Defensive coordinator Joe DeForest was asked last week if true freshman defensive lineman Christian Brown, all 6 feet, 2 inches and 300 pounds of him, will play in 2012.

Why, yes, I have seen him play …

First look on the first day, I had a pretty strong suspicion he was going to look much better on the field than on a bleacher on the sideline. Of course, I had a pretty strong hint, too, when Erik Slaughter told Brown he knew Brown would be a good player.

He’s remained similarly supportive the rest of the way and Brown has kept to his end of the arrangement with consistent practices.

He’s clearly one of the eight or so who will play on defense — and I figure Imarjaye Albury, Garrett Hope, Nana Kyeremeh, Ricky Rumph, Brandon Napoleon, Karl Joseph and K.J. Dillon are in that group. Really, WVU needs bodies everywhere but linebacker, which is good because there is really only one freshman linebacker in Sean Walters … who still has a chance.

The Mountaineers will rely on freshmen elsewhere and no matter the position, the coaches seem to have a uniform stance on letting kids play for the 11th-ranked team in the country.

“I’m for winning,” he said. “If the guy can help us win and you’re not putting him in a bad position out there, and physically and mentally he can play, then let’s play him, “The mental part of it is my job. I think in recruiting you want guys that come in here with the confidence level that says, ‘I can play.’

“That’s the No. 1 thing, if they think they can play. If they have that confidence, then the mental part, getting them prepared so they know what to do, that’s my job. That’s why I got hired.”