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08 April 2010
MORGANTOWN - As a general rule, you can probably disregard anything that follows a player or a coach saying, "If the season were to start tomorrow..." because rarely does the season start the next day.
There are exceptions, of course, and occasions when that must be taken into consideration. Sometimes it actually is said on the eve of the regular season. Other times it's just profound enough that it's not to be dismissed, which leads to West Virginia Coach Bill Stewart.
Tuesday afternoon, only moments after the first spring practice and, for all practical purposes, as far from the beginning of the regular season as possible, Stewart was sorting out depth at wide and slot receiver.
His words were spoken in worried tones, which isn't unusual for Stewart or any coach, but may prove to be if the crop of incoming freshman - Ivan McCartney, Quantavious Leslie, Dante Chambers and Avery Williams - can contribute.
Such is the state of the returnees, though, that on the first day Stewart had junior-to-be Bradley Starks playing one outside position - the Mountaineers call it X - in a green limited-participation jersey and rising sophomore Tavon Austin at the other (Z).
"If the season were to start tomorrow," Stewart said, "Bradley would be our X and Tavon would be our Z."
Starks is 6-foot-3 and a though a victim of numbers at his natural quarterback position when he arrived in 2007, his athleticism and basketball talent made a move to wide receiver natural. He started 10 of his 21 games the past two seasons and totaled 46 receptions for 573 yards and three touchdowns.
Austin, however, is 6 inches smaller and his only experience as a receiver after setting every rushing record worth setting in Baltimore high school football was 15 catches in 13 games as a true freshman last season.
"I'd rather be talented than tall," Austin said. "If you've got a big wide receiver out there and he can't get off the line or he doesn't have a special thing he can do, then he's not going to be able to get the ball. Just like if he catches a hitch and he can't run for a touchdown when he's got five yards of separation, it's kind of hard. The game is slower. We want to be faster."
Size doesn't matter much for the Mountaineers and Austin's abilities achieve the most important goal.
"He can get open and he can get the ball," Stewart said. "We'll always put the best 11 out there."
It's part of a very big spring for Austin. He's a backup slot receiver and the backup running back. If the Mountaineers need a short- or long-term fix for Noel Devine, Stewart said WVU will go with Austin rather than move Jock Sanders to tailback and elevate Austin at slot.
"That way we don't weaken two positions," Stewart said. "We know what Tavon can do."
So much so that Stewart has a plan for after Devine's graduation and said Austin will be the team's tailback next season "as long as he earns it."
Austin was twice Maryland's consensus state player of the year.
