After three years at Ohio State, linebacker Reid Carrico is adjusting to life in Morgantown, finding a refreshing change in both the environment and the football lifestyle.
“You come to Morgantown when you’ve been living in Columbus the last three years, there’s a big difference,” Carrico said. “There’s like a million, 1.5 million people that live in the Columbus area. And then here I don’t know, but it’s not that. But I’m from a small town, like there was 10,000 people in my town back home. So it’s kind of nice to go to a place where it’s a little slow-paced. I’m completely okay with that.”
Carrico’s move to WVU also meant adapting to a new defensive scheme.
“At Ohio State, we ran a four-down front with two true linebackers,” he explained. “Here, we play a 3-4, and sometimes we’re going three linebackers and a boundary guy, a rusher. I think I adjusted pretty well to it; I love football, so I looked at it as an opportunity to learn more.”
Beyond football, personal connections played a role in Carrico’s transfer and made the transition here a lot more welcoming.
“There is more players here from my area that I had already known that were had already been here for a couple years like Wyatt Milum, Treylan Davis, Bryce Biggs, Doug Nester, Graeson Malashevich. All of them, they were all from my general area,” he said. “When you got people that you already know, I was excited to play with guys that I’m familiar with.”
Carrico reflected on the differences between his time at Ohio State and WVU.
“Ohio State, there’s a little bit more glitz and glamour obviously. And this is probably this is more of a like developmental type of program where you got guys that it might take them one or two years,” Carrico said. You’re not getting these freak shows that are coming in and are ready to go right away physically. I’d say those are that’s probably the biggest differences.”
Despite the differences, Carrico emphasized that the sense of team camaraderie remains strong at his new school.
“As far as a culture standpoint and having a close team and team camaraderie here hasn’t been really any difference. And West Virginia we have a close team like we did at Ohio State, ” Carrico said. “That was appealing to me and that’s why I’m here.”
