WVU’s prize recruit may be leaving
MORGANTOWN – It’s a safe bet that Bill Stewart never thought he would utter the words “facebook” or “twitter” when he began his football coaching career in 1974. Now in his third year at the helm of West Virginia University’s football program, Stewart has the unenviable task of adding those words to his vocabulary.
In fact, on Monday it was via facebook that Stewart – and the rest of the world – found out prize quarterback recruit Jeremy Johnson might be leaving the program.
Johnson, a 6-foot-2 signal caller from Kountze Texas, was expected to compete for the backup quarterback position with fellow freshman Barry Brunetti. However, on Monday Johnson revealed via the social networking web site that he was transferring to Baylor.
That post to the site was later moved. On Tuesday, Stewart admitted that there was no decision on Johnson’s future with WVU.
Stewart did say that Johnson was “homesick” but no decision had been made.
The loss of Johnson could clear up the quarterback position for the Mountaineers. Sophomore Geno Smith, who played five games last season, is slated to be the starter this season while Brunetti or Johnson was supposed to be the backup.
If Johnson leaves, Brunetti will be the backup and then Coley White – brother of former standout Pat White – or Bradley Starks will be the No. 3 quarterback. Both Coley White and Starks are now playing wide receiver for WVU but came to campus as quarterbacks.
Meanwhile, the Mountaineers are still preparing for the 2010 campaign. On Tuesday, Stewart had his team in practice twice.
In fact, it is one of just four two-a-days for the Mountaineers during this camp.
“I remember when they were all two-a-days,” Stewart said. “We had a good crisp practice this morning and got some good work in.”
The Mountaineers worked on blitz schemes on both offense and defense in the morning and were scheduled for just helmets and shoulder pads in the evening.
WVU opens the season on Sept. 4 when it hosts Coastal Carolina.
By now, the entire playbook has been installed for the Mountaineers.
Stewart said in the past, the playbook was installed little by little. Now, the entire book is thrown at the players at the beginning of camp.
“The old school was to break everyone in easily,” Stewart said during his Tuesday press conference. “Now, we believe the right thing to do is get everything in right away. The first five days we install everything and then go over all of it in segments.”