WVU DC Zac Alley looking for more defensive consistency in Year 2
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MORGANTOWN -- The last time West Virginia football's defense took the field was when Texas Tech scored 49 points in a 49-0 loss. The offense wasn't any better, but the defense had one of its worst showings of the season. After the 2025 season, Alley's defense allowed the third most points per game in the Big 12, allowing over 30 a game.
There were some highlights throughout the season, like against Pitt, Houston with the pick-6 and Arizona State. There were flashes. Just very up and down.
"We were very boom-or-bust last year," Alley said. "We were going to hold you to 21 and win the game in overtime, or we were going to give up 49 and get blown out. There was no consistency to performance."
Throughout the fall, when the defense was struggling, Alley said the team was in position to make plays, they just wouldn't execute. After the first day of fall camp and a lot of time to reflect on the season, Alley admitted there were times when he was wrong, too.
"There’s some calls I'd take back too," Alley said. "Where I wish 'Hey, that was dumb. Wish we’d been in this when that happened,’ or whatnot."
How does Alley fix the defense going into Year 2?
Well, for a start, the team added a lot more athleticism and size at all positions. The defensive line is beefed up, and there's more length at corner to close the gap on missed assignments. That'll close the gap with other defenses throughout the league.
But, what Alley is really looking for is more consistency. He doesn't want one play for WVU to get a stop on second down, and for the very next play the running back breaks for a 60 yard touchdown. The Mountaineers’ defense either allowed 20 points or 40 points. There wasn't very much in between.
It'll take the whole team to fix the consistency.
"That takes kind of the character of the team, the discipline of the players, discipline of the coaches to keep it consistent and to get them where they need to go," Alley said.
It's hard to get some consistency in college football. Players transfer in and transfer out. For good and bad, WVU’s roster has been impacted by the portal. The Mountaineers have around 70 new players on the roster, similarly to last year. Now, this group isn't all transfers, so it's a little different.
There are very few players on defense returning. Most graduated, but a couple hit the portal.
There is some continuity. Alley returned linebackers Ashton Woods and Ben Cutter to run the defense. In the secondary, Geimere Latimer Jr. wasn't on the team last season, but was with Alley two years ago at Jacksonville State. Alley looks at him as a returning player.
The NCAA didn't have a spring portal for football this year, either. Last year, the coaching staff spent the whole spring teaching and coaching a bunch of players just for them to leave after the spring. This year, the players who transferred in the winter were the ones who will be on the roster in the summer.
"I think that’s actually refreshing that they knew what the calls were and what we’re doing, and there was some consistent coaching going on there," Alley said. "Obviously, good to have the team intact from then to now."
Now, it's just a matter of getting the team to be more consistent. Alley has just under a month before the first unit is sent out against Coastal Carolina to get the team to buy in. After the first day of fall camp and in the spring, he's already making progress.
"I’m very pleased with where the at least the buy-in of our team is from an overarching standpoint," Alley said. "We got some stuff to work on from today. We got a lot of work to do. As a whole, obviously, that’s the biggest difference."