Ford for the backup defensive end spot. Sophomore Najee Goode, who was a backup at weak side linebacker, is the backup in the middle with junior Anthony Leonard. Seniors Kent Richardson and Guesly Dervil made their last camp count and are the backup cornerbacks, which is a relief, I’m sure, for the coaches to have veterans in the mix.

The safety spots continue to be indiscernible. Junior Sidney Glover and senior Nate Sowers could start at spur and Glover and senior Boogie Allen could start at bandit. Sophomore Robert Sands starts at free ahead of sophomore Eain Smith. Pretty much all of those guys can play different spots, just to blow your mind.

Redshirt freshman Tyler Bitancurt has the place-kicking job ahead of senior transfer Josh Lider, who will handle kickoffs. Senior Scott Kozlowski is the punter head of junior Greg Pugnetti. Sophomore Cody Nutter is the long-snapper ahead of senior Jeremy Kash, who happens to also be the holder ahead of senior Carmen Connolly. Noel Devine will return kickoffs with Sanders or The Poet. Cornerback Brandon Hogan, Sanders, receiver J.D. Woods and Austin will return punts, though not all at once.

OFFENSE QB
16  Jarrett Brown (6-4/223/r-Sr.)
12  Geno Smith (6-3/195/Fr.)

15  Coley White (6-0/173/r-Fr.)

RB
7  Noel Devine (5-8/176/Jr.)
23  Mark Rodgers (5-8/175/So.)
35  Shawne Alston (6-0/218/Fr.) 

FB/TE 
32  Ryan Clarke (6-0/228/r-Fr.)
41   Ricky Kovatch (6-2/239/So.) 

WR (X) 
82   Alric Arnett (6-2/189/r-Sr.)
2     Logan Heastie (6-2/194/Fr.)
80   Ryan Nehlen (6-2/204/r-Fr.)

SL (H)
4  Wes Lyons (6-8/231/Sr.)
26  Carmen Connolly (5-11/189/Sr.)

25  Jack Crow (5-10/168/r-Sr.)

SL (S) 
9  Jock Sanders (5-7/178/Jr.)
1  Tavon Austin (5-9/164/Fr

WR (Z) 
14   Brad Starks (6-3/185r-So.)
81   J.D. Woods (6-0/190/r-Fr.)
10   Steadman Bailey (5-10/193/Fr.)
 

TE
89  Tyler Urban (6-5/244/So.)
6  Will Johnson (6-2/232/Jr.)
85  Scott Loving (6-2/222/r-Sr.)
 

LT
64  Don Barclay (6-4/291/r-So.)
67   Jon Walko (6-6/290/r-Sr.)
 

LG
77  Josh Jenkins (6-3/290/So.)
65  Chad Snodgrass (6-4/291/r-So.)
 

C
74  Joe Madsen (6-4/291/r-Fr.)
62  Jeff Braun (6-4/300/r-Fr.)

RG
61  Eric Jobe (6-2/289/r-Jr.)
60  John Bassler (6-4/296/r-Fr.)

RT
66  Selvish Capers (6-5/298/r-Sr.) 
59  Matt Timmerman (6-3/291/r-Jr.)
 

DEFENSE

DT
93  Scooter Berry (6-1/294/r-Jr.)
99  Jorge Wright (6-2/268/r-Fr.)
 
NT
90  Chris Neild (6-2/298/r-Jr.) 
94  Josh Taylor (6-1/272/r-So.)
DE
97  Julian Miller (6-4/251/r-So.) 
92  Larry Ford (6-3/252/Jr.)
or   91  J.B. Lageman (6-3/261/r-Fr.)

SLB
31  Pat  Lazear (6-0/231/Jr.)
57  Zac Cooper (6-3/222/r-Sr.)

MLB
47  Reed Williams (6-1/232/r-Sr.)

52  Najee Goode (6-1/234/r-So.)
or   45  Anthony Leonard (6-1/237/r-Jr.)
WLB
30  J.T. Thomas (6-2/225/r-Jr.) 
48  Ovid Goulbourne (6-1/229/r-Sr.)
LCB
22  Brandon Hogan (5-10/188/Jr.) 
17  Kent Richardson (5-11/194/r-Sr.)

RCB
8  Keith Tandy (5-10/195/r-So.) 
10 Guesly Dervil (5-11/190/Sr.)
 

SS
12  Nate Sowers (6-1/211/r-Sr.) 
or  11  Sidney Glover (5-11/204/Jr.)

FS
2  Robert Sands (6-5/215/So.)
24  Eain Smith (5-11/202/r-So.)

BS
20  Franchot Allen (6-0/205/Sr.)
or   1  Sidney Glover (5-11/204/Jr.)

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK        
40  Tyler Bitancurt (6-1/188/r-Fr.)
46  Josh Lider (6-2/195/Sr.)
 

P
37  Scott Kozlowski (5-11/191/r-Sr.)
36  Greg Pugnetti (6-1/216/r-Jr.)

KO
46  Josh Lider (6-2/195/Sr.)
40  Tyler Bitancurt (6-1/188/r-Fr.)
 

LSN
87  Cody Nutter (6-3/226/r-So.)
48  Jeremy Kash (5-10/215/r-Jr.)
 

H
48  Jeremy Kash (5-10/215/r-Jr.)
26  Carmen Connolly (5-11/189/Sr.)
 

KR
7  Noel Devine (5-8/176/Jr.) 
9  Jock Sanders (5-7/178/Jr.)
1   Tavon Austin (5-9/164/Fr.)
 

PR
22  Brandon Hogan (5-10/188/Jr.) 
9  Jock Sanders (5-7/178/Jr.)          
81  J.D. Woods (6-0/190/r-Fr.)
      
1  Tavon Austin (5-9/164/Fr.)