Submit your WVU football question

Thanks much for your participation in the West Virginia football Q&A.

It is your job to ask the questions; my job to answer them -- so keep them rolling in. I will answer them as I get them each day throughout the season and through whatever bowl game the Mountaineers go to, as well as through signing day in February. Please remember to include your last name in submissions.

You can follow the Mountaineers daily here and at 'Eers to the Ground, a blog devoted to West Virginia football.

Also, take time each week to find your way into my live chat, it is each Thursday at 2 p.m.

Q: I noticed the Q on Coach Stew being the right guy and agree with your answer. I'd like to focus one aspect that definitely seems to be getting better and that's recruiting. Rodriguez made a living finding hidden talent here but we always seemed undersized and lacked depth. While recruiting rankings are a dime a dozen, it's hard not to notice the measureables of the players being recruited. It seems like those being recruited now are more physically mature or just plain bigger than recruits of the previous regime. If I remember correctly, Stew even said in one of his press conferences that he likes "big, tall guys that can run". Do you think that this philosophy will pay dividends in the long run?

Robert Fisher, Pittsburgh

DUNLAP: You hit on something. Coach Rodriguez was, and still is, a master at "coaching kids up" and is one of the best in college football in this area. That is to say, he takes kids who some don't think are all that good and makes them good to great Division I football players. As evidence: His program took Dan Mozes and made a marginal recruit the best center in the country; his program took Steve Slaton and turned him into an NFL back and it also made Patrick White a kid no one wanted as a quarterback into one of college football's most prolific winners at the position -- ever. But, what Rich also did was take that borderline kid and make him a solid contributor, such as the Hathaway kid from Carmichaels.

With all that said, Coach Stewart did say, earlier in the season in a press conference, that he was looking to get the "big, tall guys who can run." I think, ideally, every coach does that. But, especially now, and especially that the offense is now more multi-faceted with Mullen taking over, the program must recruit bigger guys. The days of this team going zone-read 9 times out of 10 and then hitting a fullback trap that goes for 45 yards as a surprise mechanism are over. This is a team that will balance the run with the pass. And, from a lineman standpoint, you will see big kids such as Pat Eger continue to get recruited along with quick, skilled position kids like Tavon Austin.

Q: With the play of Keith Tandy and Brandon Hogan, do you foresee Pat Miller getting more reps in the secondary? His cover skills have been pretty good when he has gotten the chance to play. Just wanting to know your opinion?

Brian, Monongah, W.Va.

DUNLAP: Miller is a bright young talent, among the brightest on the team. With that said, his time to play every down will come. I think from game one to today, the guy who has improved the most is Brandon Hogan. He played absolutely lights out against Marshall and I would foresee him continuing to grow as the season progresses. So, it is my opinion that Miller will be in on some packages, but the full complement of what he can do won't be seen until next season -- which isn't a bad thing.

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