You know how these things go, and you know it can change this week, which is when Dana Holgorsen wants to see and evaluate responses to Saturday’s mock game. It was clandestine, but it was also revealing.

Saturday's scrimmage saw Shelton Gibson start at X, Jovon Durante start at Z, Kyle Bosch start at RG. For now … that's WVU's depth chart.

— Mike Casazza (@mikecasazza) August 31, 2015

Gibson is not a surprise. I thought the “or” he shared at Z two weeks ago with Gary Jennings seemed odd — he’d always been an X — and probably purposeful — “I tell him every day he can be his own worst critic,” Lonnie Galloway said. — for somebody who maybe needed to redirect his focus from himself to someone or something else.

Bosch isn’t a shock, either, because we knew he was an immediate asset. (Yodny Cajust isn’t going anywhere.) Durante, well, that shouldn’t be riveting either. This was coming, was it not?

Holgorsen sounded Monday like he’s pretty pleased with the speedy and apparently well-rounded freshman.

“Just his route-running ability,” Holgorsen said. “He does have outstanding speed, but his route-running ability, his hand-eye coordination, his ball skills are really good. He’s a guy we can use in the return game as well because his ball skills are good and because he’s fast.

“The whole thing with him is going to be if he can hold up. There’s going to be some wear and tear that’s going to happen throughout the course of the season, so we’re going to see if he’ll be able to gold hold up. Some stuff is going to be unknown until the lights come on, but he’s made plays, he knows what to do, his route-running ability is good and his ball skills are good as well. That’s got him out front now.”

This is more progress than permanent, but it’s a step toward the latter. And what WVU needed in this week was definitive statements at the two receiver positions. Everything up until today’s quasi-declaration had been speculative but also encouraging.

“We obviously talk about the two young guys — Gary and Jovon — and how different they are body-type-wise,” said Mark Scott, the special teams coordinator who works with the secondary. “Jovon is the one who you have to know where he’s at at all times, just because of his speed. He’s much like Shelton Gibson that way. You’ve got to identify those guys and know you’ve got a threat to go vertical.

“Gary Jennings and Ka’Raun White are bigger and more physical. They can run still, but I think what they excel at is being more physical at the line. Jovon, where he’s at right now, is probably not going to grab a corner and throw him down. He’s going to give you a move and run around you and run by you.”

The Mountaineers have variety. Gibson and Durante are said to be the fastest players on the team. Gibson changed sides during camp when Shorts moved from outside back inside, and that let Galloway put Gibson and Durante on opposite sides. He can play his speedsters together or make sure one is always on the field.

Gibson is 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds. Durante is 6-1 and 180 pounds. Jennings is 6-2 and 195 pounds. White is 6-2 and 190 pounds. Those bigger bodies are also on opposite sides, and that placement gives WVU the same flexibility. Galloway can play two big receivers at once or one at a time to complement a faster player on the other side.

The possibilities can help WVU solve problems pass defenses try to impose.

“It can get you free off press coverage at the line,” Scott said. “Speed allows you to get more separation from the corners, but I think the obvious thing is if you throw up a jump ball, you’ve got guys who are going to be able to use their body to keep the defender away and go up and get it.

“Both Gary and Ka’Raun have such strong hands. Ka’Raun’s got a little more experience because he played in the junior college ranks. The fact it comes as naturally to Gary as it does is pretty impressive.”