MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A year ago, West Virginia lost out on playing two if its three non-conference games and Big 12 champion Oklahoma as a result of the pandemic.
Presently, the Mountaineers have a full 12-game schedule in place for 2021 that includes three non-league contests and the plan to play in front of full-sized crowds.
Still, on the first day of his team’s preseason camp, West Virginia coach Neal Brown addressed where the program stands in regards to covid and what’s ahead for this season.
“It’s still alive and well unfortunately,” Brown said. “We’re still using a lot of precautions. Almost every staff member is vaccinated. A high percentage of our team is vaccinated, but not everyone. My preference would be for everyone to be vaccinated, but each individual has a choice and we don’t have 100 percent at this point.”
Brown referenced his team being “careful” and said those within the program who are unvaccinated will continue to wear a mask.
“Any time we have interior meetings, we’re social distancing,” Brown said. “We’re still taking it serious. With the Delta Variant continuing to grow nationwide and here in West Virginia, we’ll continue to proceed cautiously.”
There is an expectation that if a game cannot be played as scheduled due to covid, a team will have to forfeit rather than attempting to reschedule it.
At last month’s media days, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby encouraged athletes to get vaccinated, but recognized the inability to mandate it.
“It’s very shortsighted to not get vaccinated,” Bowlsby said. “Even if the Delta Variant weren’t around, it makes sense to get vaccinated.”
Brown, who has gone on record as saying he is vaccinated, is looking back to last season as it pertains to working around covid.
“We’ll have the same approach we did last year,” he said. “We have plans in place and it’s all about safety and wellness. If we have to adjust we will, but that’s how we’re carrying on right now.”
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Brown provided several injury updates in advance of his team’s second day of preseason camp, which will also include the program’s annual fan day Saturday.
“Mike O’Laughlin’s dealing with a minor injury. He’s out for right now; precautionary as much as anything,” Brown said. “Ja’Corey Hammett has an ACL injury that he’s still recovering from. He’s a ways away from being ready. He did that in his high school season last year. Naim Muhammad had offseason surgery and he’ll probably be out for a few more weeks.”
O’Laughlin is a redshirt junior tight end, Hammett a freshman bandit and Muhammad a redshirt sophomore cornerback.
There was plus news on the injury front as well, with Brown revealing senior kicker Evan Staley was a participant Friday nine months after suffering a season-ending injury on kickoff coverage.
Staley announced in December 2020 he would use the extra year of eligibility offered by the NCAA as a result of the pandemic.
“Our head athletic trainer Vince Blankenship really bragged on him,” Brown said. “As good of a rehab process as he’s ever seen and he’s been doing rehab and physical therapy for a long time. Proud and happy for Evan to come back. He’s a super senior. We put pressure on him today at the end of practice and he made the kick. Excited for him.”
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Every transfer and incoming freshman, sans four-star running back Jaylen Anderson, was on hand for the Mountaineers’ two practices on the opening day of camp.
Brown is unsure when Anderson, a highly regarded tailback from Perry High School in Ohio, will arrive in Morgantown, but expects it will happen.
“Jaylen Anderson is not here. Everybody else is here that you all have heard about being here. Not sure when Jaylen will arrive. We’re still hopeful that he will. Some (NCAA) Clearinghouse things going on, but he’s the only one who’s not here right now.”