WVU football position preview: Top tight ends Taylor and Davis look to expand their roles in West Virginia’s offense

MORGANTOWN – For the first time in a long time, a tight end played a crucial role in West Virginia’s passing game in 2023.

Kole Taylor, who transferred from LSU last summer, led the Mountaineers last season with 35 catches, finished third with 444 receiving yards and tied for the team lead with four touchdowns. Taylor single-handedly more than doubled his position’s output compared to the previous season, when three tight ends combined for just 16 catches and 153 yards with no touchdowns.

Now in his final season, Taylor’s goal is to continue his performance as a receiver while improving the more physical aspects of the position.

“Kole and I have a very individualized plan,” WVU tight ends coach Blaine Stewart said this spring. “I think the most important thing for him is to maximize his physical development as much as possible.”

Due to an injury, Taylor was limited in spring training, but it allowed him more time in the film room.

“We study what he did last year and we study what we want to bring to the next level,” Stewart said. “We study former tight ends who had success early in their NFL careers.”

Part of that early NFL success, Stewart said, is that he isn’t a one-dimensional tight end. The same is true for Taylor’s replacement, albeit in reverse.

While Taylor looks to add a blocking element to his passing game, senior Treylan Davis looks to add a passing element to his blocking skills.

Davis has caught just seven passes in 30 career games with the Mountaineers, and like Taylor, he’s looking to improve his game in his final season in Morgantown.

“The first thing I noticed after the bowl game was his physical development,” Stewart said of Davis. “If he’s going to take the next step, his body needs to be transformed, and that’s what he’s done. He hasn’t lost any weight, but his body fat has gone down.”

Taylor and Davis were WVU’s top tight end options last season, so there are some question marks behind them in the rankings.

Gregory Genross, a junior college transfer, was a late addition to the roster in the offseason, but the 6-foot-6 junior profiles as a capable receiver. He caught 26 balls for 265 yards and three touchdowns while at Dodge City Community College.

True freshman Jack Sammarco of Cincinnati, Ohio, caught the coaches’ eye with his early physicality as an early enrollee during spring camp. Will Dixon is entering his third year at WVU and coaches want him to take a step forward as a redshirt sophomore.

Also in the mix is ​​Noah Braham, a redshirt freshman and graduate of University High School.

“Will, Jack, Noah, they’ve made such great progress, even in just one year,” Davis said of the younger students. “Noah is coming in and taking on important roles, Jack Sammarco really impressed me as a young guy.”

Davis will also be WVU’s primary fullback if needed, although Stewart is excited about redshirt sophomore Colin McBee, another UHS graduate.

“Treylan will still have some fullbacks in his game, but Colin McBee has done a great job,” Stewart said. “He’s done a great job and really knows three positions. I think he’ll find a similar role to (former WVU fullback) Luke Hamilton.”

Projected depth chart

Close finish
Kole Taylor, Sr
Treylan Davis, R-Jr
Gregory Genross, Jr. (JUCO)
Jack Sammarco, Fr
Will Dixon, R-So
Noah Braham, R-Fr
Victor Wikstrom, R-Jr

Full-back
Colin McBee, R-So