Football season will be upon us before we know it. Today, we will be taking a look at the five most important players for the Mountaineers in 2021, and the role we expect them to play.
WVU has some key areas that have major questions, and these individuals are the ones we believe will help give us answers.
Here are VOM’s five most important players for WVU in 2021:
- Jarret Doege, QB (R-Sr.): Many have wondered if Doege will be able to continue to progress in the quarterback position this season, considering he was benched during the team’s Autozone Liberty Bowl win over Army in December. It will remain to be seen just what he can do with another year under his belt, but we expect him to be an important player nonetheless. The offense will go as far as he takes them, and if he can continue to play mistake-free football, we believe he could make a significant jump this year.
- Scottie Young, S (R-Sr): All of a sudden the Arizona transfer is now one of the best remaining players in the WVU secondary. Gone is Tykee Smith, who is considered one of the best safeties in the nation. Scottie Young will likely be the one to take his place, so a lot will be riding on his shoulders. If he can pick up where Smith left off, you won’t notice much, if any drop off in WVU’s defense.
- Winston Wright Jr., WR (Jr.): WVU just seems to have been lacking that big play threat over the last couple of seasons. Winston Wright has shown flashes, but we believe this will be the year where he becomes a pivotal part of what Neal Brown wants to do with his squad. If he can burst onto the scene in a big way, he will quickly become the go-to-guy for West Virginia.
- Leddie Brown, RB (Sr.):Leddie is one we really debated not putting on this list. Not because he isn’t a special player, because he certainly is, but due to the fact we all know what we’re getting from him. He is WVU’s lifeline on offense, and several times last year he was even the only reason the Mountaineers saw production on offense. Because of the latter, we decided to slide him on this list. Brown has to stay healthy this season if West Virginia wants to be successful, ultimately making him THE most important piece on offense.
- Josh Chandler-Semedo, LB (Sr): Chandler-Semedo makes our list as one of the most important players for WVU in 2021. Tony Fields, now on the Cleveland Browns, was huge for WVU’s linebacker corps last season. The Mountaineers will be looking for someone to fill that void, and we believe the Ohio native will play that role perfectly. He has shown flashes in the past, and this is the year we believe he really steps up and becomes an impact player for West Virginia.
