I don’t need to tell you this, but West Virginia has relied on junior college recruiting for basically as long as Dana Holgorsen has been the head coach … and this will be his seventh season in the fall. Rich Rodriguez spent seven years on the same sidelines, for perspective. Anyhow, the Mountaineers have also developed this recruiting philosophy. Where first it was for need and immediate impact, it’s now that as well as talent and also 11th hour acquisitions to address a position or one of the three sides of the ball.

And just for fun, WVU has hit on something especially important that others have started to target, too. Junior college players typically arrive on campus with two or three years left to play two seasons. The Mountaineers have found success with players who have three years to play three seasons: Mark Glowinski, Skyler Howard, Nick O’Toole, Ka’Raun White, Toyous Avery, Hakeem Bailey, Trevon Wesco, Kelby Wickline and, when he arrives over the summer, Fontez Davis.

There’s plenty of sense behind and benefit to the idea, so long as the player can pull it off, which isn’t always easy. For one, coaches have this thing about wanting to play their best players, and if someone’s good enough to have FBS offers before or after enrolling at a junior college, he’s quite likely good enough to play. Why would a coach sideline him for a season? Additionally, those players worry about their spot. What good is it, they wonder, to disappear for a year? What risk are they taking by limiting themselves to one year of stats and highlights?

And there there are the logistics. Really, we’re talking about knocking out two years of academics in 15 or so months, because FBS schools really want junior college players on campus in the spring semester. Taking a redshirt year the first year on the junior college campus shifts the focus to the classroom.

FBS schools will take the junior college players in the summer — and June rather than August, if you don’t mind — but even if that isn’t possible, it helps to have that extra year in the back pocket so that the player can still play when he arrives in the FBS, be it on special teams or limited action, before progressing into something greater than that.

WVU’s spring game is Saturday, and and vital six-week spring evaluation period begins next week. It’s the biggest time of the year for junior college recruiting, and offensive line coach Joe Wickline, who runs WVU’s juco operation, will be on the road with his eyes open for the next wave of players.

So who are some of the big-time players at major areas of need for the 2018 class? Well, that’s just getting started, but a few positions — and a couple elite recruits — are already emerging.

In recent days, wide receiver has been a focus of the staff. East Central (Miss.) C.C. athlete Antonio Gibson and Arizona Western (Ariz.) College speedster Jaron Woodyard have both claimed offers from the Mountaineers. Gibson said he spoke directly with Holgorsen and has been talking with Joe Wickline for some time now. Woodyard, on the other hand, talked with Tony Dews in recent weeks. The current Mountaineer running backs coach learned of Woodyard from his time as an Arizona assistant, and Woodyard — a former 100-meter champion from Maryland — says Morgantown would be “a perfect fit” to get back closer to home.