MORGANTOWN - Most understand why West Virginia University's football team, even at 3-0, is still trying to become nationally relevant.
There are flaws to some extent, especially on the defensive side.
What's not easy to understand, however, is why Mountaineer receiver Shelton Gibson isn't getting more love on the national stage.
I mean, um ... hello? Is anyone out there paying attention?
This Gibson guy is good. As in really, really good.
"I was at a place [Baylor] last season that had a pretty good receiver that [Gibson] is moving up on now," said WVU receivers coach Tyron Carrier.
And that receiver would be?
"Corey Coleman," Carrier said. "Shelton has those qualities, the will to be a great receiver. That's hard to find."
Coleman was just the 15th pick of the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns and had two touchdowns against Baltimore before breaking his hand. Carrier coached the player in Waco before joining Dana Holgorsen's staff.
Gibson, of course, had a breakout season last year, but now he's putting on a show worthy of national attention. The redshirt junior is ranked No. 4 nationally in all-purpose yards and he's No. 9 in receiving yards per game.
"Shelton is great," Holgorsen said on Tuesday. "He can track the ball. He's got a different gear. That dude, as goofy as he is, can track the ball like I've never seen. And not only can he track it - I mean he catches it well over his shoulder - but then he always somehow finds another gear. He'll be running at a very high level fast and then all of a sudden you see another gear to get the ball. [He's] as good as I've had when it comes to that.
"[Against BYU] it was good to see him catch a couple balls underneath and make some things happen. That was something different out of him. He continues to get better."
Gibson, 6-foot, 198 pounds, had 144 yards receiving on just four receptions against the Cougars. He now has 354 yards on the season via 16 catches.
These days, Gibson isn't only a deep threat, but a consistent deep threat. It just took awhile - and a journey - for Gibson to reach this point.
"When I came out of high school, honestly, I was set on going to Ohio State so, so much," Gibson said. "Then I took my visit down here [to Morgantown] and flipped. I liked the experience down here; my mom liked it down here. My brother came with me too and he liked it a lot. So I started talking to Coach Holgorsen and we built a relationship."
Until that point, Gibson had mostly been recruited by WVU through now-Oklahoma assistant Bill Bedenbaugh and now-Southern Miss assistant Shannon Dawson.
Once at WVU, however, something happened to Gibson's confidence.
"I thought I was the worst," he said. "I thought I was the worst receiver we had on the team. Then I thought to myself, 'Nah, this isn't how it's going to be. I'm too skilled for this.' "
It wasn't easy.
"I felt like I'd lost it when I left high school," Gibson said. "Most players go through it, though, wondering if they'll get it back or not. My confidence is way higher now."
With good reason. Gibson is now over 1,300 yards receiving in his career. Yet he had to overcome those proverbial hurdles, including a redshirt year after being recruited as a four-star receiver. The man had offers from schools ranging from Auburn and Tennessee to Nebraska. Then he sat.
"When I walked past players and went in the stands on game days, it didn't even feel like I was a part of the team," Gibson said. "They didn't make me feel like that; it was just how I felt.
"Inside, I was like, 'Damn, I'm not even a part of this team.' But when I'd text Coach Holgorsen or call, he'd still answer his phone. That's building a relationship. He never threw me off."
And now Gibson has Carrier pushing him.
"Coach Carrier builds [confidence] into you," said the receiver. "He says, 'You can be a dawg. You can do it every week.' He builds confidence. He's definitely helped me. He doesn't want you to be average."
"He's improving," Carrier said of Gibson. "He's eager to learn the craft of playing receiver. He's getting better at it. His hands have improved a lot. He catches more balls in a day than he's probably ever caught in his life. The work ethic is there, but he still has a long way to go - even though he's playing really well right now."
Gibson's main attribute?
"He's fast," Carrier said. "I don't think that was ever a question. He can run past anybody."
Like a certain Browns receiver?
"Most definitely," chimed in fellow WVU receiver Daikiel Shorts, "not only physically and talent-wise, but Shelton is getting chippy out there. He's playing with a lot of confidence. That's good. It rubs off on others here."
And sooner or later, sports fans everywhere might take note.
Contact Mitch Vingle at 304-348-4827 or mitchvingle@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @MitchVingle.