Morgantown, West Virginia – Neal Brown and his coaching staff have gone on and on about the incredible progress that Jarret Doege has made in the offseason, calling him the “most improved player on the roster”, citing his changed body and improved pocket presence.
“He’s going into what will be his third fall here, but his fifth in college football,” Brown said earlier this spring. “He’s experienced, he’s handled himself well, he’s taking the things that we thought were really important for him to get better at and he’s showing improvement.
He’s really done a nice job, he’s one of our most improved players, which is a positive for him.”
Having said that, the last time we saw Doege on the field, he struggled mightily against Army in the Liberty Bowl, finishing 15-25 for 169 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception before being pulled in the second half in favor of Austin Kendall. If Doege stayed in the game, West Virginia would have likely lost.
Doege has shown to be shaky in the pocket and incapable of completing downfield throws consistently. Hopefully he’s truly improved in the offseason, but regardless of how well he’s throwing the ball, he’s still an immobile quarterback in a game that requires a quarterback to move well.
Mobile quarterbacks can escape pressure and create plays when the pocket collapses and they have to make thing happen with their feet. Having a mobile quarterback is particularly important when a team has an unproven (although improved) offensive line. A mobile quarterback adds a whole new dynamic to the West Virginia offense.
Redshirt freshman Garrett Greene is still very young, but he is a winner, he has a different level of confidence and spunk than a typical player with little experience, and he finally understands the system.
Garrett Greene is the clearly the future of the West Virginia Mountaineers and there is no better time than now to unleash him. While Doege offers the team incredible experience, his physical limitations will cause issues for the West Virginia offense.
If Doege struggles early, Brown would be wise to turn to Garrett Greene to spark an offense that is loaded with talent and ready to break out this season.
