As good as Rakeem Cato played in leading the Thundering Herd up and down the field last season, perhaps the most impressive aspect of the most dominant Marshall offense since the days of Randy Moss was the performance of a bowling-ball-of-a-tight-end-turned-running-back that entered his junior season with only five collegiate carries to his name. Such was the story of Devon Johnson.
We ran the Value Add Sports calculations on all returning athletes in West Virginia and emailed sports writers and other experts in the state to help rank the 25 state players to watch on a list we will update here.
Johnson topped our list above West Virginia hoops stars after a scintillating junior season in which he rumbled to the tune of 1,767 yards and 17 scores, leading all Conference USA rushers in yards. Now as the dominant returning weapon for the Thundering Herd the 6’1, 240-pounder may have to replicate those numbers—and mauler of a right tackle in Clint Van Horn can help him along in that regard—if the Herd want to approach the success of 2014.
- Devon Johnson, Marshall Thundering Herd, Football, RB
- Jevon Carter, West Virginia, Basketball, SG
- Daxter Miles, West Virginia, Basketball, SF
- Michaela Abam, West Virginia, Soccer, Defender
- Devin Williams, West Virginia, Basketball, C
- Miles Bridges, Huntington Prep (Huntington, WV), Basketball, F
- Aleksa Nikolic, Marshall, Basketball, PG
- Carla Portillo, West Virginia, Soccer, Midfielder
- Amandine Pierre-Louis, West Virginia, Soccer, Forward
- Clint Van Horn, Marshall Thundering Herd, Football, OL
Others Receiving Votes
Ryan Taylor, Marshall, Basketball, SF
Curtis Jones, Huntington Prep (Huntington, WV), Basketball, G
Amy Cashin, West Virginia, Track/Field, 1,500m Run
Nick Kwiatkoski, West Virginia, Football, LB
Austin Loop, Marshall, Basketball, SF
Karl Joseph, West Virginia Mountaineers, Football, DB
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