Injuries can be bad for any team if the right player goes down. One good thing, if there is any good thing about an injury, is that if it happens early in the season, it gives other players a chance to step up. That will be the case for the Mountaineers after some news this morning.
It was announced today that sophomore cornerback Nana Kyeremeh, who played in all 13 games last season, would be having season ending shoulder surgery. Kyeremeh was expected to be the no. 2 corner behind Brodrick Jenkins, one of the few seniors in the secondary. Holgorsen stated that Kyeremeh’s shoulder was loose when he came into camp and that it “popped” during practice.
“He’ll redshirt and be back for spring practice, so he’ll have three years and be fine,” Holgorsen said of the injury.
With Kyeremeh now sidelined, someone will have to step up opposite of Jenkins. On the preseason depth chart, sophomore Ricky Rumph and redshirt-freshman Brandon Napoleon are after Jenkins and the injured Kyeremeh. Rumph played in 9 games last season, recording 9 total tackles and a fumble recovery. He played mainly on special teams while adding depth at the boundary corner position for the Mountaineers, but has been working with the safeties some in practice. Napoleon has yet to see the field, but he may see more action than expected soon.
After that, the position is a mystery, but one name may soon surface as a suitable replacement.
Travis Bell, who has spent his WVU career at safety, is in the midst of making the transition to cornerback.
Bell was supposed to produce last season but a shoulder injury forced him to use a medical redshirt. In 3 games last season, he recorded 9 tackles, 1 sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a pass breakup. Before the Maryland game, the game he was injured in, Bell racked up 6 tackles against James Madison. Mainly a special teams guy with Karl Joseph at free safety, the Mountaineers seem to have a plan for Bell and it may be put into action soon.
After Bell, there is Ishmael Banks and Terrell Chestnut who can impress the coaches for some playing time in Kyeremeh’s absence. The next few weeks with pads on will surely prove who is ready to take the next step and provide some relief for the Mountaineers.
