MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Tucson, Ariz., is 1,796 miles from Morgantown as the crow flies, yet two of the most highly sought after graduate transfer in college football landed at WVU from Arizona in safety Scottie Young and linebacker Tony Fields II.
Both Young and Fields II were three-year starters with the Wildcats but wanted to seek new homes for their final seasons, and with the Pac-12 postponing its college football season to the spring, it appears to be a wise decision.
Fields II announced last Monday he chose the Mountaineers over Texas, and will be a welcomed addition after accumulating 287 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 8 1/2 sacks in three years at Arizona. However, WVU coach Neal Brown said several Ts needed to be crossed and Is needed to be dotted before he could comment on a few transfers, likely including Fields II.
Young, though, has been practicing with the Mountaineers since the start of camp, but it awaiting approval by the NCAA for immediate eligibility.
“We have an older group there at safety, so if he does have to redshirt, I think that’s a good thing because we lose a lot in that room going into next season,” Brown said. “He’s a proven player in the Pac-12 — he’s made a lot of plays and started a bunch of games against some really good people. Coach (Jahmile) Addae coached him while he was at Arizona and was a guy he had a lot of faith in. He’s come here and he hasn’t disappointed.”
Brown mentioned Young has a calmness about him, communicates and gets himself in good position, though he hasn’t seen him tackle yet with limited contact through camp so far.
As Brown mentioned, a linchpin between Young and Field II is Addae, who was promoted to coach the back end of the defense when Vic Koenning departed last month. Addae will continue to coach the cornerbacks, as he did last season at WVU, but prior to coming back to Morgantown, he was at Minnesota in 2018 and Arizona from 2013-17. Addae played as a safety for the Mountaineers from 2001-05.
Addae’s prior connections with Fields II and Young are notable, but Brown feels Addae’s overall abilities as a coach makes him a rising star in the coaching ranks.
“He has an upward trajectory,” Brown said of Addae. “I think he’s gonna be a guy that continues to grow and move up in this profession. He’s done a lot of really good things here. He did some nice things at Minnesota and Arizona before that. He was a high-level player here and is very well thought of here. He loves West Virginia — he loves the state, he loves the university. He has a lot invested into this program and when he’s out recruiting, that comes through, especially in a living room, but when a kid’s here on campus with their family, that investment and that true passion he has for that Flying WV really comes through.
“He’s done a really good job of bringing talent here and I think he’ll continue to do that, without a doubt.”
Other than Fields II, WVU is awaiting final word on Virginia transfer Ja’Quay Hubbard. Hubbard, a 6-foot-5, 335-pound offensive lineman, redshirted last season with the Cavaliers and will likely have to sit out this season due to NCAA transfer rules.
Maryland transfer Bryce Brand is settling in at “bandit” linebacker and is getting into shape, while Troy grad transfer specialist Tyler Sumpter is getting a few reps at placekicker but will primarily work as a punter.
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