West Virginia
Mountaineers

"It's Jarrett Brown's team," head coach Bill Stewart proclaimed. "He is special. All he's ever done is win."

Called on twice in the past to play for an injured White, once when he was so injured he could barely throw, he produced a pair of victories.

The confidence that built in Brown grew greatly as WVU discovered a number of dangerous wide receivers in the spring while Jock Sanders was serving a suspension for breaking team rules. Wes Lyons, Alric Arnett and Bradley Starks give a new look to the wide receiver position with size and speed.

Adding to the confidence is the return of senior middle linebacker Reed Williams. The team's leading tackler two years ago, Williams did not recover from shoulder surgery last year and after trying to play took a medical redshirt. His return as both a tackler and leader were crucial to a young, growing defense.

"We got a lot accomplished (in the spring) but we still have a long way to go to be a good football team," Stewart said.

--Highly touted guard Josh Jenkins, who was injured in last season's fifth game, earned the starting spot at left guard and could be the best offensive lineman the Mountaineers have this season.

--Cornerback Keith Tandy may go into camp as the cornerback opposite Brandon Hogan. The Louisville native came on strongly toward the end of the spring, worked with the No. 1s in the spring game, and showed himself to be a hard hitter as well as cover corner.

SPRING MOVERS:

QB Jarrett Brown -- All eyes were on Brown throughout the spring as he had to prove himself capable as Patrick White's successor. He's waited four years to get the starting job and showed himself to be a strong-armed passer and a deceivingly good runner. As long as he doesn't try to become another Patrick White, he should have success. Brown completed his first 15 passes and 21 of 28 for 274 yards and four touchdowns in the spring game.

WR Wes Lyons -- At 6-foot-8, he has always been under the microscope but has never really lived up to expectations due to injuries. This spring, Lyons was the sensation of camp, catching nearly everything thrown his way and working himself free in the secondary. Lyons had a huge spring game with six receptions for 118 yards and two TDs.

FB Ryan Clarke -- A big disappointment last year when he failed to adjust to college life and battled grades, Clarke came into the spring charged up to prove himself the player they hoped he was. A 240-pound fullback, Clarke could help solve short-yardage problems that plagued the team last year.

MLB Reed Williams -- The 2007 leading tackler on the team missed most of last year after surgery on both shoulders and added a new dimension to the defense. Smart and fast, Williams is the leader of the defensive unit.

CB Brandon Hogan -- Missed the bowl game after being hospitalized with personal problems last year but came back and played the position strongly in the spring game. A former offensive player, Hogan has good ball skills and is improving in his coverage. He's also a sure tackler.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We have driven these guys and I've done that for a reason. I'm tired of noon games and I'm tired of the Mountaineers not being able to wake up and play at noon. So we're going to do things at 6 a.m. and they are going to learn if it's midnight, 6 a.m. or four in the afternoon -- when you have the chance to drop the gloves, it's time to drop the gloves. You put on the Old Gold and Blue and play football." -- Coach Bill Stewart, on one of the reasons why he had 6 a.m. practices this spring.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: That power running spread that Rich Rodriguez ran is a thing of the past. The Mountaineers are committed to throwing the football as Jarrett Brown replaces White at quarterback, armed with a number of dangerous receivers including 6-foot-8 Wes Lyons, part-time QB and WR Bradley Starks, WR Alric Arnett, prized newcomer Logan Heastie and Jock Sanders, who will be back at slotback if he meets certain conditions after being suspended this spring. RB Noel Devine rushed for more than 1,200 yards as a sophomore and offers a breakaway threat in the running game while FB Ryan Clarke stepped forward in the spring and will be used on short-yardage situations. A newly rebuilt offensive line had a tough spring and faces a tough summer camp.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The defense is the strength of this year's Mountaineers team, loaded with speed and hard hitters. The return for a sixth year by MLB Reed Williams after a medical redshirt gives it experience and leadership. Williams led the team in tackles two years ago. He is joined by playmaking linebacker J.T. Thomas as the featured players. Defensive linemen Chris Neild and Scooter Berry both have all-conference potential and the safeties are strong with Robert Sands and Charles Glover. The team will play more man-to-man this year as it wants to blitz a lot.

SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS: The Mountaineers lost Pat McAfee, the nation's No. 2 punter and a solid placekicker and kickoff man, and will replace him with Scott Kozlowski on punts and Tyler Bitancurt as a placekicker. The punting is in good hands while the Mountaineers are hoping Bitancurt develops. Last year, kickoff return defense killed the Mountaineers as they ranked near the bottom of Division I by giving up 28 yards a return. That was featured this spring. The kick returners could come from freshmen, although the likes of Noel Devine, Jock Sanders and Brandon Hogan also could return kicks and punts.

ROSTER REPORT:

--SB Jock Sanders, the leading receiver on the team last year, missed the entire spring under suspension after a pre-spring DUI arrest, his second arrest in a year. The suspension is indefinite but he has not been dismissed from the team and will return for camp if he meets certain standards.

--S Sidney Glover, a starter much of last year and one of the team's hardest hitters, missed much of the spring with an ankle and groin injury. He is expected back.

--The most successful experiment of the spring turned out to be moving 6-5 S Robert Sands, who won a starting job as a true freshman, to the bandit position, where he was able to do more hitting and blitzing.

--A second successful position change had to do with 6-8 WR Wes Lyons, who added slot to his wide receiver duties. He will be a tough cover in the middle of the field if he plays much there this season.

--DE Will Clarke, who had signed with Pitt, changed his mind and committed to WVU. He is the first player from Allderdice High near Pittsburgh to sign a Division I scholarship since the Panthers signed RB Curtis Martin.

--OT Don Barclay was the only injury of note to come out of the spring game, carted off the field with an injury below the knee. There has been no update on the severity of the injury.

--LB J.T. Thomas missed the spring game due to a minor ankle sprain.