This is an interesting development. Geno's foot problem sounds a bit like the one I'm getting over after 3 years, 3 breaks, and finally surgery. I hope not. That would be devastating to his football career at this point in time. But these things do happen...

The Charleston Daily Mail Wrote:WVU's Geno Smith will miss spring practice
by Mike Casazza
Daily Mail sports writer
Thursday March 4, 2010

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia plans on conducting spring practice without the full services of expected starting quarterback Geno Smith. Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Jeff Mullen said Wednesday he thinks the rising sophomore from Miramar, Fla., will be limited by his broken left foot and able only to participate in skeleton drills.

Smith was injured during a routine conditioning drill late in January and was initially supposed to miss six weeks. Spring practice begins April 6.

"It's a big, big deal and it certainly affects how we call plays in the spring, it certainly affects the drills we run and it certainly affects Geno Smith in the long run in terms of his ability to grow and mature," Mullen said.

Smith intended to enroll in January 2009 and then participate in the subsequent spring practice, but he couldn't sort out transcript issues in time. He broke a bone in the same foot in an off-the-field accident last summer and was limited throughout preseason camp, but ultimately played in five games, including virtually all of the victory against Marshall and the final play of the first half and the entire second half of the Gator Bowl loss to Florida State.

He completed 32 of 49 passes for 309 yards and a touchdown and was commonly thought to be the one to inherit Jarrett Brown's starting spot and be Mullen's third quarterback in as many seasons as part of the WVU staff.

Coach Bill Stewart said Smith has continued to throw during his recovery and is keeping his mechanics in tune while throwing from a chair. He said the plan is to "do with him as much as he can medically tolerate," but said Smith "won't be running the option."

The only other scholarship quarterback on the roaster is Coley White, a rising redshirt sophomore who played only at the end of the Marshall game last year.

The Mountaineers welcome true freshmen Barry Brunetti and Jeremy Johnson in preseason camp and Mullen said the thinking has already shifted to if, when and how those players would be used.

Mullen said not only are Brunetti and Johnson on the depth chart in his office, but "they'd be in the top-three by default, they'd be on the bus by default, they'd be on the plane by default and either the guy or one rep away from being the guy and having absolutely no clue what we're doing on offense."

Mullen said he's maintained regular contact with Johnson and Brunetti and both have playbooks to study before they arrive. Mullen said Brunetti will spend a week on campus twice before he arrives. "Really our top three quarterbacks - and I don't mean anything negative toward Coley - but realistically, our top three quarterbacks or our top two quarterbacks or at least our top one are not going to participate in spring practice," Mullen said.

* * *

THE MOUNTAINEERS may also be without receiver Logan Heastie for spring practice. Heastie, who enrolled in January 2009 but did not play in his first season, hasn't been seen since leaving after a subpar workout last month, Stewart said.

Heastie is on the team roster, but is not included in the pre-spring depth chart and is figuring out if he wants to continue playing football and if he'll do so at WVU.

"He's not in any trouble," Stewart said. "He's not done anything wrong. It's not school related. It's him related."

Heastie, a 6-2, 195-pound native of Chesapeake, Va., played in the ESPN Under Armour All-American Game and was USA Today second team All-American after catching 58 passes for 886 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior at Great Bridge High.

Stewart said he's spoken to Heastie's parents, but had tried without success to reach Heastie, who has spoken to his position coach, Lonnie Galloway, and assistant coach Chris Beatty, who recruited Heastie. Stewart said he'd welcome Heastie back for spring practice.

"That's if he wants to," Stewart said. "I'm not giving up on him. I'm not going to yell at him, I'm not going to be hostile toward him, I'm not going to challenge him."

* * *

STEWART ALSO announced minor alterations to the coaching staff and its responsibilities. Beatty was named Director of Recruiting, a position Doc Holliday vacated when he left for Marshall, and will also coach fullbacks in addition to running backs and slot receivers.

New hire Dave McMichael will coach tight ends and coordinate the offensive special teams units: field goal, extra point and kickoff return. Steve Dunlap remains the safety coach and will coordinate the defensive special teams: kickoff coverage, punt return, and field goal and extra point block/defense. Stewart will handle punts.

Stewart also put offensive line coach Dave Johnson in charge of the running game plan and wide receivers coach Lonnie Galloway in charge of the passing game plan while defensive line coach Bill Kirelawich will handle the run defense game plan and cornerbacks coach David Lockwood will do the pass defense game plan. Each handled the jobs previously, though without formal labels.

Contact sportswriter Mike Casazza at mikec@dailymail.com or 304-319-1142. His blog is at http://blogs.dailymail.com/wvu.

If things work out so that neither Geno or Heastie plays next season, WVU will still be fine. Brunetti or Johnson will take over at QB, and the one that doesn't start will be the #2 QB. There are also plenty of talented receivers to throw the ball to, although Heastie would be a great target to have. But Deon Long or Ivan McCartney are more than capable of taking over the starting WR spot opposite Bradley Starks, and more good WRs are waiting in the wings for the Mountaineers...

It's not a good situation when you have to rely on a true freshman at QB.

WVU has relied on freshmen before and had it work out nicely...

PW was a RS Frosh.

Slaton, the bigger star of the 2 that year, was a true freshman...

Also, if Brunetti gets the starting job, you must remember he hasn't lost a game he's started since middle school, and last year his team beat 2 teams that won 2009 state championships in higher classifications than MUS, which won it's 2nd straight state championship in Tennessee's D-II AA classification with Brunetti at the helm. MUS also defeated a team that won a state championship the previous year, giving Barry Brunetti 3 wins over state championship high school teams...

Name me another QB at any level who can make a similar claim. I dare you...

You go ahead and worry about the problems associated with starting a true freshman QB - or try to get people to worry about it, since that seems to be your goal in life. I'm not going to. Whatever happens, happens, and no matter what, WVU will be just fine...

QBs who play great in high school don't match that level in college all the time. Playing Tennessee high school football isn't the same as starting under the lights in Baton Rouge in September as he may have to do. The fact is that WVU is thin at QB whether you want to acknowledge it or not. Geno Smith is brittle, Coley White is a last resort and the other two options have no experience. That's why Stewart has been saying that 2011 will be the year...it's not gonna be 2010.

You must be the say nay kid. Go ahead and spoon out that sh!t to somebody that cares...

It beats your fantasyland wishful thinking nonsense.

Look who's talking about Fantasyland...

This is not happy news.

What bout Pat White's lil brother? Could he be moved back to the QB position to at least challenge for the spot.

He will get his opportunity this spring.

Coley White is merely a stop gap measure for spring ball. He's going to move to WR. Both incoming freshmen are expected to move ahead of him on the depth chart as soon as they arrive on campus...

wow.. This definitely is not good news for my mounties.ita
was already going to probably be a tough year with geno in place at spring practice.if the Mounties go 8-4 I would be happy.no matter how you cut it, this year is going to be the training year for the QB whoever it might be.

The QB @ USF, Cinci, & Rutgers will be the class of the league. Hopefull, our defense in Morgantown will be improved to help. I really think that wvu will probably finish in either 3rd or 4th place in conference