From the moment he switched his commitment from UCF to West Virginia, Ric’Darious “DayDay” Farmer was by far the most talked about rookie on the Mountaineers’ roster.
What the Melbourne, Florida native can do with the ball in his hands is special. His ability to make a miss is something that hasn’t been seen in the WVU receiver room in a long time…at least not at his level. He still has some things to figure out, but there’s no question he’ll play a role in this offense. His development over the next few months will determine how big that role will be.
Wide receiver coach Bilal Marshall spoke to the media about his group on Wednesday and praised Farmer’s potential.
“DayDay, you’ve obviously seen his video. He’s very electric. He can stop in a flash and leave you two nickels. That’s what’s so exciting about him: When he gets the ball in his hands, you hold your breath because he’s going to leave the first passer running. He’s got a good skill set, but he needs to become a cleaner route runner. I think sometimes he wants to make so many moves that he trips himself up. I’m never going to take away his creativity because a lot of people, 99% of the people that have walked through this building don’t have his creativity. He just needs to know when to play situational football and when not to. He’s going to be a really good player.”
That’s quite a statement for a true freshman. Of course, when you hear something like that, you automatically think back to the days of Tavon Austin and how he made people look ridiculous in the open field. Austin is one of a kind, there will never be anything like him again. Still, Farmer could bring the same drive and energy to West Virginia’s offense for years to come.
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