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As spring practices are underway for West Virginia, the running back room is stacked with talent that could get West Virginia back on their feet for the 2022 season.
Right now, the WVU offense has four solid backs in rotation at practice. Redshirt junior Tony Mathis is returning for the 2022 season, as well as sophomore Justin Johnson Jr. In the offseason, the Mountaineers acquired Lyn-J Dixon, a transfer from Clemson, and added redshirt freshman Jaylen Anderson into the rotation.
Mathis had a notable 2021 season for the Mountaineers, averaging 4.3 yards per carry and adding depth at running back under Leddie Brown. In last year’s Guaranteed Rate Bowl, with Brown sitting out, Mathis had his first career start, rushing 56 yards with a touchdown.
Without Brown, head coach Neal Brown and offensive coordinator Graham Harrell will redesign an offense to utilize their talent in the run game.
Earlier this week, Brown recognized Mathis’ talent within the program and the impact he can have on the Mountaineers’ running game this upcoming season.
“This is the best room we’ve had, top-down talent wise,” said Brown. “I really like the leadership Tony Mathis is showing.”
In that room is another returning Mountaineer, Justin Johnson Jr. During his freshman season in 2021, Johnson averaged 3.8 yards per carry and was used on 77 offensive snaps for the Mountaineers.
Johnson is a versatile player, described as a “hard-nose runner” but also an effective pass-catcher in the backfield. Due to the versatility of the running back room, Coach Harrell made a statement that he plans to “get creative” with a potential two-back offense; Johnson could be a key factor to the Mountaineer offense with two running backs in the mix.
While it is no secret that the Mountaineers lost several valuable players in the off-season to the transfer portal, the offensive staff has acquired a few talented transfers to restructure their game plan.
Lyn-J Dixon signed with the Mountaineers last December and is projected to make an impact as a ball carrier for WVU. Dixon played four years at Clemson, rushing for a total of 1,420 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns during his career as a Tiger.
Dixon, a graduate transfer, has two years of eligibility at WVU.
“He can run, he’s fast,” said Brown, discussing Dixon’s abilities that led the Clemson Tigers to the National Championship in 2019.
Brown also spoke highly of Jaylen Anderson, a Redshirt Freshman who was among the team’s top recruits in 2021.
Anderson was ranked as the 12th best running back in the nation as a four-star recruit for the Mountaineers.
“Jalen Anderson is extremely talented,” Brown said. “He’s a natural runner, he looks effortless out there… he’s got high football intelligence.”
With Anderson in the mix, the running back room has immense talent and depth, something West Virginia needs following an underwhelming 2021 season. According to Brown, all four of the players in rotation have a chance to do something special for the Mountaineers.
After a successful start to spring practices, Harrell is optimistic about the backs and what they will bring to the game.
“For two days, for being in shorts and helmets, I think they’ve done a really good job,” Harrell said. “Every time they touched the ball something positive happened.”
The Mountaineers’ annual spring game is set for Saturday, April 23, at 1 p.m., at Milan Puskar Stadium, where the running backs will look to showcase their off-season efforts.
“They put their heads down and work,” said Harrell, “and because of that, I think they’re going to be really good.”
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