Asti: Devin Carter is Proving to be Invaluable to WVU Before He Even Plays a Game

MORGANTOWN, W.Va – Imagine this WVU wide receiver group without Devin Carter. Imagine if West Virginia didn’t add a receiver with years of experience for such a young unit to rely on in 2023.

Fortunately for the Mountaineers, they don’t have to imagine that scenario because they do have Carter. And it’s becoming more and more evident throughout the offseason that Carter’s presence is essential for this team.

Head coach Neal Brown and wide receivers coach Bilal Marshall talked about how Carter has been setting a great example for the other receivers, something they are seeing show itself more each week in the Spring.

West Virginia and Carter found a perfect match in each other. The Mountaineers were in desperate need of a veteran receiver with college experience after losing most of their production from last season. Carter was in search of a new team to finish his college eligibility and the opportunity to be the number one option of an offense. The marriage between WVU and Carter is working out about as well as either side could have hoped to this point.

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Carter has not only looked really good on the field, picking up on the plays and finding chemistry with both Garrett Greene and Nicco Marchiol, but he’s also establishing himself as the leader of the rest of the receivers. According to Brown and Marshall, Carter has been assisting the other receivers and showing them how to conduct themselves, both on and off the field.

After his team’s ninth practice together, Brown opened up his press conference by saying something that now almost sounds redundant he’s said it so much – “Devin Carter had a big day today.”

Marshall has also praised Carter repeatedly, echoing those words and then some.

“I think it is critical to have someone who has been a four-year starter and knows what big time football looks like,” said Marshall. “He’s able to lead by example and pull guys along,” he added while explaining how critical it is to have a player like Carter serve as an extension of a coach on the field.

When asked how things would be different without Carter, Marshall explained, “now if you didn’t have someone in that role, you’d have to build that person and create it,” while emphasizing the need for a leader to emerge out of every position group.

Carter is providing the offense exactly what it needed and making life much easier for the coaches, at least much easier than it would have been if the receives didn’t have one of their own to follow and look up to.

Without Carter, there would be significantly more uncertainty surrounding West Virginia’s receivers, possibly to an unmanageable level. Carter is already proving to be invaluable to WVU before he even plays in a game.

Of course, the Mountaineers need production from Carter more than anything. He caught 25 passes for 406 yards and two touchdowns in 2022 with North Carolina State. But WVU will now require Carter to increase those statistics for West Virginia to have a successful season.