Noted WVU supporter Miramar High has in the past few years given the Mountaineers Josh Taylor, Geno Smith, Stedman Bailey and Ivan McCartney. Would you believe that two more freshmen are suddenly in position to perhaps make an impact in 2012?

I hedge with the use of “perhaps” because walk-on running back D’Vontis Arnold is a bit of an uncertainty. He’s really a walk-on in name only, but he was an observer early in camp. Remember, he was one of those guys I mentioned before the first day because I’d heard optimistic things and because Dustin Garrison was a wild card.

Well, one day early in camp I heard Arnold had finally repped after watching and I asked Robert Gillespie about him. Gillespie suggested we need not worry about Arnold, and D.J. Hunt, until spring football. Out of the blue Saturday, Gillespie name-dropped Arnold because Arnold had come on nicely as camp closed. “He’s a kid that deserves to be mentioned,” Gillespie said, whereas earlier that was not the case.

So bully for Arnold, though I have to think he and Dustin Garrison are on a string … and Gillespie, who previously told me they might have to wait a few games for Garrison to be ready, now sounds as though things could prove to be a little more dire.

“We’ll talk to the medical staff to see what’s the best thing for him,” Gillespie said.

“Is he strong enough to go out there and protect himself, first of all, and is he also strong enough to go in and help the team?”

Yeesh.

The other Miramar product seems like more of a sure thing and you’ll see Devonte Mathis on the field because of accomplishments and not circumstances. While fellow freshmen receivers Devonte Arnold, Travares Copeland and Will Johnson have yet to convincingly separate themselves, Mathis has. At multiple positions.

He was doing things as an outside receiver, but WVU feels good there with Stedman and K.J. Myers — “I would absolutely feel comfortable using him,” Shannon Dawson said. — on one side and J.D. Woods (!) and Ryan Nehlen at the other. Mathis was too good to be a third-strong guy, or co-second string, so they moved him inside.

There, WVU has Tavon at one spot and Jordan Thompson at the other, and Dante Campbell and Connor Arlia as backups. Dawson likes the depth there, though it’s not as inspiring as it is outside. So Mathis was moved and he’s since flourished … all 6 feet, 2 inches and 220-plus pounds of him.

“The one thing about him from high school that we liked about him was he played outside receiver, he played inside receiver, he played quarterback and he played some defense,” Dawson said. “He played everywhere and no matter where they put him, he made big plays.

“He’s a big kid, but he’s also an athlete. Right now we feel good about where he’s at. Being too big is not a problem if you can run. Being big is a problem if you can run. But hell, he can run. So he’s a big athlete and he can run – and he’s got great hands.”

The Mountaineers swooned for Mathis in recruiting because he played everywhere for Miramar and very well. And I mean that — offense, defense and even special teams. Watch this…