So the nearly 300-pound Darrien Howard was approved by the NCAA’s Eligibility Center yesterday and is to be on campus today. Though a redshirt probably awaits him, as well as Isaac McDonald, WVU saw every one of its 2013 recruits qualify academically.

I went back through 12 years of media guides and couldn’t find another time that that happened. It’s very rare these days, so good on WVU and the way it’s refined its process by more or less targeting kids who are likely to qualify and avoiding the most crooked question marks.

And since qualification is the soup of the day …

… take this for what it’s worth. I’m hearing Jon Holton could get his green light today, but that WU is confident it happens this week. It’s not an Eligibility Center thing with him. It’s the processing and approval of grades so he gets his junior college degree. That, we knew, was going to take time because he had to fit a year-and-a-half into his year at Palm Beach State College.

Eli Macon is a different story. He’s not going to qualify, but he could be allowed in as a partial qualifier. He’d sit out this season and essentially redshirt. He’d be allowed to practice with the team and go to school, but that’s about it. If he stays in his lane, he’d be a redshirt freshman in the 2014-15 season.

That’s what Ben McLemore did two years ago. He turned out OK.

I’d heard about the potential for this plan not long ago and I wasn’t sure both sides were into it, but I’d have to think it’s the track to follow now.

And finally, this isn’t an eligibility matter, but d’Vante Henry should be back soon — though “soon” seems hard to define. He, like Howard and McDonald, would probably redshirt as well.