We are only three weeks away from the 2022 WVU Gold-Blue Spring Game. To match the number of weeks we have remaining until we are back in Morgantown, we are going to give you our three players that we are predicting to have a breakout season this fall.
Here are the players that will splash onto the scene for the Mountaineers when we kick things off on September 1st against the Pitt Panthers:
- Sam James, WR (R-Senior) – Mountaineer fans have waited patiently for the Georgia native to have his “welcome to the big leagues” party on the field. While he has shown flashes, it has yet to happen over his career in Morgantown. With Graham Harrell coming to town to call the shots for the offense, James will finally have his moment to shine in the Old Gold and Blue. I expect Harrell to utilize him correctly, and we will finally see him eclipse the 1,000 yard receiving mark for a single season. This is not to say that he will be a Biletnikoff finalist or even make First-Team All-Big 12, but we will finally see the best of what the speedster has to offer.
- Charles Woods, CB (R-Senior) – Charles Woods was easily the most consistent defensive back for the Mountaineers last season. Now that the secondary has been mostly depleted this offseason, we can expect the former FCS star to show out in a big way for Jordan Lesley’s defense. We will not predict any statistics for him, since that is for the most part impossible to do for a defensive player. However, we don’t believe that a Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honor is outside the realm of possibility.
- Tony Mathis Jr., RB (R-Junior) – This is one that many could see coming. Tony Mathis was solid in relief of Leddie Brown in 2021, making 2022 his time to shine in a new offense. He runs hard and is shifty enough to be a home run threat. Look for Mathis to crack the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career.
