WVU Preview 2011: Tavon Austin and Co. Get Ready to Light Up the Turf

If you would have told Tavon Austin as a senior tailback at Dunbar, MD, that in only three short years he would be in the running as one of the premier receivers in the nation, chances are he'd laugh right in your face.  What else could he do?  Coming out of high school, Austin was the Maryland record holder for career rushing yards and he was headed to Morgantown, a place that had more in common with sandy beaches than air-it-out passing attacks.  Of course, this was all before Dana Holgorsen popped up on the radar.

The Maryland rushing record still stands, however Tavon Austin has since traded one skill-set for another.  The now wideout or "H" receiver (Holgorsen's lingo, not mine) has certified himself as the face of what is expected to be a prolific Mountaineers passing attack.  While the question marks surrounding the receiving corps are many and warranted, Austin's ability as a receiver is affirmed.  

Tavon's 53 hauls for 787 yards weren't groundbreaking by any stretch, but considering he averaged 13.6 yards per grab in a Jeff Mullen offense, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Austin is capable of making a lot out of a little and that, when plugged into Holgorsen's all-out aerial assault, the results may well be phenomenal.  Austin could very well finish the season as one of the nation's premier offensive players.

Yet even Austin, and all the electricity he brings to the field, can't hope to power this offense all on his own and this, as they say, is where it gets interesting.  Aside from Austin, the Mountaineers receiving corps is indicative of a unit that is equal parts talented and unproven.  A few of Austin's brethren—Brad Starks, JD Woods and Stedman Bailey—have shown flashes of brilliance in spots.  

Yet the talent the Mountaineers possess across the board should by rights produce more than just incremental success on the field, and unlike Jeff Mullen's offense which seemed devoted to mediocrity, Holgorsen's scheme, by comparison, is a riot act.  But any scheme, no matter how lauded, is only as good as the men out on the field.  

Starks, coming off shoulder surgery is the looked-to veteran out wide.  If he's ever meant to use his 6'4" frame to intimidate smaller defenders on the perimeter, then now is the time to do it. With his size and speed he should be able to provide a veritable yin to Austin's yang.  There are a handful of other seniors as well—Tyler Urban, Willie Millhouse and Wake Forest transfer Devon Brown round out the senior receiving corp.

Willie Millhouse is a walk-on who has grabbed a good deal of attention lately but will have to fight hard to keep Brad Starks from reclaiming his starting spot.  Tyler Urban, meanwhile, is a converted tight end and finds himself now manning the slot receiving spot or "Y."  During his stay in Morgantown, Urban has never factored greatly in the Mountaineer's scheme.  This year, however, Urban will watch his stock grow dramatically. 

Holgorsen will be getting the ball to Urban a good deal this year as his size and strength at the inside spot makes him an unorthodox yet efficient target.  Think power pass game in lieu of a power run game—Urban's presence off the line will challenge a lot of more traditional defensive sets to (literally) think outside the box in terms of coverage.  

Then there's Devon Brown, the Wake Forest transfer, listed right behind Urban on the depth chart.  Brown will remind a lot of fans of Darius Reynaud both in his build and his explosive ability.  At Wake Forest he was a big time threat out wide and unfortunately he was a fixture in an offense that took a turn for the worst and ended up at the bottom of the ACC.  Luckily, he set his sights on Morgantown.  Under Holgorsen's watch, Brown has the skill set to absolutely shred through defensive secondaries and give Tyler Urban a big run for his money at the "Y" spot.  If there's an ace in the hole this season for Dana Holgorsen, it's Devon Brown.  

It's also worth mentioning Ryan Nehlen, the grandson of former Mountaineer coaching great Don Nehlen.  Nehlen has popped up on the radar as of late as the hardest worker in both Spring and Summer camp, a fact that both Dana Holgorsen and receiver's coach Shannon Dawson have mentioned with some regularity.  As a walk-on junior, Nehlen is earning his keep, regardless of his surname.  While his star likely won't shine as bright as say, Austin's or Bailey's, he will be a frequent contributor and make an even bigger impact as a hard worker.  

With everyone riding the same learning curve, youngsters like Ivan McCartney, Dante Campbell and KJ  Myers will have a legitimate shot at making plays in 2011-2012.  You'll notice I lumped McCartney in with the freshman and there's a reason for this: McCartney's freshman season fell far short of what most people had expected from him.  Blame him if you must, but honestly Jeff Mullen's offense is a dead horse that I don't mind kicking again and again.  McCartney has the raw athleticism and size to become a great wide receiver but he is in need of some fine tuning before his full potential can be realized. 

With Holgorsen calling the shots this year, watch for McCartney to make up for a sub-par freshman outing.  With McCartney, these three make up a triumvirate of big, rangy Florida receivers who could take the Big East by storm and further strengthen the already well established pipeline from Florida to West Virginia.  

So that's a decent overview of the individual pieces at the receiver position.  But what is the sum?  Holgorsen's system won't win games all by itself and the word "potential" has become migraine inducing in Morgantown. 

So, to spare you all a good deal of grief I won't say that West Virginia's passing game is riding on the potential of its receiving corp, rather it is simply a matter of desire.  Tavon Austin needs to understand his effort and his triumphs this year will trickle down to his fellow receivers.  The promises and the fruitful predictions tied to Holgorsen's arrival need to be as peripheral as possible. This offense doesn't allow for much outside of one's position anyway. 

Holgorsen wants each player to focus on their duties at that single position and nothing else. So, if that is the case, then how can there be any additional room for bold predictions and puffed-up debate over championships and such?  Holgorsen forms a microcosm around each of his players in which only one thing exists: the need to do the best job that one can. 

The predictions and debate can be left to us, then.  The players in camp Holgorsen have far more pressing things to worry about, like bringing this heralded offense to life.  If nothing else, this season will prove more interesting than perhaps any season prior in Mountaineer history.  Will Holgorsen paint the sky and scorch and blue and gold path to the coaches trophy in his first year? 

Who knows. 

All we can hope for is that each player can learn to rule his own little universe in Holgorsen's offense with an iron fist.  For Tavon Austin and the rest of the Mountaineer receivers, that means finding a little bit of grass and owning it. That and whoever happens to be there when they catch the ball.  If they can manage that, there will be no bit of sky over Morgantown, WV left unscorched.