Morgantown, West Virginia – To be clear, redshirt freshman Garrett Greene was not given a real opportunity to be a quarterback for the West Virginia Mountaineers this season.
Head coach Neal Brown openly admitted that he had a different package for Greene than the one used for starter Jarret Doege, and it was clear that Brown did not trust Greene to throw the ball downfield. While some claim that Greene didn’t have what it takes to be a starter for the Mountaineers due to his perceived inability to make reads, throw effectively and accurately and his lack of height, remember that he was an Elite 11 quarterback out of high school.
With Will “Goose” Crowder returning and freshman Nicco Marchiol arriving in Morgantown, Greene will once again almost certainly be overlooked at the quarterback position.
With that said, West Virginia absolutely needs Garrett Greene on the field. His electric speed and uncanny ability to make defenders miss could make him a real weapon for the Mountaineers if they can get the ball in his hands.
Again, Greene is a capable, effective quarterback, but unfortunately it doesn’t seem like he will be given a fair chance to lead the team. Neal Brown clearly doesn’t value his ability to escape pressure and create plays outside of the pocket.
Rather than playing in spots behind the starter, the coaching staff should consider moving Greene to a place where he can truly create and make things happen for the remainder of his career.
Greene moving to slot receiver would give him an opportunity to create in space and allow West Virginia to run reverses and unique sets with him on the field.
In addition, Greene would make a remarkable replacement for Winston Wright as the team’s new kick returner. Greene’s incredible athleticism and slipperiness makes him extremely difficult to catch and tackle, and he would be dangerous in the open field on kickoffs.
Although Garrett Greene could be a capable, effective starting quarterback at West Virginia, he might be even more effective and dangerous as a slot receiver/kicker returner next season for the Mountaineers.
