Title = Fact! This could be good or not-so-good for West Virginia. We’ll know in two days, but we trust our hunches here.

On the surface, the Mountaineers had to feel good about bringing back Rushel Shell and bringing in Justin Crawford and Kennedy McKoy … and that was before they got a look at both of those newcomers in action.

Conversely, WVU brought back, if you will, Stone Wolfley, who redshirted last season, and knew newcomers Michael Ferns to be a linebacker-turned-fullback type and Trevon Wesco to be somewhat new to the sport and coming off a knee injury that cost him the 2015 season at Lackawanna College.

Clay was WVU’s best utility player the past two seasons. He didn’t put up numbers, but he let the offense do the things it needed and wanted to do. A tight end was a staple and there were times the Mountaineers would use two. Remember, WVU will use a couple of plays in a game but dress them up in a variety of formations. A tight end is a big part of that, the accessory that makes a defense wary of all sorts of possibilities.

And here’s where the Mountaineers attempt to turn a question mark into an exclamation point. They’re not exactly sure what Missouri is going  to do with a new head coach and two new coordinators and probably two quarterbacks, but WVU is going to have some surprises as well.

We can anticipate a lot of familiar features, but from what formations, with what personnel and with what frequency, we just don’t know … mostly because of the situation at tight end.

“We’ve got some guys who haven’t played a lot and haven’t played at all,” said offensive coordinator Joe Wickline, who works with the tight ends. “You’re concerned because of that. You’re concerned because you’d like to have two more months of practice before we start.”

There are ways to play without a tight end, and WVU can move the ball with four receivers and a running back or with three receivers and two running backs. But the offense wouldn’t be as capable.

The Mountaineers use a tight end in a variety of formations, and they run, pass and let their quarterback carry the ball in those sets. Wolfley might have to do a lot Saturday, but there will be times he needs rest. There will be times he needs an accomplice, too. WVU also uses two tight ends, typically in goal-line and short-yardage situations that aren’t as frequent but sure are important.

Amid all those concerns, there is one certainty: Wickline won’t shy away from the tight ends.

“I don’t know any other way to do it,” Wickline said. “We’ve got other packages we can go to, and we understand where we’re at with all of our packages and personnel, but there are guys who are going to play a part. How much of a part they play depends on their production, their performance and the results.”