The Sock 'Em, Bust 'Em Board Because that's our custom

About that depth chart…

… didn’t happen Tuesday. I know one was being put together, and perhaps that was just so we’d have one in the game notes we receive five days from now.

It’s been 15 days since the last depth chart, and many things have changed. Let’s hazard a guess at what might be when we see the next two-deep.

QB: Skyler Howard, Chris Chugunov or William Crest

This is the only “or” I”ll allow, because it’s an “or” no matter what. WVU doesn’t have a No. 2, and whoever is picked when the time comes will depend on the situation, I think. Run out the clock? Crest. Get the offense some reps? Chugunov. But this is also interesting because they had to cool off Chugunov’s arm for a while and Cody Saunders stepped in and showed off.

RB: Rushel Shell, Justin Crawford

They’ll list Kennedy McKoy as well, and they’ll use him as well, but we’re talking about a two-deep. 

FB: Elijah Wellman, Michael Ferns

TE: Stone Wolfley, Trevon Wesco

Really interested to see how often they use one or both. Wesco missed a lot of time — a knee injury separate from the one that cost him the 2015 season — and was only cleared to practice Tuesday. 

LT: Yodny Cajuste, Rob Dowdy

LG: Tony Matteo, Grant Lingafelter

C: Tyler Orlosky, Ja’HShaun Seider

Seider’s first name is going to be a handful.

RG: Kyle Bosch, Matt Jones

An absolute guess on the backup here. No idea what they’ll do, but if they need a backup guard, it’s Lingafelter. If they need two? That’s dicey.

RT: Marcell Lazard, Colton McKivitz

It sounds like McKivitz is the backup at left and right tackle.

WR (X): Shelton Gibson, Gary Jennings

Jennings plays inside and outside. Both positions, too. It’s weird.

WR (Z): Ka’Raun White, Marcus Simms

Shoulder shrug? Jovon Durante was the backup here, but he’s exclusively inside, we’re told. Ricky Rogers could be here. Realistically, Jennings would probably be the backup at either outside spot. Neither Dana Holgorsen nor Tyron Carrier is ready to say WVU has more than four receivers right now — Gibson, White, Durante and Daikiel Shorts. 

IR (Y): Dakiel Shorts, Devonte Mathis

I don’t’ expect WVU to list the H position, but Durante would be the first-teamer here. A backup? Not sure. Could be Mathis, and it’s probably not Steven Smothers.

Defense

DE: Christian Brown, Jon Lewis

NG: Darrien Howard, Alec Shriner

DE: Noble Nwachukwu, Adam Shuler

Brown and Lewis can play nose, and the things you hear about Shriner and Shuler now are pretty optimistic for redshirt freshmen.

Will: Sean Walters, David Long

Mike: Al-Rasheed Benton, Hodari Christian

Sam: Justin Arndt, Xavier Preston

Tony Gibson had Christian outside before Brendan Ferns tore his ACL. He’s back in the middle now. I don’t know what to think about this. Do you move your No. 3 in the middle to be the No. 3 at Sam and then feel good enough to move the No. 3 Mike-turned-No. 3 Sam back to the middle to be the No. 2 Mike? No, right? But then you remember Preston isn’t playing in the opener, so Christian was probably moved to Sam because he was trusted enough to handle snaps there. The first game is going to have some machinations, and I still wonder if Arndt plays some Mike when we reach the second game.

FCB: Antonio Crawford, Nana Kyeremeh

It’s not that Nana Kyeremeh is the backup. It’s that Crawford is the starter.

BCB: Rasul Douglas, Maurice Fleming

I wouldn’t be surprised if Fleming is the starter. He’s going to play a bunch.

Spur: Kyzir White, Marvin Gross

All it took for White to leapfrog Gross was for Gross to miss some time with a ding. We’ll keep an eye on who plays spur when White comes out. Until I see Gross play, I have a hard time believing he’ll play. That’s been the trend. I’d look for Jeremy Tyler as the first backup.

Free: Jeremy Tyler, Toyous Avery

Bandit: Jarrod Harper, Khairi Sharif

Sharif can play free, but he was moved to bandit because he’ll play bandit. I think Tyler’s days there are done. Watch out for Shane Commodore at bandit, too, if Sharif has to play free. 

Special teams

K: Mike Molina, Wild card!

P: Jonn Young, Billy Kinney

H: Billy Kinney, Jonn Young

KO:  Jonn Young, Billy Kinney

Consider KO names in a spot, but this is not a small item on a long list. WVU has to get through three games and four weeks with Molina in place of Josh Lambert. Molina has been the kickoff guy. There’s no way I’d have him kicking off, which is a different stroke, and then covering kicks. Special teams are susceptible to breakdowns early in the season because teams don’t spend a lot of time on returns and coverage in the preseason. What if Molina has to chase someone and pulls up lame? What he he has to square up and make a play and gets trucked? Who handles field goals and PATs? It’s Young or Kinney, but it’s also, you know, Young or Kinney. It’s not worth the risk. It’s worth a story next week, come to think of it.

LS: Nick Meadows, R.C. Brunstetter

PR: Gary Jennings

I’m not going to list a backup because I don’t think WVU will. It’s Jennings, 40 yards and then a bunch of other possibilities.

KR: Shelton Gibson, Gary Jennings

Durante has done well. McKoy and Crawford can catch and run, too. I’ve heard that White’s done all right, too, which says something about his combination of size and speed at the Z.