Preseason camp ended with Saturday’s scrimmage and 14 days and 18 practices gave us a different, though more complete idea of who’ll be playing where on the offensive line. It was the most significant subject before and during camp, I believe, and in some ways it still is as WVU today begins two weeks of practice before opening the season at home Sept. 4 against Coastal Carolina.

What you have now is six players for five spots, but it’s basically three players for two spots.

Between today – the first day of classes at WVU – and the start of the regular season Sept. 4 against Football Championship Subdivision opponent Coastal Carolina, it’s up to offensive line coach Dave Johnson to decide if the lineup is best with Bowers at guard or tackle – or bouncing between or sharing time with senior guard Eric Jobe and sophomore tackle Jeff Braun.

“Cole Bowers and Eric Jobe give us our top six linemen, so Cole Bowers is good enough to play tackle,” Stewart said. “We put him in for Braun at tackle, a young guy, a big guy who hasn’t played enough. I don’t know if Jeff Braun can go 85 plays right now for 12 games. I do know he can play if you spell him a little bit with a Cole Bowers.”

Given the rise of Bowers from backup to supposed starter at right guard, and then his audition — actually, it’s a return — at right tackle, it’s a same assumption he’s somewhere in the top five. It’s probably a matter of whether Jobe is better at guard than is Braun at RT — and vice versa — and that the coaches think enough of Bowers to play the other position reasonably well.

Regardless, with a backup somewhere there, with Bowers able to play guard and tackle and Braun and Jobe able to play guard and center — and the same ability belonging to starting center Joe Madsen — there’s more depth this year than last year. Add Matt Timmerman, who can play either tackle spot and plays the sixth lineman when WVU goes big, and it’s even stronger.

That alone is something of an accomplishment after where the Mountaineers began Aug. 7.

 WVU’s five starters on the offensive line played every meaningful snap – and a lot of the meaningless ones – last year. There was a lack of depth because of injuries and inexperience. For WVU to be better this season, the coaches and players say help needs to arrive.

“I expect some people to be there now because some of them aren’t freshmen anymore and some of the players are actually older than some of the starters now,” Jenkins said. “I expect them to be able to play now and be ready to go in at any time.”

The first and probably biggest step was locking Madsen in at center. He played all 13 games last season and was the starter six times in the middle, but because he’s so quick and decisive after the snap and can make things easier for the guards with immediate assistance, there was a push to keep him in the middle.

“I think Jobe works a little better in space, which he’d have at guard,” Jenkins said. “It’s nice to know what I’m getting and knowing who’s there because I only have to work on one set of footsteps.  They’re both good, don’t get me wrong, but they have different footwork and it’s nice to know what I’m getting and not have to think about it. I don’t have to step laterally. I can just go downhill because I know (Madsen) is going to get off the ball every play.”

With Madsen at center and Josh Jenkins (he’s been really solid) and Don Barclay to his left at guard and tackle, respectively, the attention went to the right. Specifically right tackle. The staff felt somewhat secure with Jobe and Bowers and knowing Madsen could always flip if needed because center had options, including sophomore John Bassler. It was Braun who got the first look because coaches liked what they saw in him. Braun, who was a defensive lineman when he first arrived at WVU, learned to like RT.

“You’re going against, for the most part, smaller guys,” Braun said. “They’re a lot faster, so you have to have superb technique. Your footwork has to be really good. Your pass sets have to be almost flawless. You’re going backward and the guys across you run 4.5 40s and they’re going straight forward. It’s different on the outside, but you learn how to deal with it.”

Then came the Aug. 14 scrimmage when Bruce Irvin kind of exposed the situation outside. Neither Braun nor redshirt freshman Pat Eger could take control and keep others out … and this coincided with Quinton Spain getting eligibility approval and fellow true freshman Marquis Wallace later returning from a brief eligibility benching. Bowers was a left tackle at Cabell Midland and played right tackle as a true freshman before his right labrum needed surgery.

Saturday’s scrimmage saw an emphasis on the running game. One goal, in particular, was to come out of WVU’s own end with a first down at its own 2-yard line. A majority of running plays in any situation went to the right side. And for obvious reasons. The conclusion? 

“I’d run left,” he said.

The Mountaineers have been solid on the left with juniors Don Barclay and Josh Jenkins at tackle and guard and sophomore Joe Madsen at center – though Jobe played some at center with the first team.

“We want to be balanced,” Stewart said. “(Opponents) know we’re going to run left. I would. We need to run to the right side to have balance.”