West Virginia Mountaineers Wide Receiver Ivan McCartney Ready for Hard Work

“I know if I go in there with a good work ethic, I can be on the field the first day.”

It’s quotes like this that should give fans a good feeling about Ivan McCartney as a Mountaineer.

That’s because there is nothing that coach Bill Stewart appreciates more than a player who “works his tail off to get better.” And on the flip side, there is nothing Stewart despises as much as a player that wastes talent.

Just take the case of recent elite receiver recruits Logan Heastie and Deon Long. Both looked like the type of players who could make an instant impact at West Virginia. However, neither put in the type of effort expected of them and now their standing with the team is in major jeopardy.

You get the feeling from situations like these that Coach Stewart and his staff treat offseason workouts with the utmost importance. They want their guys in there, working as hard as they possibly can to become the best players possible. Anything less is unacceptable.

That could very well be the reason we saw Brandon Hogan and Ryan Clarke running stadium steps throughout Tuesday’s first spring practice instead of participating with the team. Their commitment to the offseason program was not what it needed to be. It seems the two players have found their way into Stewart’s doghouse early, and that is never a good place to be.

Hopefully McCartney and the rest of the young incoming players can look at scenarios like this and realize the type of commitment it takes to be a Mountaineer.

If Ivan can put in the time and the effort to get better, he has a chance to be a special talent at the collegiate level.

The 6‘1 receiver comes to WVU as one of the the most coveted wide receiver prospects in the entire country. As we’ve seen with Long and Heastie though, that all goes out the window once you put on the gold and blue.

Wide receivers coach Lonnie Galloway doesn't care how many stars you have next to your name or whatever hype you built up in high school. He only cares about one thing.

Producing.

The young receiver needs to come in this summer ready to work and ready to make sacrifices to get better. It’s a rarity that a freshman can join a team and become a star right away, which is something that some top recruits fail to realize and understand. It usually takes time to climb the ladder.

Nonetheless, if there ever were a player capable of making an impact right from the get-go, it’s McCartney.

Hailing from Miramar High School in talent-rich Broward County, Florida, Ivan comes to West Virginia looking to join up again with former teammate, quarterback Geno Smith. Together they hooked up for ten touchdowns in 2008 and helped lead Miramar all the way to the Florida Class 6A state semifinal. That season earned Smith All-American honors and helped put McCartney on the national recruiting map.

Many West Virginia faithful hope the two can match that kind of success in Morgantown.

The Mountaineers do have three potential studs at the receiver position already in Bradley Starks, Jock Sanders, and Tavon Austin.

Still, depth is surely needed. This is the final year for Jock Sanders and Austin looks to be Noel Devine’s eventual replacement at tailback. So if McCartney can come in and learn the nuances of the the offense right away, there should be a role and opportunity for him to get into the fray early on and gain experience.

You don’t find players of his caliber and ability level very frequently, so it should be very interesting to see what he can bring to the offense. With the size, speed, and route running ability that Ivan possesses it may be hard to keep him in waiting. If he can add 10-15 pounds of muscle, he could turn out to be a true all around threat in the passing game.

Judging from his signing day charades, McCartney is definitely a character. Being cousins with Chad Ochocinco could have a tendency to do that to a person. The type of personality and mindset that he brings with him up from Florida should go a long way into telling what type of player he’ll become.

Having a solid foundation of old teammates like Smith and Stedman Bailey should provide familiarity and help ease the transition.

Only time will tell how good Ivan McCartney can be. One thing is for sure, though. If he comes in with the right attitude and is ready to work and do everything the coaches ask of him, the sky could be the limit.