Some of what I gleaned from and around WVU's pre-spring football press conference this week:
n The Mountaineers will not be traveling around the Mountain State during spring drills as they have of late.
You might remember the old cries that WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen was detached from the Mountaineer fan base. Seemingly in response to that, West Virginia's team hit the road, first visiting Wheeling and Charleston one spring and then the Eastern Panhandle and Greenbrier the next.
Well, on Wednesday, Holgorsen made it clear his team would stay in Morgantown for most of spring drills. The exception will be a jaunt to The Greenbrier for a practice and the spring game. Formal arrangements haven't been released for that.
n WVU will obviously be using a tight end or H-back more extensively this coming season. Holgorsen spoke of new offensive coordinator Joe Wickline working with the "hybrid guys" and "putting his spin on it."
He later said Jon Lewis was moving from defensive line to tight end. WVU already has Michigan transfer Mike Ferns there as well as Morgantown native Stone Wolfley. Junior college transfer Trevon Wesco will be there.
What I'm hearing is WVU would like to develop an H-back as the New England Patriots once did with Aaron Hernandez before that was ripped completely apart. Ferns, 6-foot-3, 242 pounds, would be the leader to step into the role. Word is he ran a 4.62 40-yard dash the other day.
The idea is to create mismatches and stretch the field, and it's a terrific idea. Mountaineer teams in the past have been burned by tight ends. The problem is, if you're going to put in sets, you'd better have more than one such player. Thus, the moves.
Is Wolfley, a 6-4, 247-pound redshirt freshman, mature enough to fill the role? And what about Wesco? He's 6-5, but I'm hearing weight has become an issue.
It'll certainly be interesting to watch.
n While on the name of Ferns, I asked WVU defensive coordinator Tony Gibson which position four-star recruit Brendan Ferns would play within the Mountaineer scheme. I've been hearing weak-side linebacker.
"Either Sam [strong-side] or Will [weak-side]," Gibson confirmed. "He'll be on the outside."
It's obvious the younger Ferns will have to play right away. Gibson has Xavier Preston and Justin Arndt at Sam, Hodari Christian and Al Benton in the middle and Sean Walters and David Long at Will.
That's not exactly an all-star lineup. The coordinator expressed some level of discomfort playing Christian and Preston at this point. Whispers are the latter may have to miss a game in the name of discipline. Also, incoming freshmen Zach Sandwisch and Adam Hensley are coming off shoulder injuries.
n It seems North Carolina product Donte Thomas-Williams had better wake up if he wishes to play running back for WVU.
When Thomas-Williams hit Morgantown, he was among the nation's top 15 backs, according to 247Sports. Hopes were high. Now, though, he's a redshirt sophomore. Rushel Shell is projected to start. And junior college signee Justin Crawford just might be the backup.
"It's now or never for [Thomas-Williams]," said running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider. "At some point it's got to be on the individual, not the coach. I mean, we have three kids coming in this year. We're not going to sit and wait for somebody to develop and take the next step. My job is to make sure these three have the same opportunity to help us win."
If that's not a warning, I don't know what is.
n And finally ...
If you like to watch the trenches, check out 6-7, 295-pound offensive tackle Colton McKivitz. He's a redshirt freshman, and line coach Ron Crook absolutely beams when talking about the Ohio product.
"He's developing strength and confidence," Crook said. "We really like his athleticism at the [right tackle] spot. He was the scout team player of the year last season. Expect big things from him at some point. Hopefully, though, we won't need it this year."
Marcell Lazard is the projected starter there as of now.