Steve Clarkson is one of those broom-wielding, promise-making quarterback whisperers who’s realized great fame and even fortune through the years. His reputation can go either way, depending on how you choose to view his motivations and his role in a kid’s life. Whatever that perspective, he’s achieved quite a bit through the years, and he’s been profiled on just about every stage imaginable. I mean, Morley Safer took notice.

Clarkson, of course, has long been connected to West Virginia’s mercurial freshman David Sills. Whatever their relationship and whatever it means, understand Clarkson has an eye for talent. Two eyes, in fact. And as you can see above, he’ll just go ahead and compare Sills to Johnny Manziel.

I bring this up today because Sills will in all likelihood redshirt this season, like Manziel did four years ago before winning the Heisman Trophy the following season. W.V. Crest is Skyler Howard’s backup, and it appears Chris Chugunov will travel with the team as well. Sills, meanwhile, has talked to teammates about what it’s like to redshirt. His high school teammate, receiver Daikiel Shorts, who led the team in receptions as a true freshman in 2013, told Sills it’s worth it for long-term benefit.

And since Sills is redshirting (for now, because let’s not forget Howard was supposed to redshirt last season), that means he’s on the scout team. And at this time of the year before this tricky first opponent, Sills is keying the scout team offense by mimicking the Georgia Southern quarterback in its unique option offense. He also happens to be darwing rave reviews from the coaches schooling him on what to do and how to do it.

This is all of the talk about Sills — faster then you’d think, a very good runner, best athlete at the position, no less capable of playing running back or receiver than was Crest — in action, and though it’s a small and cloudy window, it’s a look into the future versions of Dana Holgorsen’s multiple and evolving offense.