Four West Virginia Football Takeaways From Neal Brown | Aug. 17

As fall camp is wrapping up for West Virginia football, head coach Neal Brown spoke to the media after practice on Tuesday to discuss what’s the plan for this week.

Team Will Continue To Be In ‘Camp Mode’ For The Next Week

For WVU, the fall semester starts on Wednesday. Technically camp ends on Tuesday as the team has practiced for the 11th time. For Brown and his staff, they plan on continuing to have camp-like practice for the next week as they finalize positions and depth charts.

“We start school here a little bit earlier than some people. We’re really trying to stay in camp mode up through the evening of the 24th, which will be very similar to what we did today,” Brown said. “School starts tomorrow, we’ll give them an off-day. We are staying in camp mode.”

Brown Plans On Giving Out A Few More Scholarships To Walk-On’s

On Tuesday, the WVU football program gifted a scholarship to walk-on DB Malachi Ruffin. Brown was asked if he plans on handing out more walk-on scholarships to play for the upcoming season.

“He [Ruffin] won’t be the only walk-on to be put on scholarship here in the next couple of weeks,” Brown said. “We are waiting for a couple of jobs to be earned. We have a really good walk-on program, I think that’s something that we didn’t create, it’s something that’s been here and it’s been a part of the tradition of West Virginia.”

True Freshmen Will Have Opportunity To Play This Season

Brown talked briefly about how many of the true freshmen from the talented class of 2021 will have many opportunities to play this season. Brown mentioned guys like Wyatt Milum (OL), Kaden Prather (WR), Davis Mallinger (S), Saint McLeod (S), Hammond Russell (DL), Justin Johnson (RB).

“Offensively, Wyatt Milum, he’s going to play. Kaden Prather, he’s going to play. Justin Johnson is going to have opportunities to play and those are at all positions where true freshmen are going to be—I wouldn’t say pressed—but they have an opportunity and we have a need,” Brown said.

There’s A True Competition For The Kicking Job

Last season, senior Evan Staley injured his leg against Kansas. For the rest of the 2020 season, Brown went with kickers Casey Legg and Tyler Sumpter. Sumpter, at the end of the season, was kicking and punting for the Mountaineers. Brown has talked about all three and their competition with each other the last week.

Brown mentioned last week that Staley was back at practice and kicking, as he prepares for his super-senior season with West Virginia. On Tuesday, Brown gave credit to Legg for his work all of camp and how well he is doing. Brown was also asked if Sumpter would do both kicking and punting and the third-year coach’s response was if Sumpter wins both positions, he will be participating in both kicking activities come game day.

“It’s very much one, it’s very much a competition, it really is. It’s kind of ebbs and flows, Brown said. “Casey’s [Legg] probably been the most consistent, really proud of him to be able to come back and string some days together with his knee and we talked about how difficult that was. Sumpter’s got a chance in that battle as well.”