Kaden Prather Emerging as Favorite Target for WVU Offense

Bryce Ford-Wheaton is West Virginia’s number one receiver. That’s clear. He’s having a season that stacks up with the best receivers in the country. But it’s possible another receiver is emerging as quarterback JT Daniels’ favorite target.

Sophomore Kaden Prather has become a spark plug type player for the WVU offense. After only coming up two catches in the Backyard Brawl, a game Ford-Wheaton recorded 97 yards on 9 receptions, Prather has caught 6 balls in every game since. Prather had 6 for 79 yards against Kansas, 6 for 51 in the win over Towson and then 69 yards off 6 catches on Thursday night in Blacksburg.

In addition to getting his hands on the football often, Prather has shown an ability to extend plays well beyond the initial catch. He’s posted 10.5, 13.2, 8.5 and 11.5 as far as yards per catch through four games so far this season. Those numbers and three receptions going at least 20 yards and it makes sense why a veteran quarterback like Daniels would continue to have confidence in Prather.

It was a day of great grabs for WVU receivers, including this first quarter touchdown by Kaden Prather… pic.twitter.com/uAJlciLu0s

— Jed Drenning (@TheSignalCaller) September 18, 2022

Prather’s production may come as a surprise to some, simply for the fact that he only finished with 12 catches for 175 yards in 12 games played last season, granted he started in just four of them.

To be fair to the 2021 version of Prather, he was a freshman then and the Mountaineers offensive system was not what it is now. A player who wasn’t being relied on last season now definitely is, and will be utilized more and more in the coming games and years.

Ford-Wheaton is WVU’s best overall receiver, but he’s a senior and it’s looking like the program may have found its next WR1 once Ford-Wheaton is not leaves Morgantown.