Is There Any Chance WVU Will Use Rodney Gallagher as Returner in 2024?

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – In addition to seeing time at nickel and still trying to work his way up the depth chart at wide receiver, is it possible there’s one more way Rodney Gallagher could make an impact for the Mountaineers? Is it possible he could also be used as a returner?

WVU head coach Neal Brown shut down the thought about using Gallagher as a returner in 2024 while speaking with the media on Wednesday.

“He’s probably a year away from that if we stay healthy,” said Brown, adding he likes what he’s seeing from Preston Fox and doesn’t want to add that responsibility to Gallagher’s plate right now.

WVU HC Neal Brown says “he’s probably a year away from that if we stay healthy” when asked about Rodney Gallagher as a returner.

— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) August 7, 2024

Of course, Brown acknowledged Gallagher has all the makings of a solid returner, but the plan is for that to be as a replacement for Fox in 2025. Brown even believes Fox will show he can be a returner in the NFL this season.

In 2023, Fox amassed 172 yards of returner yardage on kickoffs with an average of 21.5 yards per return. He added 145 yards on punts with an average of 8.1 yards per return. And even though Fox has yet to go the distance, Brown has said in the past that he looks at other metrics and where a returner usually sets up the offense when evaluating performance.

WVSN photo/Kelsie LeRose

Now back to Gallagher….

Also on Wednesday, Brown said he fully expects Gallagher to see time on both sides of the ball this coming season.

“He’s pushing to be a starter at receiver and he’s a guy we want to get him the ball. He’s also a guy that could potentially, if he stays, could give us some snaps at nickel,” said Brown during a press conference in April.

In an effort clear up any confusion about Brown’s “if he stays” comment, Gallagher said “two-way guy and no I’m not leaving” as his own response to the news.

The occasional snaps at nickel do not mean he’s fully changing positions, but does show an added incentive to figure out the best possible way to get Gallagher involved. Brown has been open about having reasonable expectations for Gallagher early in his college career due to his initial position change from most playing quarterback in high school.

West Virginia Giving Rodney Gallagher Snaps on Defense in Effort to Increase Opportunity

There’s still plenty of time for Gallagher to make an impact as a Mountaineer, but it may also be difficult to earn too many opportunities in the offense with the emergence of other young receivers like Traylon Ray and Hudson Clement last year and the addition of veteran transfer Jaden Bray this offseason. WVU wide receivers coach Bilal Marshall talked about where Gallagher stands as a receiver as he enters his sophomore season and what he expects from the four-star recruit moving forward.

Marshall said Gallagher is still not where he would like him to be as a route runner, but covers up a lot of his mistakes through effort. He called Rodney a “ball player” and said he likes to watch him work.

While discussing how Gallagher has been progressing this offseason, Marshall also added that the high school star quarterback turned college wide receiver has put on 10 pounds of muscle since he last appeared in a game.

Around this time last year, WVU fans were buzzing about one of region’s top recruits signing on with West Virginia. But while members of Mountaineer Nation did enjoy watching a freshman make plays, that receiver was Traylon Ray, not Gallagher.

Marshall and head coach Neal Brown are not worried about Gallagher’s 2023 season, both making it clear they knew a learning curve is necessary for any player when changing positions. However, their expectations for Gallagher in 2024 are now different. Brown even went as far as to say he plans to use Gallagher more in the passing game this fall.

At the start of the spring practice session, Brown was asked about year two for Gallagher. Brown explained Gallagher has worked really hard this off-season and is a much better true receiver now than he was at any point last year. He expects him to be more involved in the offense beyond gadget plays etc moving forward.

Rodney Gallagher, a product of nearby Western Pennsylvania based Laurel Highlands High School, made 10 catches for 74 yards as a receiver, being used on mostly gadget plays. Brown recently said he believes Gallagher can be a star by building his body and gaining more experience at the position.

For a related story, Neal Brown is excited about unleashing freshman wide receiver DayDay Farmer.