Freshman Ben Cutter will start at linebacker for West Virginia on Thursday, and will most likely stay there for the remainder of the season.
“Ben Cutter will start and he’s earned that opportunity. He was playing a lot before. I’m really excited about his growth,” head coach Neal Brown said on Monday.
Cutter steps into a starting role after Trey Lathan sustained a season-ending injury. Before the injury, Cutter was starting to share playing time with Lathan at the MIKE position at linebacker.
“I think it comes from preparation every week and knowing it could always happen and staying ready no matter what,” Cutter said on his readiness to step into the game.
In high school, Cutter recorded 193 tackles to go along with two sacks, eight tackles for loss and four interceptions.
“In high school you could usually just run into people and they would get off you somehow. Knowing your techniques and always having to use them is definitely the biggest adjustment for me,” Cutter said.
Cutter arrived in January like a lot of other freshmen, and that extra time helped prepare him to play so early in the season.
“My last season, my senior year of high school I played at 213. That morning that I came in to West Virginia I weighed 205. I put on 20 pounds that month and I weigh 225 right now,” Cutter said. “I had plenty of time for the game to start slowing down for me so I feel like I was pretty prepared going out my first time.”
This season, Cutter has piled up 12 total tackles, including six against TCU. He also has one TFL on the season as well. For Cutter though, his role was already increasing prior to the Lathan injury, but now he’s ready to take on the duties of the starting spot.
“I think you have to stay in that mood because you never know when it’s going to happen,” Cutter said of his playing time. “You got to prepare every week like you are a starter so once you get in you’re ready.”
While Cutter’s physicality helps defend the run, he is still working on getting better in pass coverage.
“That was probably the toughest part,” Cutter said of pass coverage.
“I was downhill in high school, downhill linebacker, loved fitting the run and We didn’t really have too many coverage rules. Coming in here learning all the different things you have to see, all the different adjustments you have, different types of coverage you play, it was a huge adjustment for me. But coming in early, once again, helped me a lot for that and just adjusting to the game.”
Defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley has confidence in the young linebacker saying he plays the game the right way, but acknowledges there is still a learning curve with someone as young as him.
“The number one thing is Ben plays the game the right way,” Lesley said. “Plays fast, plays physical. Just like any freshman there’s going to be no matter when you start playing or how much you start playing, there’s always a learning curve. We just have to keep him in good situations, and good positions and Ben will be fine.”
