Once again, another coach will be in hopes that Rushel Shell will come through and bring a Championship to WVU as Coach Holgrosen promised could happen in 2015?
I was very disappointed when Shell caused his own problems and doubts at Pitt, then attempted to bring them back, and went all over the country until he ended up at WVU? I always hoped the best for Shell in that endeavor and we shall see if he can live up to their expectations?
However, it is refreshing and far more hopeful that Pitt can depend on James Conners the ACC Player Of The Year in 2014 will be running his usual dependable and reliable abilities and will not be focused on Defense under Coach Pat & Staff and just concentrate on Running his butt off for Pitt!
ARTICLE (MY COMMENT) & LINK:
WVU Coaches Hope RB Shell Embraces Feature Back Mentality!
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Rushel Shell arrived at West Virginia in summer 2013 as a question mark after unceremoniously leaving Pitt. He enters spring practices beginning Sunday in Morgantown with an opportunity to assert himself as "the man" in the Mountaineers' backfield.
Shell, a junior and 2012 Hopewell graduate, emerged as the most productive choice among West Virginia's sizable collection of running backs last season and finished with a team-high 788 yards and seven rushing touchdowns despite seeing his playing time dwindle late in the season as he recovered from a high-ankle sprain.
The departure of NFL-bound receivers, underutilized running backs and a starting quarterback leaves West Virginia with plenty of decisions to make about its depth chart during spring ball. Coach Dana Holgorsen and his staff hope Shell is a sure thing, lest they find themselves with more uncertainties when fall draws near.
"He needs to continue to get in as good as shape as he possibly can and develop the mentality that he is the man," Holgorsen said of Shell, who was not made available to the media. "Going into spring last year, he wasn't the man, and he made his mark in camp. He should be more confident and more dominating because he's in better shape."
Shell and junior Wendell Smallwood paced the Mountaineers' rushing attack a season ago, combining for 324 carries for 1,510 yards and nine touchdowns and 52 receptions for 466 yards. Their supporting cast included Dreamius Smith (80 carries for 451 yards, five touchdowns), Andrew Buie (55-232, two TDs) and Dustin Garrison (20-92). Smith graduated. Buie and Garrison, both fifth-year seniors, chose to leave the program rather than use their final year of eligibility.
Holgorsen identified redshirt freshman Donte Thomas-Williams as a promising up-and-comer at running back, but he acknowledged that depth often becomes a blessing and a curse."You have to struggle with having the fourth and fifth guys not being very happy because there's not enough carries to go around," Holgorsen said. A strong spring and summer from Shell might convince the coaches there's less need to split carries so many ways. More familiarity with West Virginia's shotgun-based spread should help Shell make his case.
"From high school to Pitt, it was downhill, downhill," running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider said of the schemes Shell followed. "I think a year or two (at West Virginia) is going to help. And I also know having Wendell (Smallwood) right next to him is going to help, too, because (Shell) can't relax because that kid is pretty good, too. "I expect both of them to be leaders. We're trying to force that now, and they're doing a great job with it. I told them: All eyes are going to be in the backfield this year with (receivers) Kevin White and Mario (Alford) gone."
Stylistically, Smallwood made his name as more of a speedster, and Shell served as the power-oriented complement. Seider suspects more of Shell's speed to emerge as he commits less energy to actively processing his way through each play. "I think now he can trust himself in the system," Seider said. "He doesn't have to think about feeling his way through a crack. He can just hit it.
"He's very comparable to a Marshawn Lynch (ALSO JUST AS TEMPERMENTAL WISE) with the way he has run. … Most people fear him because he can run right over you, and we have that on film now. So he needs to carry that into every game and put the defense on its heels."
Bill West is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at wwest@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BWest_Trib.
http://triblive.com/sports/college/wvu/7941947-74/shell-west-virginia#ixzz3UTdStpaB
This post was edited on 3/15 1:53 PM by CaptainSidneyReilly
I was very disappointed when Shell caused his own problems and doubts at Pitt, then attempted to bring them back, and went all over the country until he ended up at WVU? I always hoped the best for Shell in that endeavor and we shall see if he can live up to their expectations?
However, it is refreshing and far more hopeful that Pitt can depend on James Conners the ACC Player Of The Year in 2014 will be running his usual dependable and reliable abilities and will not be focused on Defense under Coach Pat & Staff and just concentrate on Running his butt off for Pitt!
ARTICLE (MY COMMENT) & LINK:
WVU Coaches Hope RB Shell Embraces Feature Back Mentality!
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Rushel Shell arrived at West Virginia in summer 2013 as a question mark after unceremoniously leaving Pitt. He enters spring practices beginning Sunday in Morgantown with an opportunity to assert himself as "the man" in the Mountaineers' backfield.
Shell, a junior and 2012 Hopewell graduate, emerged as the most productive choice among West Virginia's sizable collection of running backs last season and finished with a team-high 788 yards and seven rushing touchdowns despite seeing his playing time dwindle late in the season as he recovered from a high-ankle sprain.
The departure of NFL-bound receivers, underutilized running backs and a starting quarterback leaves West Virginia with plenty of decisions to make about its depth chart during spring ball. Coach Dana Holgorsen and his staff hope Shell is a sure thing, lest they find themselves with more uncertainties when fall draws near.
"He needs to continue to get in as good as shape as he possibly can and develop the mentality that he is the man," Holgorsen said of Shell, who was not made available to the media. "Going into spring last year, he wasn't the man, and he made his mark in camp. He should be more confident and more dominating because he's in better shape."
Shell and junior Wendell Smallwood paced the Mountaineers' rushing attack a season ago, combining for 324 carries for 1,510 yards and nine touchdowns and 52 receptions for 466 yards. Their supporting cast included Dreamius Smith (80 carries for 451 yards, five touchdowns), Andrew Buie (55-232, two TDs) and Dustin Garrison (20-92). Smith graduated. Buie and Garrison, both fifth-year seniors, chose to leave the program rather than use their final year of eligibility.
Holgorsen identified redshirt freshman Donte Thomas-Williams as a promising up-and-comer at running back, but he acknowledged that depth often becomes a blessing and a curse."You have to struggle with having the fourth and fifth guys not being very happy because there's not enough carries to go around," Holgorsen said. A strong spring and summer from Shell might convince the coaches there's less need to split carries so many ways. More familiarity with West Virginia's shotgun-based spread should help Shell make his case.
"From high school to Pitt, it was downhill, downhill," running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider said of the schemes Shell followed. "I think a year or two (at West Virginia) is going to help. And I also know having Wendell (Smallwood) right next to him is going to help, too, because (Shell) can't relax because that kid is pretty good, too. "I expect both of them to be leaders. We're trying to force that now, and they're doing a great job with it. I told them: All eyes are going to be in the backfield this year with (receivers) Kevin White and Mario (Alford) gone."
Stylistically, Smallwood made his name as more of a speedster, and Shell served as the power-oriented complement. Seider suspects more of Shell's speed to emerge as he commits less energy to actively processing his way through each play. "I think now he can trust himself in the system," Seider said. "He doesn't have to think about feeling his way through a crack. He can just hit it.
"He's very comparable to a Marshawn Lynch (ALSO JUST AS TEMPERMENTAL WISE) with the way he has run. … Most people fear him because he can run right over you, and we have that on film now. So he needs to carry that into every game and put the defense on its heels."
Bill West is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at wwest@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BWest_Trib.
http://triblive.com/sports/college/wvu/7941947-74/shell-west-virginia#ixzz3UTdStpaB
This post was edited on 3/15 1:53 PM by CaptainSidneyReilly
