Despite roster changes and a new Big 12 landscape since their 9-4 campaign last season, the West Virginia Mountaineers are not planning on slowing down, at least not if senior quarterback Garrett Greene has anything to say about it.
Greene spoke on ESPNU at Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday following a press conference from head coach Neal Brown. In his short interview, Greene discussed the Mountaineers’ trouble spots from last season, but he emphasized the points of confidence on his roster, starting with the offensive line.
“We relied heavily on our offensive line last year; we’re looking forward to doing it the same,” Greene said.
Wyatt Milum, a fellow senior joining Greene in Las Vegas at Media Days, earned a special praise of confidence in the quarterback’s interview. Greene called Milum the anchor of the offensive line as well as the best tackle in the country, leaving no room for discussion of offensive line regression after the departure of Pittsburgh Steelers rookie center Zach Frazier.
“I know he’s going to be a day one pick next year,” Greene said of Milum.
Greene’s enthusiasm about Milum blocking for him comes partially from a shared mindset between the two. That mindset, Greene says, has begun spreading across the team during practices and training camp.
Along with confidence in Milum, the offensive line, and the shared mindset of WVU players, Greene is also ready to show his own growth from last season, propelled in part from training at the Manning Passing Academy, where he stood out to end June.
Greene shared in his interview that his training targets personal weaknesses, and he likes where it has taken him in certain areas.
“The big (weakness) was the short intermediate throws,” Greene said. “Really the last two or three months, you know working a lot with David Morris down at QB Country, really honing in on my feet and kind of the small mechanics that lead to big jumps in that.”
Regardless of the confidence Greene has in himself and the Mountaineers, he still took time in the interview to recognize the competition in other parts of college football, much of which he saw at the Manning Passing Academy this June. Greene specifically called out Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht, showing enthusiasm to compete against the sophomore.
“Rocco can really play, and I know they come to town in October, so I’m looking forward to going against him,” Greene said.
Big 12 Media Days wraps up Wednesday as the Mountaineers look on to the fall, when they will take on Penn State to start the season on August 31 in Morgantown.
Photo by Aaron Parker, Blue Gold Sports
