Mountaineers slowly are targeting TE more often
West Virginia’s passing game has tended not to feature the tight end in recent seasons.
In 2020, then-redshirt sophomore Mike O’Laughlin led the position group with just 15 receptions for 137 yards and one touchdown. The year before, those numbers were six receptions for 24 yards.
O’Laughlin flipped that script last Saturday against Texas Tech, however, making key contributions to the Mountaineers’ second-half comeback. And although the Red Raiders were able to pull out the victory with a late field goal, coaches are liking what they’re seeing out of the Glen Ellyn, Ill., native, now a redshirt junior.
“Mike has really taken a step from the physical standpoint of being a complete tight end,” position coach Travis Trickett said Tuesday on the Mountaineer Sports Network. “Pass protection, he’s been great. Run-game aspect, he’s been physical at the point of attack … and we know as a receiver what he can do.”
On Saturday, that was five receptions for 35 yards — modest stats that understate the significance of the plays he made given the flow of the game.
First, he helped the Mountaineers shake off a scoreless first half by hauling in quarterback Jarrett Doege’s first pass of the third quarter for 11 yards and a first down. Then he added a 5-yard reception in the red zone to help set up Leddie Brown’s touchdown a couple of plays later.
He also chipped in a couple of receptions on the fourthquarter field goal drive that evened the score at 20 before the Red Raiders’ final field goal.
Not the result West Virginia was looking for by any means, but still an encouraging individual performance. And that’s before you factor in his work as a blocker that had coach Neal Brown raving during his weekly news conference Tuesday.
“We asked a lot out of him against Oklahoma,” Brown said. “He had to block and pass protect against [Nik] Bonitto in several one-on-one situations, and I thought he did a really nice job competing. I’m not saying he won all of those battles, but he didn’t lose very many. There’s a bunch of ties in there, and that’s good when you’re talking about an early first-round draft pick.
“This week, I thought he was dominant at times run blocking. For you all that watch a bunch of video, go back and watch. I thought he played really physical.”
And that’s been helpful, as Brown says good blocking from a tight end makes it easier to get him the ball in the passing game, too.
O’Laughlin did not start at West Virginia as that kind of rugged player, though. A converted receiver, O’Laughlin has bulked up gradually over the years to the point that he looks almost like a different person from the relatively skinny 215-pound prospect who was rated three stars by Rivals coming out of high school.
Now he’s up to 252 pounds, according to the West Virginia roster, and takes pleasure in paving the way for Brown or protecting Doege from pass rushers. It’s an element the Mountaineers missed as O’Laughlin was forced to sit out the first two games of the season with an injury that also kept him out of most of fall camp.
They’re glad to have him back. And he’s glad to be on the field and channeling role models like San Francisco’s George Kittle or Kansas City’s Travis Kelce to make the West Virginia offense work.
“When I look at those guys, everyone sees touchdowns and all of that other stuff. Or if they have a great block,” he said. “I just see guys who love to play football. That’s the key to success in this game. If you love to play it, you’re going to do well. Put yourself in positions to do well.
“So watching them, their energy on the field … I saw a clip of Kittle putting someone on their back in the end zone and he’s laughing right after the play. That’s just pure joy and excitement of playing the game, and that’s something I want to emulate within my game.”