WVU WR Coach Bilal Marshall Breaks Down Receiver Depth Chart

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – When Bilal Marshall returned to WVU to coach the wide receives, he knew he would have a group of players also new to the West Virginia offense. To Marshall, that put everyone on a clean slate throughout the offseason.

On Thursday, Marshall discussed the progress of each receiver to this point and how he sees them fitting in. This started with the highest profile player – veteran Devin Carter.

While Carter as the number one is a safe bet and has been assumed by most, Marshall is not up for handing anything to anyone. With that said, he, just like head coach Neal Brown has countless times already, raved about how much of a leader Carter has been for his younger teammates.

But despite possessing tons of natural talent and experience, Marshall knew there were things he wanted to fix in Carter’s game in order for him to truly be a top threat. “There are things we wanted to fix in his game and we’ve done that because he’s put the work in. He’s been a great leader. Made a lot of strides and will continue to make strides. I’m excited to see what he can do this year, 100%,” said Marshall about Carter.

Beyond Carter, receivers like Cortez Braham, the one mainstay from 2022, Noah Massey, EJ Horton, Preston Fox, Ja’Shaun Poke and even freshman Rodney Gallagher and Traylon Ray will all also be expected to contribute. How exactly each guy fits into the game plan is another story.

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“Right now may not be the same starters the whole way through, depends on who emerges in a game setting,” said Marshall about the death chart. He wants at least six different receivers contributing during games and is even willing to extend the number of options to as far as eight or nine throughout the season.

Marshall brought up liking what he’s seeing for the most part, especially the desire and ability of each receiver to block efficiently when needed. That does not mean he’s satisfied though.

“In the first scrimmage, we didn’t have the amount of explosive plays I would like. When the ball goes up in the air 20-30 yards down field, we are going to come down with it. It’s that simple.”

Marshall did bring up feeling confident that Braham can step up in a bigger role this season than he had last year. “He’s made a humongous jump this summer. From his work ethic, who he is as a person, who he is as a WR. It’s a different workload when you are a starter and he’s figured that out. He’s playing well.”

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Marshall used the analog that Fox is like a Honda Accord for being reliable and touched on Poke’s speed and hands offering the potential for big plays.

WVU WR Coach Bilal Marshall on Preston Fox: “He’s like a Honda Accord. He’s consistent and reliable. Won’t break down on you.” 🤣

— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) August 17, 2023

Braham talked about preferring the vibe of the 2023 group compared to 2022. It’s clear the tone of that vibe is being set by the fiery attitude of the man in charge – Bilal Marshall, who is already being recognized as one of the best young assistant coaches in the country.