Thinking Out Loud: 14 Free Games Of Jarret Doege?!

Jarret Doege and the West Virginia Mountaineers have to be counting their lucky stars. In 2019, when Doege transferred from Bowling Green, the NCAA’s proposal for allowing eligible players to play up to four games while still maintaining their redshirt was brand new. This meant that Doege was able to play in 3.25 games for the Mountaineers and maintain his junior status. This year, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, all NCAA players have been granted a free year of eligibility and the Mountaineers schedule will guarantee* (if all the games are played) them 10 games this season, with a Big 12 Championship and bowl game extras to possibly be included. Think what this means for the Mountaineers.

For the Mountaineers to do the extraordinary, they need extraordinary measures. They need a quarterback who is a difference maker, who is a senior and who has started for at least two seasons to be at the helm. He needs to be surrounded by playmakers who have been playing with him for a couple of seasons. This is exactly the scenario that is unfolding for West Virginia.

Not only could the Mountaineers get 14 free games of Doege before he begins to burn his junior eligibility, but he gets the opportunity to potentially play with wide receivers Sam James, Sam Brown, Bryce Ford-Wheaton, TJ Simmons, Winston Wright Jr. and Reese Smith. All of these receivers, other than Brown, played with Doege last year and now get a free year to build chemistry, timing and understanding of the offense before their NCAA clocks begin ticking again.

While most of the receivers are young, Doege is not. He came to West Virignia has a true junior, expecting to redshirt. He technically did but he was able to win the starting position and play in the final three games of the year. Now he gets another free year to develop before potentially playing another two years. Doege could play in 40 games for the Mountaineers by the time everything is said and done. What could we do in those 40 games?