A Bumpy 2019 for the Mountaineers

Just like any fan of collegiate football, Menos Hiras has mixed feelings about how the West Virginia University (WVU) Mountaineers will do this year. On one hand, many are excited about the start of a new era with Coach Neal Brown, who was formerly with Troy. Brown is taking over the position left by Dana Holgorsen, who watched over the Mountaineers since 2011 until he left for the Houston Cougars. On the other hand, there’s the feeling of uncertainty that naturally comes when you’re dealing with something unfamiliar.

The change in coaches offers many things to get excited about. For one, Brown is known to use a different strategy from that employed by Holgorsen. The latter famously used the 3-3-5 defense during his time with the Mountaineers, while the former is expected to employ a more traditional four-man front defense strategy.

On a related note, it isn’t just Holgorsen who’s leaving this year. The Mountaineers are also losing some names from its roster. These include Yodny Cajuste, David Sills, Gary Jennings, David Long, and Will Grier, to name just a few. Grier’s absence has caused plenty of questions to pop up, the most major of which has to do with who his replacement quarterback will be.

There are several favorites for the position. One of them is Jack Allison, who transferred from the Miami Hurricanes in 2017. A redshirt during his time at the University of Miami (UM), he became a Mountaineer without having had the chance to throw a pass in a game. The other favorite is Austin Kendall, a transferee from Oklahoma. Kendall hails from the same field where the 2017 and 2018 Heisman holders, Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray respectively, once played.

The year 2019 has its ups and downs for the Mountaineers, that’s for sure. But Menos Hiras and other fans of the game will be watching and looking forward to any development.