MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - When Noel Devine and Jock Sanders decided they’d stick it out for one more season with the Mountaineers, the optimism surrounding West Virginia’s offense increased exponentially.

Following a season where perhaps the most dismal performance was found along the offensive line, it was looking like that unit would be the most experienced position heading into the 2010 season. Now, however, there is no need to search for replacements for two of WVU’s most productive threats in 2009.

The running back position will get back one of the best in the nation, and the receiving corps will again field a talented speedster who hopes to continue to improve from what had the makings of a record season early on in his junior year.

Sanders’s return does not shore up the entire unit, though. Two of the remaining three starting receivers from last season have graduated, and now wide-outs coach Lonnie Galloway is looking for a way to replace them.

So far, the search is going fairly well.

For starters, the uber-talented Tavon Austin has been pushed out to the second wide-out position to line up opposite Bradley Starks. Austin had all the hype he could hope for last season when Coach Chris Beatty compared him to Percy Harvin and said he’d make a defender miss in a phone booth, but he seemed to float around from position to position and never had quite the impact many expected of him.

With that very thought in mind, and the idea that the best offense would put its best 11 athletes on the field at once, Austin is making the switch to wide receiver permanent this season. But maybe for just this season.

“[Austin] is either going to be starting receiver or second-team tailback,” says Coach Galloway. “So it’s an easy choice. He is the future tailback, but right now he’s going to play receiver for me.”

Galloway will not only be taking on a new player this season, but also an entire position that had previously belonged to Coach Beatty: The H receiver.

The thought is that the two slot receiver positions are meant for different type of athletes. The H is more of a route runner and pass catcher, while the S could also line up in the backfield as a running back. Because of this, two freshmen receivers with plenty of talent will initially have the nod to battle it out for the H position.

The redshirted Stedman Bailey enters the spring as the starter with highly touted Deon Long hot on his heels.

Speaking of freshmen, there are a number of them in this year’s recruiting class that appear to have the ability

to come in and contribute sooner rather than later. That said, Galloway is careful not to put too high of expectations on the likes of Ivan McCartney and Quantavious Leslie, because he’s seen first hand what can happen to a young receiver when he is led to believe the hype surrounding his freshman season.

As it stands right now, it would appear that the most recent player to fit this bill is Logan Heastie, who came to WVU early for a head start at a major role in the offense only to find out that college ball is a bit different than the level of play he had dominated in Virginia. Heastie now appears to be on his way out the door, though nothing is official from the staff, and Galloway is hoping he can rely on his experienced veterans to hold down the action on game days.

“I don’t want to say that they’re going to come in and play because who knows? Obviously, losing Arnett and Wes was huge and hopefully they can come in and they don’t have to play,” says Galloway. “Ivan McCartney’s rated high enough to come in here and play, but what does that mean?”

What it means is he might as well put his efforts behind the players he already knows, like the most experienced of the entire bunch: Bradley Starks.

“Bradley Starks could be as good as he wants to be,” says Galloway. “He’s shown flashes of being great last year, he’s just got to want to do it. He’s come a long way, but he’s still got a ways to go.”

Starks’s backup, Ryan Nehlen, is set to miss much of spring ball as he recovers from shoulder surgery, but Galloway says the sophomore is coming along well and may be ready to expand his role on the field.

“Each year, Ryan is progressively getting better at the things that he needs to work on. It’s going to be interesting to see. There is depth, but Ryan is smart, so he’s going to be able to get himself in a position where a kid that may be more talented than him can’t take his place.”

Of course, the other part of the equation is how well the starting quarterback can get the ball to these receivers. With Geno Smith returning and two incoming freshmen ready to compete, Galloway is excited for the opportunity to develop a real passing attack in Morgantown.

“We want a kid that can run, but we want him to be able to throw first, because we want to throw it. We don’t want the quarterback to run for 200 yards. Let him get 100 or let him get 50 as long as those 50 positive yards and throw for 300.”

It isn’t often in the last few years that the stat sheet has shown 300 yards passing for the Mountaineers. It’s a different philosophy, but with so many capable receivers and some exciting quarterback prospects battling for playing time, it just might work.