Freshman quarterback Jeremy Johnson sent a scare throughout the Mountaineer fan base around 3 p.m. Monday.
The highly touted signal caller posted on his Facebook page “I’m officially a baylor bear now,” suggesting he had left the West Virginia U. program.
However, Johnson later deleted the message and posted “”I’m lyin yal lol haha..why yal worried bout me.”
WVU head coach Bill Stewart said Monday Johnson is experiencing homesickness and would know more on his status in the next “day or two.”
“Jeremy Johnson is a long way from home and hopefully we can nurture him through this,” Stewart said. “You just have to hug him up and help him remember all the great reasons why he came (to WVU). Once classes begin, things will get better.
“How many times did Jock (Sanders) and Noel (Devine) want to go home?”
Stewart said Johnson was “in the building” Monday but would not say if he practiced.
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Quinton Spain, one of two incoming freshmen football players whose collegiate career had been postponed due to questions with his eligibility, has been cleared by the NCAA and attended practice for the first time Monday.
Spain, an offensive lineman from Petersburg, Va., missed the first week of practice while awaiting word from the NCAA but has been cleared to fully partake in all football related activities. The four-star athlete was only in a helmet and a jersey Monday – the only equipment he is allowed for his first two practices – and “watched (fellow offensive lineman Don Barclay) all day,” according to offensive line coach Dave Johnson.
“He’s big. He’s a big, big man,” Stewart said. “He had a jersey on today, but he looked like he was in full gear because how big he is.”
Due to NCAA rules, Spain isn’t allowed to don shoulder pads until his third practice and will be allowed to wear full pads on his fifth practice. Johnson said it’s hard to tell how far Spain is behind until he is able to fully participate in practice.
Stewart said he has yet to hear about the status of receiver Dante Chambers, who isalso waiting approval from the NCAA.
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Johnson said one of the biggest surprises along the offensive line has been redshirt freshman Cole Bowers. The Ona, W.Va., native took over Eric Jobe’s right guard position with the first team Monday in an experiment to see how Bowers handled the speed of the first-team defense, how he affected the first team’s chemistry and if he could handle to pressure of being a starter.
“He’s having a really good camp,” Johnson said. “He’s learning and playing physical.”
Bowers is also providing competition for Jobe which Johnson said is “critical” in fall camp.
“Without competition, guys just tend to relax and slip into a comfort zone that we don’t want,” Johnson said.